According to the EPA’s report on indoor air quality, indoor air can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. As Americans, we spend an average of 90% of our time indoors. This highlights the prevalence and risks of poor indoor air quality in our modern homes and buildings.
Inside your home, you’re exposed to airborne contaminants like dust mites, mold spores, pet dander, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) daily. These pollutants trigger allergy and asthma symptoms, headaches, fatigue, and even long-term respiratory issues.
With this daily barrage, how can you ensure your home’s air is healthy and free of these harmful particles? The answer lies in air scrubbers, which are specialized filtration systems that remove pollutants down to 0.3 microns. Let’s learn about how these cutting-edge devices work their air-cleaning magic.
What Are Air Scrubbers?
Air scrubbers are technological wonders that significantly improve indoor air quality by capturing airborne pollutants. They employ advanced multi-stage filtration and disinfection technologies to strip particulates, odors, chemicals, and microbes from indoor air.
Most air scrubber systems use a variety of filters, including pre-filters, HEPA filters, and carbon filters. As indoor air cycles through the unit, each filter targets and removes specific pollutant types:
- Pre-filters catch larger particles like dust and lint
- HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters capture 99.97% of microscopic particles down to 0.3 microns in size
- Carbon filters use activated carbon to absorb gaseous pollutants like VOCs and odors
Beyond filtration, many scrubber units also use ultraviolet (UV) light chambers to kill microbes like viruses, bacteria, and mold. Advanced systems regulate temperature and humidity levels as well for optimal air quality.
What Air Pollutants Do Scrubbers Remove?
The key benefit of air scrubbers is their ability to eliminate a wide variety of indoor air pollutants, including:
Particulate Matter
Tiny particles from dust, smoke, pollen, pet dander, and more can be inhaled deep into the lungs. These fine particulates exacerbate asthma, allergies, and respiratory conditions.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Gaseous compounds are released from household products like paint, cleaning supplies, air fresheners, and building materials. VOCs like formaldehyde can cause headaches, dizziness, and respiratory issues.
Odors and Gases
Unpleasant cooking smells, chemicals, outdoor pollution, and gases like carbon monoxide contribute to poor air quality.
Biological Contaminants
Microbes like mold spores, bacteria, viruses, and dust mites spread infectious diseases and trigger asthma/allergy symptoms.
By continuously filtering out these diverse pollutants, air scrubbers create a fresher, healthier indoor environment.
Health Benefits of Using An Air Scrubber
Removing contaminants leads to numerous direct health benefits:
Allergy/Asthma Relief
With particulates, dust mites, and biological allergens filtered out, allergy and asthma sufferers can finally breathe easier.
Fewer Respiratory Issues
By eliminating lung-irritating particulate matter and eliminating moisture that allows mold/bacteria growth, air scrubbers reduce respiratory inflammation.
Cleaner, Fresher Air
Chemical odors, VOCs, and microbes circulating in stale air are removed for a fresher, more comfortable indoor environment.
Preventing Sick Building Syndrome
Poor indoor air quality causes headaches, fatigue, and cognitive issues, all of which are symptoms of “sick building syndrome” that impair productivity and well-being.
Installing an air scrubber safeguards against the negative health impacts of polluted indoor air. Purified air helps the whole family breathe easier year-round.
Added Benefits for HVAC & Home
Aside from health advantages, air scrubbers provide two other key benefits:
1. Extended HVAC Life
Clean, filtered air reduces the buildup of dust and debris on HVAC components like coils and fans. This prevents the excessive strain that can wear out systems faster.
2. Energy Savings
With better airflow, HVAC systems don’t need to work as hard to achieve desired temperatures. This equates to lower energy bills over the air scrubber’s lifespan.
By complementing HVAC systems, scrubbers promote cost-effective efficiency while keeping indoor air clean.
Does Your Home Need an Air Scrubber?
With impacts on health, HVAC efficiency, and overall indoor comfort, air scrubbers provide valuable benefits. However, the level of need depends on specific home factors, such as:
- Age of home and potential for VOCs and pollutants in building materials
- Allergy sensitivities of home occupants to airborne triggers
- The presence of mold issues and general indoor air quality concerns
- Local outdoor air quality and how much pollution infiltrates inside
- Types of HVAC systems and home ventilation rates
Air scrubbers may be recommended for new construction or recently renovated homes to eliminate potential pollutant sources immediately. Homes with significant mold, humidity, or ventilation issues also need remediation help.
Ultimately, testing your home’s indoor air quality provides data to identify the pollutants that may be present. Indoor air quality monitors measure levels of particulates, VOCs, carbon dioxide, and more. These hard numbers determine if an air scrubber is essential for a healthy home environment.
Installing Professional-Grade Air Scrubbers
For peak air purification results, residential air scrubbers should be integrated with the existing HVAC system for whole-home coverage. This process involves:
- Selecting the appropriate scrubber model and technologies based on home size, indoor air quality test results, and removal needs
- Installing the scrubber unit along with the ductwork return
- Upgrading HVAC components, like adding UV lights as required,
- Balancing airflow rates with existing system for optimal indoor air circulation
With strategic installation and regular filter changes, advanced air scrubbers effectively capture pollutants from every room in a home. The result is consistently clean, purified indoor air and peace of mind.
Maintenance Recommendations
Proper maintenance is key to maintaining the effectiveness of an air scrubber system. This includes regularly replacing the various filters, such as the pre-filters, HEPA filters, and carbon filters, as the manufacturer recommends. Additionally, the system should be inspected periodically to ensure all components are functioning correctly and that there are no issues with airflow or air circulation.
With proper care and maintenance, a high-quality air scrubber can continue to provide clean, purified air for many years, protecting the health and well-being of your home or facility.
Breathe Easy with Cleaner Indoor Air
It’s easy to take the air we breathe for granted. But the truth is, most homes contain a variety of invisible indoor pollutants that slowly degrade air quality.
From respiratory irritants like dust and particulate matter to gaseous compounds and biological threats, these contaminants harm health and home comfort. Installing an air scrubber system is the most effective solution for capturing pollutants and providing purified indoor air day after day.
If you’re concerned about allergies, asthma, or the impact of air pollutants on your home and family, you can breathe easy with an air scrubber. Expect fewer symptoms, more energy, and complete peace of mind, knowing the air inside is fresh, clean, and healthy.
What to Do Next
Take control of the air quality in your home. Contact Joyce Cooling & Heating Inc. today and explore our selection of high-performance air scrubbers. We also offer services in heating and cooling, plumbing, and electrical. Contact us now to learn more about our products and how we can help you create a healthier, more comfortable living space.
