A dehumidifier and air purifier in one case dries the air and filters it at the same time. It suits a small flat or a bedroom where damp and allergies overlap, such as a Cape Town flat with condensation and a tenant with hay fever. A combined unit is usually a compromise, though, so compare both the litres a day and the CADR. Tell us about the room, and we pass your request to independent suppliers who quote you directly.
What a combined unit does
The dehumidifier side removes water from the air, usually with a compressor, and the filter side passes the air through a HEPA or carbon filter. Some units also have a fan speed for each function. The air is cleaned of fine dust and many mould spores while the moisture level drops.
It is not a cure for mould: the dehumidifier makes the air too dry for mould to keep growing, and the filter catches loose spores, but mould already on a wall has to be cleaned and the cause of the damp fixed.
How to compare units
Look at both halves of the spec, not just the marketing line:
- Litres a day at the maker's test conditions, and whether it was measured warm and very humid.
- CADR or the room area it filters, and the filter type.
- Noise in decibels, because it runs for hours.
- Tank size, a drain option and auto restart after load shedding.
- Filter cost and how often it is replaced.
Compare with a plain home dehumidifier and a separate air purifier of the same quality.
Trade-offs
Combined units are often weaker on one side. A purifier may filter the air less than a dedicated machine, and the dehumidifier may have a smaller capacity. The filter also cools or warms the air flow and may restrict the dehumidifier's airflow. They are convenient in a small room, where space and plug points are limited. In a large or very damp home, two separate machines placed in the right spots usually work better, and you can replace one when it fails without losing the other.
Placement and care
Place the unit with space around it, away from curtains and walls, and close the doors and windows of the room while it runs. Empty the tank or use the drain hose. Wash the coarse filter regularly and replace the HEPA or carbon filter as the maker advises. Cold rooms below about 15 °C reduce a compressor unit's output, so a desiccant dehumidifier may suit a cold room better. A humidity meter shows whether the room has settled below about 60% RH. Ask the supplier whether the dehumidifier side can run on its own when you do not need filtering, and whether the filter side can run alone in dry weather. That flexibility matters on the Highveld, where winter air is dry and you may want only the purifier for months at a time.
What to put in your request
- Room length, width and ceiling height in metres
- Whether the problem is damp, allergies or both
- How damp the room is: condensation, musty smell or mould
- Whether you would consider two separate machines
- Delivery address or whether you will collect
Air Purifier Dehumidifiers for homes, rentals, businesses and industry
- Homeowners and tenants: one unit in a damp bedroom where someone also has allergies
- Landlords, agents and body corporates: a unit in a small flat that suffers from condensation and dust
- Offices, schools and clinics: a unit in a small damp office or consulting room
- Warehouses, archives and storage: a unit in a small damp office or store room of a warehouse
- Factories and food plants: a unit in a damp packing or sample room where dust is also an issue
- Growers, nurseries and farms: a unit in a small drying or curing room, as a trial
- Hotels, gyms, spas and pools: units in guest rooms that are damp and need cleaner air
- Insurers, assessors and restoration firms: a unit in a room being dried out, to catch loose spores and dust
- Builders, HVAC engineers and contractors: a unit in a finished home that is still drying out and dusty
Frequently asked questions
Is a combined unit better than two machines?
Does it help with mould?
How often do the filters need changing?
Do you sell these units yourselves?
Air Purifier Dehumidifiers by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg