Do air purifiers cool the room

Air purifiers have become more of a necessity for every household. The increasing air pollution requires everyone to have an air purifier at home to remain safe and healthy. However, most people confuse an air purifier with an air conditioner and ask, Do air purifiers cool the room? The answer is simple, NO!

Air purifiers don’t have the unit required for room cooling. However, you may feel a gentle breeze when sitting in front of an air purifier. This breeze is due to the high-speed fan of the air purifier. In this article, I will explain how an air purifier works and why doesn’t it cool the room.

Can you use an air purifier as an air conditioner?

Some people are misled into thinking that the air purifier can make the room cool, just like an air conditioner. So, they purchase an air purifier with the idea of saving some cash. In reality, no air purifier has the hardware required for room cooling. It doesn’t have any compressor or CFC for air cooling.

All air purifiers have a built-in powerful fan. This fan works the same way as any regular ceiling fan or exhaust fan. Basically, it takes air from the inlet, passes it through a series of mechanical and hybrid filters, and gives fresh air from the output duct. However, you will feel some chills when sitting in front of an air purifier.

The cold breeze of any air purifier is due to the exhaust effect of the fan. It takes the air from the room and directs filtered air directly onto your body. As a result, you feel a cold breeze, but it doesn’t have any noticeable effect on the room’s temperature. In order to get a higher breeze, you need an air purifier with a higher CADR (Air Delivery Rate), such as the Medify MA-112 Air Purifier.

 

Why Does Air Flow Direction Matter?

The direction of the airflow is a deciding factor for the temperature of the air. If the fan rotates counterclockwise, it will direct fresh air toward you. On the contrary, a fan rotating in a clockwise direction pushes the hot air from the ceiling toward us. The same idea is used in the summer and winter mode of ceiling fans.

In the case of an air purifier, you can only have one of the two standard directions:

  • Airflow in the forward direction
  • Airflow in the upward direction.

 

Upward Airflow:

The majority of air purifiers have an upward airflow. It means that the device takes the input air from either side of the back of the machine, passes it through the filtration system, and pushes clean air from the top. This mechanism is suitable for large rooms, halls, and commercial buildings. It is because the top airflow ensures that clean air reaches every corner of the room.

The problem with such air purifiers is that they are not suitable for hot climates. As you know, warm air rises to the top, i.e., the ceiling of the room. Therefore, when the purified air is pushed to the top, it gets mixed with warm air. So, you get fresh, clean, but warm air in the whole room.

Some examples of air purifiers with upward airflow include:

 

Forward Airflow:

The forward airflow is mostly found in desktop and tower air purifiers. These air purifiers have a linear air passage instead of vertical. For instance, the air intake is located on either side or the back of the air purifier. This air then passes through a series of air filters like HEPA, activated carbon, and UV-bulb. Finally, the fresh and clean air is pushed out from the front by means of high-speed fans.

There’s more to it! The air purifier draws warm air from the back and sides of the device. As the air passes through the small openings of the filters, it becomes slightly cool. Moreover, the fans direct the filtered air directly at you. So, you feel a chilled breeze on your body because the air is thrown at you at a fast speed. The higher the airflow, the more cooling effect it produces. Therefore, the forward airflow air purifiers are best for use during the summer season.

Some examples of air purifiers with forwarding airflow include:

  • Medify MA-25 Air Purifier
  • Winnix 5500-2

So, how to make the room cool?

Now that we have established that it is impossible to cool a room with an air purifier. You need a device combo to ensure that the room’s temperature becomes cold and the air remains fresh and clean. You can do this by making a combo of air purifiers with an air conditioner or even a portable AC. In any case, the AC comes with its own particle filter to remove the dust from the air. Meanwhile, your air purifier will work to circulate the cold air in the room and also keep it healthy.

One such example of the perfect combo is the Honeywell MO08CESWK Compact 3-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner with a Medify MA-40 air purifier. The portable air conditioner effectively cools down the room temperature while drawing a small amount of electricity. At the same time, the MA-40 air purifier ensures that the cold air is filtered and circulated throughout the room with low wattage.

 

Choose an air purifier

Air purifiers have become extremely popular in recent years. However, with so many different variations on the market, it can be difficult to pick the right unit for your home. Click on this link and I’ll walk you through how to choose an air purifier. I’ll also look at some of the pros and cons of each type of air purifier. Click on the link to learn more!

FAQs:

 

Why Don’t Air Purifiers Cool the Room?

Room coolers have a special cooling unit known as a compressor. This unit takes the air from the room and passes it through a small opening based on Charles’s Law. On the other hand, air purifiers lack this cooling unit; they only have special air filters and a fan. Therefore, air purifiers don’t cool the room.

Does the Air container double as an air purifier?

No, the air conditioner doesn’t have the HEPA or other mechanical filter to clean the room air. However, some ACs come with a built-in filter to remove large particles from the air, but it isn’t as effective as an air purifier.

Should I Run A Ceiling Fan With An Air Purifier?

The air purifier + ceiling fan combo is perfect, especially for the summer season. The ceiling fan will draw the air toward the air purifier and make the room cool at the same time. Meanwhile, the air purifier takes the air, purifies it, and directs a chill breeze of fresh air towards you.

Can I control my air purifier with Alexa or Google home?

Some modern air purifiers come with WIFI capabilities. Once you connect it to your home network, you can access and control the air purifier with Alexa, Siri, and Google home assistant.

Is it possible to cool the room with an air purifier?

No, air purifiers don’t have the hardware to cool the room temperature. The small fan in the machine only works to direct a cold breeze of fresh air towards you. The only way to cool the room is to purchase an Air conditioner and use it simultaneously with an air purifier for best results.

 

Conclusion

To summarize, Does an air purifier cool the room? No, they don’t. However, you can still experience a slight chill breeze due to the airflow effect of the air purifier. Apart from that, the only way to cool your room while keeping the air clean and healthy is to use an AC along with an air purifier.

I'm Julia, an air purification expert and certified Indoor Air Quality Professional. With a Master's in Environmental Science and a decade of research at the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, I've dedicated myself to understanding air pollutants and their health impacts. At 'PureAirly', my mission is to leverage my expertise in air purifiers and guide you towards cleaner, healthier air.

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