People in enclosed spaces are more prone to allergies and other airborne diseases than in an open atmosphere. Air purifying equipment is widely used worldwide to mitigate these situations, and air scrubber is the most popular among them.
Let’s explore the ins and outs of this air-purifying tool in this article!
Air Scrubber – Breathe Healthy
Our residential buildings, homes, and workplaces are all enclosed places, full of large numbers of potentially harmful airborne contaminants pass such as pollen, dust, chemical particles, microorganism, etc.
Air scrubber is a filtration system that acts as a negative fan to draw in all the contaminated air and remove contaminants.
Unlike other air purifiers, air scrubber kills all the microbes like bacteria, viruses, mold spores, etc. Many scrubber manufacturing companies claim this tool decontaminates more than 99% of the indoor atmosphere.
It is an effective solution to combat air pollution in closed spaces and create a healthy indoor environment
How Does Air Scrubber Work?
Now you have an idea what is an air scrubber! We’ll see its technology and functioning. Different components of an air scrubber include a pre-filter, blower, primary filter, and other optional filters.
In the first step, the poor-quality room air is sucked into the device by the blower. This air is then passed through and cleaned in different filtration processes. Different air filters present in the air scrubbers, along with their functions, are described below:
- Pre-Filter: The filtration process initiates with pre-filtration. This filter catches larger particulate matter like pollen, dust, and macroparticles.
- Molecular Filter: Next step integrated air scrubbers is molecular filtration. Air scrubbers have special molecular filtration media designed to capture and remove virus-containing particles from the air.
- PuraWard Filter: Some high-end scrubbers, especially those present in hospitals, are equipped with an Anti-Microbial HVAC Filter. This filter uses silver and copper ions to kill microbial contaminants like bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
- HEPA Filter: This is a carbon filter used in the final filtration stage to decontaminate the indoor air. HVAC filter can trap 0.3 to 2.5 PM of all allergens and microbes.
Following all the filtration processes, the blower carries the clean gas and vapor molecules of air out of the scrubber.
Different Kinds of Air Scrubbers in the Market
Pollution-free indoor air is essential for healthy lungs and the overall health of human beings. Different air cleaning machines purify air at various levels; the best are air scrubbers. There are three main types of this: wet air scrubbers and cleaner.
- DRY SCRUBBER is more commonly used in residential buildings. They include HEPA filters to remove microscopic contaminants and other particulate matter. A dry air scrubber has many properties in common with air purifiers.
- The second type is WET SCRUBBER, more frequently used in large manufacturing plants. This portable air scrubber comprises mist eliminators, pumps, collection vessels, fans, etc. The principle of this wet air scrubber is the adherence of dust particles and other airborne particles with a mist.
- The last type is INTEGRATED SCRUBBER; these are fixed with the building’s HVAC systems. Its purpose is to offer an additional degree of high-performance air filtration when the air enters a building and flows through the ductwork.
Covid 19 – Promoter of Air Scrubbers
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought a renewed focus on the importance of air quality and its impact on public health. As we all know, COVID-19 is an airborne viral disease that spreads through virus particles suspended in the air.
The novel coronavirus became a pandemic in no time and caused thousands of deaths, and worsened the world’s economy.
At that time, air-cleaning machines were the highest in demand. People spent thousands protecting themselves from the deadly virus and purifying their indoor spaces. Air scrubbers were mainly used in hospitals, schools, and offices, where many congregated indoors.
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought a renewed focus on the importance of air quality and its impact on public health. As we all know, COVID-19 is an airborne viral disease that spreads through virus particles suspended in the air.
The novel coronavirus became a pandemic in no time and caused thousands of deaths, and worsened the world’s economy.
At that time, air-cleaning machines were the highest in demand. People spent thousands protecting themselves from the deadly virus and purifying their indoor spaces. Air scrubbers were mainly used in hospitals, schools, and offices, where many congregated indoors.
Advantages of Using a Good Quality Air Scrubber
Air pollution is increasing daily, and integrated and portable air scrubbers are a great source to avoid its potential risks. Here are some benefits of using an air scrubber:
1. Protect From Allergens And Diseases
- Portable air scrubbers remove deadly microbes like bacteria, viruses, etc., and save us from life-threatening diseases. This device is a must-have for immunocompromised people who are more prone to infection.
- Moreover, this portable negative air scrubber purifier traps all the allergens like pollens and dust to clean indoor air
2. Maintain Good Air Quality
- Air scrubber removes minute air contaminants and enhances improve indoor air quality further. They actively clean volatile organic compounds, molds, dust, and toxic pollutants. Hence, maintaining a healthy atmosphere in indoor surroundings.
3. Support HVAC System
- Installing good quality air purifiers like air scrubbers increases your HVAC air conditioning system’s life span. This equipment captures larger air particles and prevents their entry into Air filtration systems.
- As a result, the HVAC coils and filters get protected from potential harm. A portable air scrubber saves you money in repairing these filtration systems.
4. Fight With Persisting Odors
- Some of these devices have ozone technology to make negative air pressure reduce the unpleasant lingering smell. A clean and fresh atmosphere imparts pleasant effects on your mind and increases your cognitive efficiency.
Considering Factors While Purchasing a New Air Scrubber
Following are some factors to consider before selecting your air scrubber:
Types Of Filters
- Look for an air scrubber with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter or a similar filter designed to capture small particles like dust, pollen, and mold spores.
Price
- Air purifiers like scrubbers cost hundreds (low quality) to thousands (high quality) of dollars. Depending on your budget, select the appropriate one for you.
Airflow Efficiency
- The airflow capacity of an all air purification system or scrubber is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). Check the mentioned CFM capacity on the product and purchase according to the area of the setting in which you are about to install that portable air purifier.
Maintenance Guide
Taking care of your air scrubber is crucial to maintaining healthy air quality and improved surroundings. It would be best if you took measures to support your air-cleaning device and increase its shelf life.
Filters that trap airborne contaminants should be inspected and replaced regularly. Moreover, it would be best if you kept an eye on the wiring and cables of the air scrubber installed, to avoid any electrical mishap.
Another component that must be maintained is the fan blades. Look for any bend or dirt on the fans of the scrubber in your routine check-ups and replace the blade where needed.
The measure of your indoor air quality largely depends upon your air scrubber. Keep this machine in good condition to get the optimum results.
Bottom Line
At this point, you must understand what an air scrubber is and how it saves you from indoor air pollution and related airborne diseases. Buy a good quality air scrubber to breathe in a healthy indoor environment!
Frequently Asked Questions
- What Is The Function Of An Air Scrubber HVAC?
It is attached to the ductwork of your building’s existing HVAC system, and removes sizeable particulate matter like dust, pollens, pet dander, VOC, and surface contaminants. This device helps to reduce the maintenance cost of your air filtration system.
- Which Air Scrubber Is The Best To Remove Allergens?
The portable air scrubber that is equipped with a HEPA filter is potentially the best to remove allergy-causing airborne contaminants like pollens, microbes, dust, etc. It purifies the atmosphere and increases indoor and outdoor air quality.
- What Is The Average Cost Of An Air Scrubber?
On average, smaller portable air scrubbers can cost between $500 to $2,000, while larger commercial-grade air scrubbers can cost up to $10,000 or more.
