When trying to decide what to buy for cleaner air inside your home, you might encounter many options. Some people decide to use a fan to obtain fresher air in their homes, while others go for an air purifier. However, what is the difference between a fan and an air purifier, and which one is considered better?
Fans and air purifiers are two completely different things with different functions, meaning they cannot actually be compared. A fan is used to move air around the room and to increase ventilation. On the other hand, air purifiers are used to trap harmful particles and to provide cleaner inside air.
If you are not sure about the difference between fans and air purifiers, you have come to the right place to resolve this dilemma. These two appliances are used to increase the quality of the inside air, but they have different functions. In this article, I have explained these functions and the main purposes of these appliances, so you would understand the difference between them, and decide which is better for your home.
Is An Air Purifier The Same As A Fan?
In order to understand the differences between an air purifier and a fan, you need to know exactly what they are and how they are used. It is a fact that they serve as a tool to make the inside air better, but they are not the same thing, i.e. they do not have the same functions. Therefore, you need to look into their features in order to understand what exactly is going on between these two appliances.
What Is An Air Purifier?
An air purifier is an appliance usually used in homes for cleaning the air and achieving high-quality breathing conditions. An air purifier works on the basis of a filter, and that filter is responsible for trapping contaminants inside the machine. Contaminants, such as dust particles, toxins, and other harmful pollutants are generally found in the air even if you keep your house clean on a regular basis.
Usually, when you vacuum or dust the whole house, small particles are left in the air, and that is when an air purifier is the most convenient. Most air purifiers have a filter inside that traps the harmful particles, and filter cleaner air. People who use air purifiers at home, especially those with breathing allergies, find these appliances quite useful because they improve living conditions inside homes.
However, it is important to point out that the work of an air purifier depends on the good circulation inside your home. In other words, in order for an air purifier to work efficiently and trap contaminants inside, the air needs to circulate around the room in a preferable manner. This means that the air inside your home needs to move around constantly so the air purifier can actually trap the harmful particles inside its filters.
Nonetheless, if you do not have good ventilation in your home, it is much likely that the air purifier will only clean the air in its proximity. That is due to the fact that the air inside your room does not move around, so the air purifier is in no condition to catch the particles in the air. That is why you have to take this fact into consideration before buying an air purifier in your home.
For instance, if you do not open windows inside your home, or you do not have any fans or air conditioners, that means that the air purifier will not do much for you. Not knowing this fact has led many people to believe that air purifiers are not effective in their functions.
On the other hand, there are some revolutionary air purifiers that have the ability to ensure air circulation, but they are not as powerful as electrical fans. In addition, they are usually quite more expensive, so people do not find them affordable, hence they do not usually opt for them.
What Is A Fan?
A fan is an appliance used to move the air around a room and to increase air ventilation. Usually, fans are much more used in summer because they help in creating a breeze and cooler air inside the room. Many people use them instead of an air conditioner because they are considered healthier options for cooling rooms during hot days.
There are different types of electrical fans, and they come with a lot of different features. However, the main task of each electrical fan is to provide good circulation inside a room. Therefore, people usually choose them when they want to ensure that the air inside the room will constantly move around.
Fans are also present inside air purifiers, but they do not have the same power as an electrical fan whose main purpose is to create good airflow inside a room. Namely, a fan is a device with moving blades that cause air to move around constantly, but they do not have actual cooling functions. So, even though they might create a cooler and fresher atmosphere inside the room, they do not actually have cooling features.
As I mentioned before, there are different types of fans, meaning that some are more powerful, and they have the tendency to move air in a fast manner. This way they create the cooler feeling inside the room, especially if the room is small. That is why people sometimes use them instead of an air conditioner.
Can I Use An Air Purifier As A Fan?
If you have read the explanations above, you are probably aware that using an air purifier as a substitute for a fan is not an option. An air purifier neither has cooling effects, nor moves the air around the room. It is mainly used for trapping harmful particles from the air, and to improve the living conditions inside a room or a house.
Some air purifiers can remove odors and smells, but this feature might not be effective in some circumstances. For instance, if you use an air purifier in a big room without good ventilation, the unpleasant smells might be removed from a particular area, but not entirely, meaning they will still be present to some extent.
In addition, many people believe that since air purifiers have a fan inside the machine, they can be used as substitute, but this is an absolute misconception of this appliance. Namely, the fan that is included inside an air purifier is used to pull the air inside so the filters can trap the contaminants, and later to release cleaner air.
It is possible that some more powerful air purifiers will be able to provide some air circulation, but not in the same way as fans do.
What Is The Difference Between A Fan And An Air Purifier?
There are several features that make an air purifier and a fan separate devices. Namely, the main purpose of an air purifier is to clean the air and remove harmful particles and toxins from it. On the other hand, a fan is used to move the air around the room and provide good ventilation.
That being said, it is important to point out that an air purifier does not have cooling effects as fans do. They might provide some air circulation, but not in the same way as fans can create a breeze and cooler feeling. It is a fact that air purifiers have fans inside their machines, but they are not as powerful as electrical fans, whose main function is to move air around.
Furthermore, these two appliances have different effects on the inside air and people who are exposed to that air. For instance, a fan can dry out your skin and irritate your eyes really quickly because as the air moves around it becomes drier and that affects you directly. Therefore, it is not usually recommended leaving a fan working for many hours, especially overnight.
On the other hand, air purifiers can easily work during the night without affecting you. However, you need to remember that they need regular cleaning and maintenance, especially if they are turned on for the most of the time inside your home.
Do Air Purifiers Cool A Room?
Air purifiers do not have the ability to cool a room even though they have built-in fans. The main purpose of the fan inside an air purifier is to pull air back in the room once the air has been filtered and the harmful particles were trapped. Therefore, you should not expect that an air purifier will cool your room.
The air inside the room will definitely be fresher and smells might be removed, but the room will not be cooled due to the work of an air purifier.
As you can see, you can not compare air purifiers and fans because it would be like comparing apples and oranges. These devices have different functions, and they serve for different purposes, meaning you can not use them as substitutes.
Sources:
https://www.ourfavoritegadgets.com/air-purifier-vs-fan/#How_does_an_air_purifier_work