When we hear “pollution,” we often think of outdoor pollution like smog and vehicle exhaust fumes. However, your indoors may not be the clean-air haven you believe it to be. Everyday pollutants, such as pet dander, environmental allergens, and dust can compromise your indoor air quality.
At SWAN Plumbing, Heating & Air, we’re passionate about taking care of homeowners in the Denver area – including keeping yourindoor air as clean as possible. We’re even certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for our commitment to environmentally friendly and safe chemicals.
If you want to improve your indoor air quality, we can help. Find out more about indoor air quality, why it matters, and how an HVAC air scrubber can be the ideal solution.
What Is Indoor Air Quality and Why Is It Important?
Indoor air quality refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, specifically how it affects the occupants. Both short- and long-term exposure to indoor air pollution can cause a range ofhealth issues, including heart disease, respiratory diseases, and cancers.
Many factors can contribute to poor indoor air quality, including pollutants that make their way in from the outdoors, such as smoking, burning fuels, vapors from construction materials, and contaminants like allergens or mold.
What Are Air Scrubbers?
Air scrubbers are an often overlooked but crucial aspect of indoor air quality. These devices work to enhance the indoor air by reducing or eliminating allergens, pollutants, and toxic fumes that can permeate the air, compromising your health.
The mechanism of air scrubbers is similar to sponges, except they absorb pollutants instead of water. They rely on a multi-layer filtration system with a pre-filter, a primary filter, and a carbon filter to remove fumes and odors.
Not all air scrubbers are appropriate for all conditions, however. The three main kinds of air scrubbers are dry, wet, and integrated, each with different filtering capabilities:
Dry: Dry scrubbers remove contaminants from the air by circulating it through filters, usually a pre-filter and a HEPA filter.
Wet: Wet air scrubbers expose polluted air to a liquid solution that absorbs the contaminants or reacts with them, then releases clean air. Wet air scrubbers are often used in industrial HVAC systems that have significant pollution, but they can be used for homes.
Integrated: Integrated air scrubbers are innovative devices that purify the air without affecting the operation of existing HVAC systems. These air scrubbers are installed in the ductwork for continuous indoor air filtering.
How Do Air Scrubbers Work?
Overall, air scrubbers use sophisticated technologies to purify the air, such as UV light. Another crucial component of air scrubbers is a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter, which plays a role in filtering out particles from the air. HEPA filters are extremely sensitive and can trap particles as small as 0.3 µm. Pre-filters act as support and capture larger particles before they can reach the HEPA filter, preventing it from clogging or overworking.
Benefits of Air Scrubbers
Air scrubbers are an investment into your homes air quality and your health. Here are some benefits of air scrubbers:
Reduced Contaminants
We bring contaminants into our home every day, whether they’re on our clothing, shoes, skin, or hair. Then, we transfer them to our environment, allowing them to circulate in the air. Air scrubbers target surface contaminants and purify the air you’re breathing.
Reducing Allergens
If you suffer from allergies, you know that indoor pollutants like dust, mold, pollen, and pet dander can trigger itchy and watery eyes, poor sleep, sneezing and coughing, and other unpleasant symptoms. Air scrubbers are designed to purify the air and reduce common allergen particles that can irritate allergies and asthma.
Eliminating Odors
Some odors just linger in your home, including the smell of pets, burnt food, or mold. Air scrubbers work to reduce odors by minimizing the culprits, such as pet dander and dust.
Increased HVAC Longevity
When you install an air scrubber in your HVAC system, you can extend the life of your HVAC system. Dirt, dust, and debris can end up in your system, adding wear and tear, or worse, damage to the coils or blower that needs to be repaired. Air scrubbers keep your system running at its best and may improve its lifespan.
Whole House vs. Portable Air Scrubbers
The two primary types of air scrubbers are whole house and portable air scrubbers.
Whole house scrubbers are built into HVAC systems and use both UV light and titanium oxide to modify the DNA of biological contaminants to safeguard your health. With professional installation, whole house air scrubbers are a seamless addition to your ductwork to target and destroy contaminants.
Portable air scrubbers rely on filters like HEPA filters and carbon filters to remove particles and odors from the air. Because they’re separate from your HVAC system, they don’t require professional installation.
Choosing between the two depends on your individual needs. One whole house air scrubber can work in a home of up to 3,000 square feet, so it’s ideal if you want purified air throughout your home. Portable air scrubbers are often used in areas that are smaller, about 500 to 900 square feet, and can be moved to different rooms as needed. However, portable air scrubbers are not as effective as whole house air scrubbers.
How to Choose the Right Air Scrubber
There are several factors to consider when choosing an air scrubber, including:
The size of your living space
Any health concerns for you or your family
Your budget
Your current indoor air quality
Once you choose between a whole house or portable air scrubber, you have some other aspects to think about. Some air scrubbers can be loud, so look at multi-speed models that allow you to adjust airflow and speed to adjust the noise level if you have sensitive family members. You should also consider the warranty for different manufacturers to protect your investment.
Installing and Maintaining Air Scrubbers
Ifyou choose a portable air scrubber, all you have to do is move it into the room you choose and follow instructions for setup and operation. Whole house air scrubbers, while more effective, do require installation from a professional to ensure effectiveness and longevity.
Installing an air scrubber in an HVAC system traps dust, dirt, and debris before it can make its way into the filter, helping to protect your HVAC system’s components. These components are usually installed in the ductwork.
Though it may be tempting to try to save a bit on your air scrubber with DIY installation, it’s not a good idea. These complex components require trained professionals to ensure that they’re attached to the ductwork properly for good operation.
If that’s not enough, keep in mind that your air scrubber warranty may be voided if you install it yourself. Most manufacturer warranties require professional installation and repairs, so you could lose your warranty protection with a DIY installation.
Once installed, your air scrubber should be maintained with the rest of your HVAC system. There are some tasks you can perform yourself, such as changing the UV light every 12 months or so. You can change the filter yourself as well – just follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Different air scrubber models may have different maintenance schedules and requirements. A professional HVAC technician will include air scrubber maintenance as part of your routine HVAC maintenance to keep it simple.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Air Scrubbers Effective?
Air scrubbers are generally more effective than other indoor air quality solutions. They remove plenty of indoor particles, but they may not kill all mold spores, bacteria, viruses, or other contaminants completely.
What’s the Difference Between an Air Scrubber and an Air Purifier?
Both air scrubbers and air purifiers are used to clean the air, but air scrubbers can remove airborne pollutants that end up on surfaces. Air purifiers only help with airborne particles, so they may not get your air as clean as a scrubber.
What Should Air Scrubbers Be Used For?
Air scrubbers can help with all types of indoor pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pet dander, odors, dust, pollen, and surface contaminants.
What Are the Downsides of Air Scrubbers?
If you want better indoor air quality, air scrubbers are among the most effective solutions. However, they are an investment in your home and require regular maintenance, such as UV light bulb changes and filter replacements like the rest of your HVAC system. Fortunately, this is included in routine HVAC maintenance.
Who Needs an Air Scrubber?
Air scrubbers are often used in settings that have a lot of pollution or require cleaner air, such as hospitals and healthcare facilities. However, home air scrubbers can be ideal if you struggle with indoor air quality or have family members who are more sensitive to pollution, such as allergies, asthma, or respiratory diseases.
Clean Your Indoor Air with an Air Scrubber
Would an air scrubber help with your home’s dust, pet dander, or environmental allergens?Contact us at SWAN Plumbing, Heating & Air to schedule your consultation!
