Does Air Purifier Help with Humidity? All Information You Should Know

Many people use air purifiers as an effective solution to get rid of contaminants such as dust, pollen, animal dander, bacteria, etc… Additionally, an air purifier can reduce our symptoms of allergies, which makes us feel more comfortable.

Apart from those indoor substances that air purifiers can remove, another important element that should be taken into account is humidity. We might be wondering “Does air purifier help with humidity?”. Let’s find the answer in the content below.

Does Air Purifier Help with Humidity?

No. The air purifier doesn’t affect humidity levels. Air purifiers simply enhance indoor air quality by absorbing, decomposing, or transforming air pollutants. They do not lower indoor humidity.

To further strengthen this argument, we did a quick test to see whether “does air purifier take moisture out of air” was conducted. In 25 minutes, the tester lit a cigarette to contaminate a closed room and turned on an air purifier. After the time ended, they observed that the result of particle pollution dropped from approximately 200 micrograms to zero (red line). However, humidity did not decrease at all (blue line).

Although air purifiers don’t impact the humidity generally, some of them that have activated carbon filters still have a little effect on humidity. But the effect is minor, and we can be overlooked.

Why Does Using an Air Purifier Make Us Feel Dry?

Air purifiers don’t remove moisture from the air. But they can cause indoor air to feel drier than normal for many reasons. 

First of all, if the filters of air purifiers are worked regularly, the built-up dirt may cause obstruction and make pollutants re-circulate into the air. As a result, we may have a scratchy throat and a dry nose when we wake up. So this gives the impression that the air purifier makes us feel the air is dryer. 

Another reason is when the air purifier pumps filtered air back into the space, we will feel cooler, and naturally, cooler air feels drier than moist air. Not only that, if we use a small purifier in a too large area, it also increases our dry feeling in the air. 

The Distinction Between an Air Purifier and a Dehumidifier

Do you wonder if the air purifier is the same as the dehumidifier? So don’t hesitate to discover the answer in the paragraphs below.

We can see an air purifier and a dehumidifier remove different things. While air purifiers eliminate pollutants like dust mites, pollen, pet dander, etc…. from the air, dehumidifiers do their duty to take out moisture.

Another obvious distinction between the air purifier and dehumidifier is how they operate. As we know, to capture impurities and make fresh air throughout your home, air purifiers rely on filters. Meanwhile, a typical dehumidifier draws air from the space through a coil that has been chilled by a refrigeration system. On the chilly surface, the water vapor condenses, and the liquid water drips into the water collection bucket below.

Wei-Ning Wang – an associate professor of indoor air quality and aerosol technology at Virginia Commonwealth University, described the primary function of each device. According to him, air purifiers improve air quality by capturing molds and other airborne particles. Meanwhile, dehumidifiers are crucial tools for reducing relative humidity (RH) and preventing mold growth in summer. 

Based on the main functions of each device given above, we can pick one that suits our needs. If we’re worried about excessive humidity levels and potential mold growth, a dehumidifier is an obvious solution. But for improving our indoor air quality and reducing allergies, our greatest option is an air purifier. In case we’re interested in both lowering humidity and boosting air quality, we might spend money on two devices.

5 Ingenious Ways to Lower Indoor Humidity

Now, you are pretty sure it says “no” to the question “Does air purifier remove humidity?” But how do we escape from the sticky situation because of humidity conditions? Here are some tips to make your home less humid.

Use an air conditioner or dehumidifier

Air conditioning and dehumidifiers are optimal methods to decrease a humid environment. Depending on your needs, you can choose one or both of them to serve your life.

Air conditioners naturally aid in lowering indoor humidity due to the colder air it introduces and the removal of humid air. When using air conditioning, we should avoid anything that limits airflow or makes our air conditioner stop working. Besides, we must pay attention to replacing the filter.

Dehumidifiers, like its name, are made to remove moisture from the air as it moves through them. This practical device will keep our house cool and dry.

Dehumidifiers, like its name, are made to remove moisture from the air as it moves through them. This practical device will keep our house cool and dry.

Relocate your house plants

Another solution we can try to decrease humidity is to move out our houseplants. The reason is they can raise the humidity level in your home since they emit moisture into the air. At least briefly, let’s bring them outside.

Using baking soda, salt, or charcoal

Baking soda works well to remove moisture. Any part of your home with significant humidity should have bowls of the substance there. If you’re dealing with a larger space, you may utilize rock salt or charcoal instead of baking soda because soda performs better in tiny spaces.

Eliminate carpets

The carpet has a bad reputation for holding a lot of moisture. So, if at all possible, you should get rid of the carpet in your home.

Using weatherstripping

We can stop outside dampness from leaking into our home by installing weatherstripping around our windows and doors. A weatherstripping kit or merely adhesive-backed foam can be purchased online or at your neighborhood home goods store.

FAQs

1. Can I use an air purifier with high humidity?

Yes. But you should note that in the summer, you should keep humidity air levels below 50% to avoid interfering with your air purifier and not encouraging the growth of numerous bacteria. In the winter, you also need to keep humidity levels below 60% to prevent the growth of mold and germs. 

2. Can I use air purifiers and dehumidifiers together?

Yes. Air purifiers remove pollutants, while dehumidifiers reduce excess moisture. You should know this combination is especially useful in spaces prone to high humidity issues. But when you combine these two devices, let’s ensure both devices are appropriately sized and properly maintained for the best results.

Conclusion

Air purifiers are not designed as primary dehumidification devices. So, for effective humidity control, you should use a dedicated dehumidifier. Especially in areas prone to high moisture levels, you can take an air purifier alongside a dehumidifier to raise efficiency in air quality improvement.

In the end, we hope the information we provide is enough so you don’t need to consider “Do air purifiers take moisture out of the air” anymore.