DO AIR PURIFIERS REDUCE HUMIDITY

Humans find a relative humidity of 30 – 50% most comfortable. Indoor air quality can be much worse that outdoors. Humidistats could help maintain a constant range of humidity. Different parts of the house see different humidity levels. The drawing room could have much lower humidity than the washroom for obvious reasons. Air purifiers are a popular way to maintain a healthy living environment inside the house. But, people tend to ask the question – “Do air purifiers reduce humidity?”. Since air purifiers have an inbuilt fan, they give such an impression of lowering the room’s humidity. If you are an air purifier user, have you seen any condensation or water accumulation anywhere on the air purifier? I am sure the answer would be a No. Hence, air purifiers have no such effect on the air’s humidity levels.

Unlike an air conditioner, there are no coils or compressor in an air purifier. Air purifiers are simple devices made just to purify the air and not condition it. They simply comprise of a fan and a set of filters.

DO AIR PURIFIERS REDUCE HUMIDITY?

People usually get this impression because indoor air humidity is usually lower than outdoors. While you might feel stagnant air to be humid, once it is moving and being circulated, it feels less humid. Water vapor is also a greenhouse gas. This is the reason why increased humidity levels are uncomfortable to us. The most common symptom of high humidity is when our sweat doesn’t dry up. Sweating is body’s mechanism to cool down internally.

 ALSO READ: DO AIR PURIFIERS KILL VIRUSES

However, if you’re looking to reduce indoor humidity as well, there are many ways to do so. A simple method is to place air purifying indoor plants. Plants absorb moisture from the air and also purify the air indoors. Thick carpets can promote a humid environment. Try not to dry clothes within the house since the evaporated water gets absorbed by the air and increases humidity. Using exhaust fans or dehumidifiers are another way of reducing humidity. However, air purifiers do not reduce humidity at all.

AIR PURIFIERS AS DEHUMIDIFIERS

An air purifier has no similarity with a Dehumidifier. It does not in any way change the amount of moisture content in the air. It mainly circulates the air throughout and filters it. Humidity is defined by the amount of water or moisture that is currently present in the air.

The filters of an air purifier are designed to just trap dust, pollen grains, microbes and allergens. Even as a stand-alone feature, air purifiers can only act as fans. To reduce the humidity, it would need to have more mechanisms inside it. It would need to have a cooling agent, an air compressor among other things. Desiccating agents like silica gel can absorb air moisture as well. However, an air purifier contains neither of these things. Hence, it is a mere misconception that it can cause reduced humidity. So, now you know for sure the answer to the question. You tell me – Do air purifiers reduce humidity?