A common myth about air purifiers is that they will dry the air. However, this is not the case. Air purifiers are not designed to remove moisture so they will not affect the humidity levels in your home.
While air purifiers do not remove moisture from the air, the movement of air can increase evaporation from surfaces in a room–including your skin and mucous membranes. This increased evaporation can make the air feel drier than it is.
Taking steps to ensure air flow is properly ventilated is one way to combat poor IAQ, but one of the most effective ways to utilize strong air purifiers. These machines work to refresh stale air and can eliminate types of harmful pollutants.
Overall, air purifiers have no impact on moisture levels in the air in your home. Therefore, air purifiers do not cause your sinuses to be dry. High or low humidity, particularly during winter months, can trigger your allergies and humidity is a bigger factor in whether or not your sinuses are dry.
What are the downsides of air purifiers? There aren't a lot of downsides to having an air purifier in your home aside from the financial investment. Many ionizers, especially older models, can generate ozone when they are operating, which is known to exacerbate asthma.
Ozone-Generating Air Cleaners
One mechanism of damage results from ozone-olefin reactions, and another from ozone reacting with electron donors (such as glutathione). Inhalation of relatively small amounts of ozone can cause coughing, chest pain, throat irritation, and shortness of breath.
As you can see, the drawbacks of leaving your air purifier on all the time are minimal. It's perfectly safe to keep the device running continuously, and the amount of energy it consumes is very small.
Both devices can be beneficial to use in your workplace, depending on your needs. If you want to remove pollutants and allergens from the air, an air purifier is the best choice. A humidifier is the best choice to add moisture to the atmosphere.
Pollutants and allergens are filtered out of the air, which means your nose will be less irritated from the substances you're sensitive to. But this also removes some of your natural defenses against things like pollen or smoke, which leads to more congestion in your nose and sinuses.
While air filtration can help reduce airborne mold spores, an air purifier will not eliminate indoor mold growing on or beneath surfaces like walls and floors. Dr. Fineman emphasizes that effective indoor mold control requires managing moisture and humidity to prevent conditions that promote mold growth.
In a typical home environment, an effective air purifier can start to reduce these pollutants within 30 to 60 minutes. Noticeable improvements in air quality are often observed within a few hours, with significant reductions occurring over 24 hours of continuous use.
The first is related to their cost. A high-quality HEPA filter can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to several thousand depending on the size and model and the area to be covered. Secondly, they need to be regularly maintained and replaced in order to keep them working properly.
An air purifier will help filter out airborne dust before it can settle on surfaces, or in your lungs, but dust will still accumulate on surfaces. For a clean home, you'll still want to regularly dust and vacuum, even while running an air purifier all day.
Exposure to ozone irritates and inflames the lining of the respiratory system. This causes symptoms including coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and impaired breathing. Ozone can worsen asthma symptoms, and may contribute to the development of asthma.
Use dehumidifiers and air conditioners, especially in hot, humid climates, to reduce moisture in the air, but be sure that the appliances themselves don't become sources of biological pollutants. Raise the temperature of cold surfaces where moisture condenses. Use insulation or storm windows.
The air purifier's airflow rating will give you some idea as to how strong the airflow will be. An air purifier will have no effect on room temperature (and neither will a fan). They do not “cool the room” but rather lower a person's temperature through the “wind-chill” effect.
Air purifiers don't contain any mechanisms that remove moisture from the air. They are designed to improve indoor air quality by passing air through filters and/or other purification mechanisms in order to remove harmful particles, gases and microorganisms.
Overall, removing contaminants from the air will not have a negative impact on sleep. Here at Molekule we recommend keeping your purifier on at all times so it cleans the air as much as possible. If the white noise is too loud all our units have variable speeds to balance efficiency and sound.
Depending on the placement of the air purifier, the air may feel a little dry if the fan is blowing too close to you, but it won't actively affect humidity. If you think dry air in your home is causing your sinus problems, consider investing in a humidifier to add some moisture to the space.
An air purifier removes pollutants and allergens from the air, while a humidifier adds moisture to the air. Depending on where you live and the air quality in your home or office, you may need one or both of these devices to help improve your indoor air quality.
If you don't already have a whole home or portable air purifier in your home you're missing out on a slew of benefits. Purifiers help reduce harmful pollutants, eliminate toxic chemicals from living spaces, and neutralize unpleasant odors.
An air purifier is your best bet to improve indoor air quality and reduce allergens. A dehumidifier is a clear choice if you're concerned about high humidity levels and potential mold growth. However, if you live in a humid climate or the air in your home feels stifling, a dehumidifier can regulate the humidity level.
Regardless of where you live, the good news is, air purifiers do not use a lot of electricity to operate.
Headaches, sore throat, coughing, Asthma attacks, and difficulty breathing are a few of the symptoms that can be brought on by some air purifiers. Yes, that's right. Your air purifier may actually aggravate many of the health issues you hoped it would solve.
Keep your device away from moisture or areas with high humidity. Place your device at least 6 inches from walls, furniture, or other items while in use. Place your air purifier near the most likely source of indoor air pollution. Consider investing in an air purifier that shuts off automatically with a timer.