If you buy a home, you probably know you want all kinds of features. You may want a newer roof that will last you a long time. You might want a tankless water heater that will save you money and take up less room in your basement than the traditional variety.
You may also want an air scrubber. Even though these contraptions can preserve your family’s health, some people don’t know about them yet.
We’ll discuss air scrubbers and why you want them in the following article.
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What Does an Air Scrubber Do?
Indoor air can have 100 times more contaminants than outdoor air. When you think about that, it makes sense that you’d want air circulating within the home so that it does not become stagnant. You also want clean air you can breathe during the times you spend at home with your family.
Air scrubbers attach to your home’s ductwork. You can make one a part of your HVAC system. Ductwork travels through your house. You use it when you turn on the furnace in the winter or the central air unit during the hotter summer months.
The term “air scrubber” actually acts as a catchall. You can say air scrubber and mean various devices. They all share some commonalities, though. You make them a part of your HVAC system, and they clean and purify the air you breathe.
Air Scrubbers from the Past to the Present
The first air purifiers or scrubbers showed up all the way back in 1859. These scrubbed carbon dioxide from the air during industrial processes.
These days, you can buy much smaller and more efficient ones. The ones you buy that you can attach to your HVAC system get rid of particulate matter that would otherwise circulate throughout the house. They also get rid of pet dander, air pollution, surface contaminants, and VOCs.
Do Air Scrubbers Eliminate All Contaminants?
Even with the best air scrubber, you can’t eliminate all contaminants. The best ones might collect and dispose of about 90%.
Still, that’s much better than nothing. Since many homes don’t have air scrubbers at all, you’re constantly breathing in the recirculating air. If you have allergies or asthma, or if anyone else in your family has these conditions, you should strongly consider getting one.
Otherwise, all afflicted individuals will get up in the morning congested and coughing. You can combat this with allergy pills and tissues, but having an air scrubber working will put you in a much better position to enjoy the air quality.
The best air scrubbers can also get up to 99% of things like MRSA, staph, black mold, and various microorganisms. It’s scary thinking that you have all that in your home, but most people do.
Do Air Scrubbers and Air Purifiers Do the Same Thing?
As you start learning more about these HVAC attachments, you might hear the term “air purifier” as well. You can attach or install one of those too, but which one cleans the air better?
Most air scrubbers clean better than air purifiers. Air scrubbers, on average, clean the air circulating through a room about four times an hour. Air purifiers serve basically the same purpose, but they work slower. You can expect one will purify a room’s air about one or two times per hour.
Since both systems or attachments usually cost about the same, you can see how you’re getting more with an air scrubber. If you talk to anyone who installs HVAC systems, they’ll likely tell you the same thing.
Air scrubbers also catch smaller particles better, such as those that come from bacteria and mold. They remove them from the atmosphere so you don’t breathe them in when you’re watching TV, eating dinner, working from home, etc.
You can also stay in the same room where there’s an air scrubber working, and it won’t harm you. You can leave one on for 24-48 hours at a time before giving it a rest. You should run one every few days once you’ve set it up and it’s working properly.
Talk to an HVAC Company About Installing an Air Scrubber
You can talk to an HVAC company representative about air scrubbers. Some HVAC companies stock and sell them, but even if the one you talk to doesn’t have them, they can still install one for you if you buy one. That’s a smart move for your sake and your family’s sake.
