What Is an Air Scrubber, and Why Do I Need One?
There are many components to a typical residential heating and cooling system, but these parts are typically the same from home to home. However, homeowners can have modifications made to their system that can actually improve some aspects of its performance. Today, there are other concerns beyond comfort to consider when it comes to your HVAC system. The opportunity to safeguard air quality with add-on products such as an air scrubber is one increasingly taken by many homeowners.
What is a whole-home air scrubber, what does it do, and why are more homeowners making the investment to add this hardware to their existing HVAC system?
Air Scrubbers Explained
Air scrubbers are advanced technologies that aim to dramatically increase the indoor air quality in homes by removing more contaminants than is possible with a simple filter. Consider that a filter’s job is to physically trap contaminants in a matrix that won’t release them again. An air scrubber, on the other hand, uses more than just your basic filters. They can use damp filter media, called wet scrubbing, or electrically charged filters in dry scrubbing. These solutions have a much higher efficiency rating than the typical filter you install for your AC system.
More importantly, advanced air scrubbers can include technology such as germicidal UV lights. These special lights inside the AC system can kill pathogens such as viruses and bacteria in a matter of minutes by physically disrupting their chemical makeup. All told, air scrubbers can effectively remove many of the following:
- Illness-causing pathogens
- Dust
- Allergens, including pet dander and more
- Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs
- Particulate matter in the air, and more
Is an Air Scrubber the Same Thing as an Air Purifier?
Not necessarily. While an air purifier uses some filtration, they often pale in comparison to the efficiency and power of an air scrubber. Purifiers are also typically small and portable solutions meant for use in only one room at a time. Because of their smaller size and less powerful workings, air purifiers are not ideal whole-home solutions and typically cannot achieve the same efficiency and reliability as a whole-system scrubber.
Why Should You Invest in a Home Air Scrubber?
There are many good reasons to consider taking steps to improve the air quality within your home. IAQ has a surprisingly large effect on individual health. With rising pollution in some areas and the annual threat of wildfires and their blanketing smoke in other places, we can’t take pure indoor air for granted any longer. As a result, installing an air scrubber can be an effective way to safeguard the health of you and your family while enjoying cleaner air all the time.
Other benefits to this technology include:
- * More rapid removal of odors from the home, such as those caused by pets, smoking, or cooking.
- * Fewer allergic or asthmatic reactions due to cleaner air
- * Potential for improved sleep quality and comfort
For households with the immunocompromised and those with highly sensitive allergies, such products can be a welcome relief.
How Do I Add an Air Scrubber to My Home?
Adding an air scrubber might sound like a fantastic idea, but it isn’t always as easy as heading out to your local hardware store and coming home with a DIY kit. Instead, you should consider contacting a licensed HVAC professional to discuss your options in-depth. When you want to add a scrubber to the HVAC system itself, you will need a team that can both supply the right products and carry out a safe, professional installation. Use a certified team you trust to evaluate your options and consider a quote.
Choosing the Right Air Scrubbing Products
Remember, not all air scrubbers are the same. Before you embark on this journey, consider spending the time to do some market research. Look into the major brands and providers of whole-home air scrubbing products. Consider whether you want to add advanced features such as germicidal UV lighting, which may not be suitable for installation in all homes. Once you have a good sense of what’s out there, you can come prepared with a list of questions and concerns for your HVAC provider to address.
Finding Help When You Want to Explore Options for Better Indoor Air
Is your home HVAC system suited to adding an air scrubber? If you’re planning to upgrade to a new system soon, what would it take to incorporate an air scrubber into its design? These are questions best posed to a professional HVAC technician with the licensing and training necessary to carry out a thorough assessment. Request a detailed quote so you can weigh the costs and the benefits and determine if it is the best bet for your home. With so many concerns about indoor air quality and protecting against pathogens, it could be your ticket to easy breathing.