Improving the Air Quality in Your Home

Over the past year, we’ve all been spending more time indoors than most of us ever imagined we would. As winter progresses, you may be concerned about the air quality inside your home. For individuals who struggle with asthma and allergies, spending more time inside can exacerbate these conditions.

If you’re concerned about the air quality in your home, you may have wondered about the benefits of adding an air purifier or air scrubber. In this post, our experts at General Heating & Air Conditioning will break down everything you need to know about an air scrubber and how it can impact the indoor air quality in your Twin Cities home. Give us a call to schedule your air scrubber installation today!

What Is an Air Scrubber?

Put in simplest terms, an air scrubber works with your HVAC system to remove pollutants and contaminants from the air in your home. The objective is the same as that of an air purifier, but a scrubber is capable of purifying the air throughout your home.

You may have seen a portable air scrubber used by construction crews during a renovation to keep the air clean of debris and particles. Unlike the portable version, integrated scrubbers connect to your HVAC system.

These are the most popular reasons to invest in an air scrubber:

• Odors caused family pets
• Family members suffer from allergies
• Family members with increased medical risks

How Does an Air Scrubber Work?

While air purifiers typically use a filter to remove particles from the air, the air that passes through a scrubber is quite literally cleaned of harmful debris and particles.

Scrubbers use the scientific power of needlepoint ionization to remove particles and contaminants far more effectively than a simple filter could. The term ionization refers to ions, which are positively or negatively electrically charged atoms.

During this process, known as agglomeration, scrubbers produce both negative and positive ions, which are delivered through your ventilation system. While small particles are able to pass through a filter alone, the ions attach to them, making them easier to remove than with a filter alone.

But the power of needlepoint ionization doesn’t end there. When the ions from an air scrubber contact many pathogens, they are then rendered inactive as the ions disrupt their surface proteins. 

What Does an Air Scrubber Remove From the Air?

Now that you know how an air scrubber works, it’s time to talk about what it can do to improve your home’s air quality. Here are some of the things air scrubbers can remove from your home:

Odors

Because air scrubbers effectively remove particles from your air, they are equally effective in removing odors caused by volatilized chemical compounds (VOCs). These types of odors are difficult to remove using a traditional air purifier as these are not equipped to remove VOCs but instead to filter them. Examples of VOCs include odors caused by pets, smoking, garbage cooking, and chemicals.

Mold

Mold can be difficult to remove from a home. Not only can mold be destructive to your home, but it can also lead to significant health problems. The challenge with mold is that it can grow aggressively from microscopic spores.

Mold spores are the size of fine particulate matter, which means they’re small enough to pass through many traditional air purifiers. They are typically around 0.3 microns in size. Air scrubbers are better suited for removing mold spores from the air, making them the preferred choice for mold remediation.

Pathogens

Although no testing for COVID-19 has yet been completed, scrubbers are effective at removing a wide range of pathogens from the air, including both viruses and bacteria. Pathogens are tested in many ways, such as lab testing, simulation testing, and field testing. The ions produced by a scrubber remove hydrogen from pathogens, causing them to die.  

Dander & Dust

Households with busy families and pets can produce a lot of dust and debris. These particles are removed from the air, leaving your home cleaner and free of allergens. This can even make surfaces in your home cleaner as some of your household dust is removed before it can settle on your furnishings and counters.

What Are the Benefits of Air Scrubbers?

The air quality of your home affects every aspect of your and your family's health. And even with proper airflow, issues like chemicals from cleaning products, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from pesticides and artificial products, and mold and mildew can enter the space.

In most cases opening a window isn't enough, so taking the appropriate steps by investing in an air scrubber system can make the environment safer and healthier.

Reduce Allergens, Pathogens, & Contaminants

Allergies that can strike at any time in warmer weather are notorious for this. One aspect of keeping the air inside your home cleaner is removing pollen and other allergens that can result in common symptoms. A few simple steps you can take include:

• Wearing a mask when dusting or vacuuming
• Invest in an air scrubber installation
• Keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high
• Install a high-quality filtration system

Keep Your Home Cleaner & Smelling Fresh

You do everything you can to keep you and your family healthy, from getting a good night's sleep to choosing the right foods. Poor air quality can be linked to numerous health conditions and can also contribute to unpleasant odors in your home. The most common causes of bad indoor smells include:

• Mildew
• Musty furnishings and carpets
• Pet odors

The key factor to reducing the level of pollutants, allergens, and excess dust is implementing thorough cleaning procedures, having good air circulation, and utilizing air scrubbers for optimal indoor air quality.

Minimize HVAC Wear & Tear

Dust and debris can get into your HVAC system, causing premature wear and tear over time by damaging the equipment, including your blower and coils. Adding an air scrubber to your home

can reduce this wear and tear significantly, prolonging your system's lifespan and saving you money on repairs.

Improve Energy Efficiency

By improving the efficiency of your HVAC system, air scrubbers help to reduce the energy consumption needed to heat and cool a home. Not only does this help reduce your household's environmental footprint, but it may also impact your heating and cooling costs by helping your system run better.

The 3 Main Types of Air Scrubbers

Air Scrubbers work as a portable air purifier specifically for removing airborne pollutants and come in three different options.

1. Wet Air

Wet air scrubbers are typically used in environments where buildings and plants are manufactured. They come with ductwork, fans, pumps, and mist eliminators to help decrease the level of pollution, and they also have an additional function that removes harmful water-soluble vapors, aerosols, and gasses through water filtration.

2. Dry Air

The dry air scrubber pulls in the air through its filters and is commonly known as an air purifier because it shares the same functions as traditional appliances.

3. Integrated Air Scrubber

The integrated scrubber is used on larger commercial properties. This option directly connects to the building’s HVAC system resulting in enhanced and powerful filtration throughout the entire space.

Air Scrubbers Improve Your Twin Cities Residential Indoor Air Quality

There’s never been a more important time to improve the residential indoor air quality in your home. At General Heating & Air Conditioning in Shakopee, we offer a complete range of water and air quality systems for Twin Cities homeowners.

Contact us online or give us a call at 952-445-2820 to connect with a home air conditioning specialist about air scrubber installation.