Do Air Purifiers Cool the Room?
Air purifiers are a great way to improve your indoor air quality. They run by pulling in dirty air from the room and then releasing clean air back into the room.
But, there is a common myth about air purifiers: because they usually contain a fan, air purifiers could also work as fans or air conditioners to cool the room.
So, do air purifiers cool the room? No, air purifiers don’t cool the room because they don’t have a cooling system or any mechanism to lower the temperature of the air. An air purifier’s job is to filter the air and remove airborne contaminants. However, air purifiers circulate the air using the fan on board, which can feel cold to the skin, making the room feel cooler.
In this guide, we’ll closely look at this common query around air purifiers and answer all doubts you might have.
Before we jump any further, let’s quickly understand what is an air purifier.
What is an Air Purifier?
An air purifier is a device that removes contaminants from the air in a room. These devices are commonly used to remove dust, pollen, and pet dander from the air. Air purifiers can also remove smoke and VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
Most air purifiers are fans with air filters. The fan pulls air into the purifier and then forces it through one or more filters. The filtered air is then circulated back into the room.
Does an Air Purifier Cool Down a Room?
The air purifier itself doesn’t directly affect any temperature change in the room. That’s because most air purifiers are just “a fan with air filters.”
However, the fan on board that’s responsible for pulling in the dirty air and pushing it through the filter(s), causes air circulation that, as a side effect, can have the cooling effect and make a person in the room feel cooler. That’s the light breeze you feel in the presence of an air purifier.
So if you’re looking to lower your room temperature, an air purifier is not the answer. Air purifiers are not designed to cool your room.
However, the only exception to this is the Dyson range of air purifiers that can be used to purify the air and cool the room.
How Does an Air Purifier Make the Air Feel Cooler?
Now: if you’ve got the experience of using an air purifier before, you might think if the air purifiers don’t cool the room, then why does the air coming out of an air purifier feel cooler?
There are various reasons why the air coming out of an air purifier feels cooler.
Air Circulation
The first reason is that most air purifiers come with a fan that helps circulate the air in the room. The air purifier pulls in the dirty air from the room and then releases the filtered and clean air back into the room. This circulation of air can make you feel cold as this air when closer to your skin helps your body cool quicker.
Airflow Direction
Air purifiers are manufactured in two standard ways:
- Airflow in the forward direction
- Airflow in the upward direction
Purifiers with airflow in the forward direction are more suited for the direct flow of air towards you. These types of purifiers can make you feel cold as the air circulates around you rather than flowing in the upward direction.
Final Thoughts
There you have it.
Next time anyone asks you “Do air purifiers cool the room?” you can hopefully answer them with the explanation. If not, you can anyway point them here.
Remember: most air purifiers come with a fan and one or more filters. The fan pulls in the air from one side and pushes it through the filters for clean air. Because of the thickness of the filters, there is very little air that can come through and still deliver a cooling effect which in most cases is not enough to make a room feel cold.
That’s by design! Air purifiers are well, air purifiers and not air conditioners.
However, combo air purifiers (like the Dyson range) have an extra cooling feature that can help make the room feel cooler.
I hope you found my answer useful. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
FAQs
Why are air purifiers able to blow out cold air?
Air purifiers do not actually make the air cold, they just purify it. The feeling of cold air is a result of the increased airflow and circulation in the room that feels cooler against your skin.
How does an air purifier work?
An air purifier works by drawing in dirty air from the room and passing it through a filter. The filter traps all the contaminants and pollutants in the air, leaving only clean, fresh air to be circulated back into the room.
Is there a difference between an air conditioner and an air purifier?
An air conditioner cools the air in a room by drawing in warm air from the outside and blowing it over cold coils. This process of cooling and circulating the air also helps to remove some pollutants from the air.
An air purifier, on the other hand, does not actually cool the air. It works by drawing in dirty air from the room and passing it through a filter. The filter traps all the contaminants and pollutants in the air, leaving only clean, fresh air to be circulated back into the room.
Do I need an air purifier if I have an air conditioner?
You might not need an air purifier if you have an air conditioner, but it really depends on the quality of the air in your home. If you live in an area with a lot of smog or other air pollution, then an air purifier can help to remove those contaminants from the air, making it healthier to breathe.
