The heat in summer can be overbearing, and thankfully, you have air conditioners to help you regulate your room’s temperature. If you also want to inhale only the purest of air during this humid season, air purifiers should be your first option. Before that, you must ensure that it’s safe to use air conditioners and purifiers in the same space.
You can use an air conditioner and an air purifier simultaneously and in the same room. Both can work hand in hand to make the air refreshing and healthier for you. The air purifier cleanses the air, removing all pollutants while the conditioner cools the room’s temperature.
While it’s safe to use both, it’s critical to understand how they work. This post contains information you should know about using air conditioners and purifiers. Keep reading to learn more about these appliances.
What Are the Common Differences Between Air Purifiers and Air Conditioners?
Before differentiating both home appliances, you should understand how they operate. First, let’s look at the function of an air purifier and an air conditioner.
Air Purifier
An air purifier works by removing substances in the air that may be harmful to humans. Substances that it filters out of the atmosphere include pollen, bacteria, mold spores, dust, and smoke. Thus, It’s an excellent device to have for individuals suffering from respiratory illnesses.
The two most common air purifiers are those that use HEPA filters and those that use ionizers. With the help of a HEPA filter in an air purifier, indoor air is circulated through a filtration system. After filtration, the pollutant particles remain in the filter.
Purifiers with ionizers work differently. These devices release negatively charged ions into the air. These ions fasten onto contaminants and make them fall on other surfaces.
Some air purifiers use an activated carbon filter to remove strong odors like pet smell and smoke. Despite this, they don’t separate moisture from the air; they only cleanse it to make it healthier for breathing.
Air Conditioners
Air conditioners, once functioning, reduce the temperature of a room. These devices work by sucking in warm air from within a room and depositing it as fluid outside. In return, it pumps cold air back into the room.
The air conditioning system keeps your home’s temperature and humidity at a comfortable level. It’s also important that a space is enclosed for AC units to function efficiently.
Air Purifiers Vs. Air Conditioners
While air purifiers and conditioners can function in the same space, they’re very different. Air purifiers remove particles from the air while air conditioners cool the air. In other words, AC units don’t purify the air, and air purifiers don’t cool down a room.
Can I Use Air Conditioners and Air Purifiers in Cold Weather?
Air conditioners and purifiers are great for summer when the heat becomes overbearing. The AC works perfectly by cooling your room while purifiers remove contaminated air caused by pollution during this period.
Summertime is not the only season where you can enjoy the benefits of these appliances. They also function well during cold weather. So, if you’ve been wondering if you can use them during winter, the answer is yes.
For AC units, it’s advisable to use a reversible air conditioner or a ductless heat pump during cold periods. These conditioners work in reverse formats during winter. Instead of cooling your space, it turns into a heater, filling your room with warm air.
If you don’t have reversible conditioners installed, you can still use your AC unit. For instance, if your room gets too warm due to heating, you can turn on the AC briefly to cool it down.
It’s essential to note that though air conditioners work well in winter, they won’t be as effective as they’ll be in summer.
Like air conditioners, air purifiers are also effective during cold weather. These devices work smoothly regardless of the temperature outside the room.
What Are the Benefits of Using an Air Purifier?
Air purifiers have become a widespread trend in several homes and workplaces. These devices have proven effective; thus, users have a lot to benefit from using them.
Below are the advantages of using an air purifier.
Helps Control Asthma
Asthmatic patients have inflamed bronchial tubes. One of their risk factors is exposure to pollutants like dust mites and pet dander. These elements are irritants that can lead to difficulty in breathing.
An asthma patient living with a pet will find air purifiers very useful. Pets shed their hair throughout the year, spreading their dander around the house.
An air purifier will help eliminate these hairs, leaving the atmosphere clean. It does the same thing to dust and pollen particles that filter into the house when you open a window or door.
Removes Harmful Chemicals from the Environment
It’s not enough to simply close the doors and windows of our home to keep pollutants out of the house. These gasses will find their way into your home, especially if you reside in a densely populated area.
Aside from external pollutants, household cleaning agents contain toxic chemicals such as ammonia, chlorine, and phthalates. Small doses of these chemicals may be safe, but repeated exposure can result in serious health problems.
Activated carbon air purifiers can help eliminate these chemical contaminants, lowering the risk of developing several health problems. Some of these purifiers use activated carbon that traps chemicals while recirculating fresh air back into the room.
Decreases the Risk of Contracting an Airborne Disease
Microscopic pathogens floating in the air spread diseases like the common cold and the flu. These diseases can be dangerous where there are many people as they can be passed on from one person to another.
Use HEPA filters to remove these bacteria and viruses in cases like this. With this, you have lower risks of contracting such diseases.
Improves the Quality of Sleep
Allergens found in the home, such as bacteria, fungi, mold, and dust mites, can trigger allergies and hay fever in some individuals. Hay fever is characterized by a persistent runny nose that can last for several weeks. Symptoms may include coughing, nasal congestion, and watery eyes, which can interfere with your sleep.
The lack of sleep negatively impacts your productivity the following morning. Instead of being active, you feel slow and tired.
Using air purifiers eliminates these bacteria, preventing hay fever and sleep disruptions. In other words, purifiers are necessary for a more restful night’s sleep.
Do Air Purifiers Work with Air Conditioning?
You can place an air purifier and an AC in the same room without a problem. Since both have distinct features, they don’t interfere with each other. Instead, it makes your environment more comfortable for you to stay in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an Air Purifier Cool the Air?
An air purifier eliminates contaminants from the air in your home by cycling it through a filtration system. After recycling, It pushes out air at the same temperature as it drew in.
Also, it’s paramount to understand that air purifiers are simply fans with filters attached to them. Though the purpose of a fan is to cool a room, it can’t directly alter the temperature of the space. However, the movement of air can cause the temperature to seem cooler.
A few air purifier brands function with a cooling fan system despite this. Though these purifiers mainly cleanse the air, they can also cool down a room. Still, they’re not as effective as AC units.
Do Air Conditioners Purify the Air?
AC units purify the air to some extent. For example, a central AC system comes with a filter that captures airborne particles. The filter prevents dirt from entering and damaging the cooling unit.
While these filters effectively capture dust, they’re not equipped to trap microscopic particles like bacteria and allergens.
Do Air Conditioners Create Fresh Air?
Air conditioners don’t create new air; instead, they recycle the already present air in the room. Some units, such as window air conditioners, give off hot air outside during the cooling process. However, the outdoor air is never recirculated back into the room where the air conditioner is installed.
Does an Air Purifier Remove Odors?
The absence of odor has nothing to do with clean air. In other words, the fact that your room has a smell doesn’t mean that the air isn’t clean. An air purifier can eliminate smells from your space, but that depends on the type of filter it uses.
If the filter contains activated carbon, you can expect it to remove harsh smells. Aside from this, most air purifiers aren’t designed to eliminate odors from the air.
Air purifiers are available in different types, categorized by their abilities and filter quality configurations. The type of air purifier you can buy depends on the size of your room.
For instance, an air purifier designed for small areas will be ineffective in larger rooms. Aside from this, you must also decide on the quality of the purifier you intend to buy.
Some air purifiers can only remove dirt from the air. Others are capable of killing germs and other airborne viruses. More expensive options are specialized air purifiers that can even kill tuberculosis bacteria.