Air purifiers vs Dehumidifiers

Improving your Burbank home’s air quality involves more than just adjusting the temperature. Factors like air purity, humidity, and odor play a big role. Devices like air purifiers and dehumidifiers can make a major difference—but understanding how they work is key. That’s why the HVAC experts at Air Max HVAC created this quick guide to help you choose the right solution for cleaner, healthier indoor air.

What Is an Air Purifier?

An air purifier is a device designed to remove airborne contaminants from your home. While some models are built for whole-house filtration, others are compact and ideal for single rooms. Most air purifiers use a three-stage filtration process:

1. HEPA Filter – Captures dust, pollen, and other large particles.

2. Activated Charcoal – Uses a static charge to trap odors, smoke, and chemicals.

3. UV Light Filter – Destroys airborne bacteria, viruses, and germs.

Together, these components work to deliver cleaner, healthier indoor air.

What Is a Dehumidifier?

If your home often feels damp or surfaces seem sticky, a dehumidifier from Air Max HVAC can help. It works like an air conditioner—drawing in humid air, condensing moisture on a cold surface, and collecting the water in a removable tank.

Over time, dehumidifiers reduce excess humidity in a single room or throughout your home. Most models include a built-in hygrometer to monitor moisture levels and automatically shut off when your desired humidity is reached, helping you save energy.

Is it Necessary to Have Both a Dehumidifier and an Air Purifier?

Every home has unique air quality needs. That’s why Air Max HVAC recommends a professional air quality test to identify issues like high humidity or elevated levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

If airborne pollutants are present throughout your HVAC system, a whole-home air purifier may be the best solution. However, dehumidifiers are often only needed in specific areas—like basements, bathrooms, or attics—where moisture levels tend to be higher.

How Do You Maintain an Air Purifier?

Similar to other HVAC equipment, you will need to maintain your air purifier from Air Max HVAC to ensure that it continues to effectively purify your home’s air. Each stage of an air purifier requires maintenance, a task you can schedule with Air Max HVAC.

The HEPA filter, activated charcoal filter, and UV bulbs all need to be replaced from time to time. Fortunately, all three stages can be maintained on the same schedule so that you don’t have to keep track of multiple maintenance schedules.

How Do You Maintain a Dehumidifier?

The most important component of dehumidifier maintenance is emptying the water reservoir. If your home is especially humid, you may need to complete this task multiple times every day. Many dehumidifiers also include filters to help improve your home’s air quality. If your dehumidifier has a filter, you’ll want to remove it and clean it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

What Are the Benefits of a Dehumidifier?

Before buying a dehumidifier from Air Max HVAC, it’s important to understand its key advantages. A major benefit is mold and mildew prevention—excess moisture creates the perfect environment for mold growth, especially in areas with poor airflow. A dehumidifier helps reduce this risk by removing excess humidity.

Dehumidifiers also help protect porous materials like wood. Moisture can lead to warping, sticking doors, wood rot, and structural damage over time. By maintaining proper humidity levels, you can preserve the integrity and appearance of your home.

What Are the Benefits of an Air Purifier?

In many areas, your indoor air can be more polluted than the air outside. That’s where an air purifier from Air Max HVAC can make a big difference.

Air purifiers use HEPA filters to trap dust, allergens, and odors more effectively than standard HVAC filters—resulting in cleaner air, fewer respiratory issues, and less dust buildup on furniture. The activated charcoal filter targets smoke, VOCs, and other microscopic pollutants that are too small for HEPA filters to catch.

Air purifiers also help protect your HVAC system by preventing dust and debris from reaching critical components like the blower fan and air handler, reducing wear and tear.

What Size Do I Need?

To ensure optimal operation, it’s important to select the correct size of dehumidifier and air purifier for your home. Fortunately, the pros at Air Max HVAC can help you select the perfect model by measuring your home and calculating the indoor air volume. This will help you keep your home safe and comfortable without wasting excess energy. We can also install these home comfort solutions so that you’re assured of many years of reliable service from your new equipment.

Keeping Your Family Healthy in Any Way Possible

In these difficult times, we at Air Max HVAC want you to know that we’re on your side. We want to help you keep your family healthy at home so that you have one less thing to worry about. That’s why we offer maintenance, installation, and repair services for furnaces and air conditioners in addition to our indoor air quality solutions. We can also perform an energy audit for your home to help you understand ways that you can reduce your energy consumption. For over 15 years, we have been providing the citizens of Burbank with fast, efficient service, resulting in an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. To learn more about the services we offer, contact us at Air Max HVAC today.