Does An Air Purifier Cool A Room? (YES & NO)
Do Air Purifiers Cool The Room?
Air purifiers do not cool a room due to insufficient airflow and the lack the cooling mechanisms. There are no evaporator or condenser coils to help lower the room temperature found in an air conditioner. It is specifically designed to remove harmful airborne particles and circulate clean air. Most people might feel otherwise because of the breeze air that blows towards the skin when close to the air purifier’s outlet. This air circulation process is known as a “wind-chill”, where the strong airflow provides temporary chills to our body via the exposed skin. The cooling effects are more noticeable when the air cleaner is on a higher fan speed or when you’re sweating (evaporation). Since room temperature remains unchanged, always keep an air purifier running all the time to capture 99.9% of the airborne contaminants as small as 0.3 microns.
A typical HEPA air purifier consists of an electric motor fan and multiple filtrations e.g. pre-filter, HEPA filter, and carbon filter. The only exception is the air purifier and fan combination models like Dyson Pure Cool Link, Hot+Cool, or Pure Cool. A multiplier fan with hidden spinning blades combined with air-purifying features. The air purifier fan creates air pressure to attract the warm air upwards and push cool air downwards for circulation.
Air Purifier VS Ceiling Fan
Measured in Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM), a room air purifier typically has about 100-400 CFM, depending on its size. Compared with a ceiling fan, it averages around 4,000 CFM and can go above 10,000 CFM for a larger fan. As you can see, the volume of air generated from an air purifier is significantly slower than a ceiling fan; therefore, it will not reduce the room temperature even running at max speed.
The below table is the general guideline on how much cfm ratings are needed to cool a room.
| Room Size (Sq. Ft.) | Room Type | Recommended CFM (For cooling) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 150 | Small room sizes (bathroom, breakfast nook, bedroom, utility room, porch) | 1,000-3,000 |
| 150-225 | Small to medium room sizes (anything in between) | 1,600-4,000 |
| 225-400 | Medium room sizes (dining room, patio, guest room, dens, gazebo, walk-in wardrobe, small kitchen) | 2,300-6,500 |
| Above 400 | Large room sizes (master bedroom, family room, basement, garage, kitchen) | 5,500-13,500 |
The direction of the airflow distribution also plays a part in the cooling of room temperature. For example, the ceiling fan has 2 modes you can switch between. In the summer, the ceiling fan should spin counterclockwise to create a downdraft of direct cool breeze, and in the winter, the fan needs to rotate clockwise to create a downdraft and circulate warm air in the room. Likewise, air purifiers come with either an upward airflow direction, drawing air in from the sides, and distributing clean air at the top. Air purifier with forward linear airflow direction draws air from the back and distributes it at the front. For summer use, the forward airflow direction is much more favorable, although you can scarcely tell the differences.
Can An Air Purifier Work As A Fan?
An air purifier will not work as a fan because the generated airflow is too low to cool down a room. It is incomparable even to a cheap table, stand, or ceiling fan with a turning impeller. However, if you run out of options, there are ways to "hack" an air purifier into a somewhat cooling machine. First, you will need a powerful air cleaner with a minimum of 600 cfm at max speed. Next, check the airflow direction of the unit. Following the same principle of the ceiling fan's blade rotation, you will need an air cleaner that pulls air from the bottom and exhausts air outwards. Strip off all the filters in the air purifier to reduce airflow obstruction. Lastly, set it to max speed and place the air purifier close to you. It should help the warmer room, albeit the cooling effects are limited.
In conclusion, your best option is always an air conditioner or fan to cool a room. Alternatively, you can opt for a 2-in-1 fan air purifier with built-in filters e.g. Dyson, ULTTY. Well worth the money.
How Can I Make A Room Colder?
By now, you should have a clear mindset that an air purifier's primary function is to clean the air rather than keep a room cold. It is a necessity for most homes but not a direct replacement for your ceiling, floor, or desk fan. Instead of relying on things that are not meant to be, let's focus on what can be done to lower room temperature.
- The quickest way is obviously with an air conditioner or fan. Leave it on 24x7.
- Quick fan hack: Place ice cubes or cold water in front of a spinning fan. Also, adjust the ceiling fan spinning direction according to the season.
- Close windows and doors during day time when the weather is hot.
- Open windows and doors during nighttime when the weather is cold.
- Stay alone. The lesser people, the cooler a room will be.
- Improve room ventilation by keeping clutters organized and storing them in the drawer.
- Use blackout curtains to block sunray and reduce the heat transferred via your windows.
- Install insulation and tint on all windows.
- Increase the relative humidity level with a humidifier. You will feel colder in a high humidity environment.
- Turn off unused electronic devices to save electricity and reduce heat. Every little bit counts.
- Replace all incandescent, fluorescent lights with low-heat LED light bulbs.
