What Is an Air Scrubber?

Besides heating or cooling your home, an HVAC system provides ventilation with good filtration. This may not seem that important, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported that indoor air quality can be two to five times worse than the air outside. 

Good indoor air quality is necessary to maintain respiratory health, so what can you do to improve your air quality on an ongoing basis in Charleston, SC?

Indoor Air Quality — The Facts

The importance of indoor air quality (IAQ) cannot be overlooked, as it is connected to your overall health. Charleston, SC, experiences very hot and humid summers, so most residents spend a lot of time indoors. And since the COVID-19 pandemic began, many more people have been working full-time from home. 

In fact, it’s common to spend 90% of your time indoors. But your IAQ may be high in pollutants — largely chemical — and other contaminants. Some of the air contaminants in homes that are detrimental to health are:

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide from passing traffic is brought into your home by air intake and ventilation systems. Even if you live away from main roads, starting your own vehicle or parking it in a garage or carport near your house produces carbon monoxide, which seeps into your home.

Dust, Fiberglass, Asbestos, and Formaldehyde 

These particles come from building materials, furniture, and furnishings. Chemicals used to manufacture furniture, mattresses, and carpet include formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia, and toluene. This is where the “new car smell” comes from, and it’s hazardous to health. These gases continue to secrete for years.

Dust Mites

Dust mites are found in carpets and rugs, foam couch cushions, curtains, and other fabrics.

Mold and Bacteria

Microbial contaminants, including fungi, mildew, and mold, are found in damp areas or anywhere there is stagnant water. Mold and bacteria can emerge from wet materials, unrepaired leaks or moisture buildup, and condensate drain pans.

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide enters the home through the combustion of gas or oil heaters and furnaces.

Vapors and Volatile Organic Compounds

VOCs come from a large variety of sources, including computers, carpet, furnishings, disinfectants, pesticides, paint, cleansers, solvents, printers and copiers, and caulking. 

Radon

Radon is a gas that comes from the natural decay of uranium that is contained in most soils. It makes its way from the ground to the air and then enters the home through cracks or holes in the foundation. 

People and Pets

Contaminants found in the home include tobacco smoke, vaping products, food, cooking oils, grooming products, and makeup, perfume, pet dander, and even body odor.

It’s not possible to reduce all contaminants and pollutants, as they are very much part of life. There is a significant benefit to buying eco-friendly furniture and natural products as much as possible, but even that will not be enough to purify the air. 

Concentrations of indoor air contaminants and pollutants will build up from inside sources and stay inside unless released or removed.

The Effects of Poor Indoor Air Quality

Poor IAQ is detrimental to your health. Some signs of poor indoor air quality include:

• Respiratory illnesses, including a worsening of asthma
• Persistent cough
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Cancer
• Skin rashes
• Fatigue
• Worsening of lung and heart conditions
• Headaches
• Allergic reactions
• Sore throat and itchy eyes
• Sinus issues
• Exacerbation of existing illnesses
• Dizziness
• Nausea

This is not an exhaustive list, as symptoms of poor IAQ can differ between people. Both short- and long-term exposure to poor IAQ is so detrimental to health that the EPA has ranked it in the top five environmental dangers affecting the planet. 

What Is an Air Scrubber?

There are good reasons to be concerned about poor IAQ, but it’s not all bad news. This is where the air scrubber comes in. If you are wondering, “What is an air scrubber?” you’re asking a good question. 

An air scrubber is a device that is attached to the ductwork of your HVAC system by a professional HVAC contractor in Charleston, SC, and it removes indoor air pollutants and contaminants. 

An air scrubber is much more than an air purifier that eliminates stale odors and dust — it is designed to clean, deodorize, and purify indoor air. 

Airborne contaminants pass through the air scrubber’s strong UV germicidal light, which kills them. It does this by disrupting their DNA. While an air filter does a great job of trapping pollutants, the air scrubber kills indoor contaminants and pathogens.  

The Benefits of an Air Scrubber

A whole-house air scrubber is fitted by a professional HVAC contractor and placed immediately after the air handler. It cleans and disinfects the indoor air as it circulates through each room or zone and then returns to the HVAC unit to be either heated or cooled. 

The HVAC system has to be switched on for the air to flow through a honeycomb-like filter that contains a UV germicidal lamp. The UV germicidal lamp alters the structure of the pollutants and gases, rendering them harmless, and kills organisms like fungi, viruses, and mold spores. 

With such effective air-purifying capabilities, an air scrubber is essential to good IAQ. The benefits to your health and home include:

• Banish stale and lingering odors
• Extend the life of your HVAC system
• Improve respiratory health
• Reduce allergens and their effects
• Improve overall health and well-being

Once the air scrubber is installed by your professional HVAC contractor in Charleston, SC, it commences work immediately. They are 50 times more powerful than the air filtration system included in your HVAC. Air scrubbers really are as good as they claim to be. 

Air Scrubber Specialists at Max’s Fix-it 24/7 Heating & Air

The negative health effects of poor indoor air quality are a risk to everyone. With the EPA reporting that IAQ is two to five times worse than outside air — and sometimes up to 100 times worse — it is an important issue to tackle. 

Air scrubbers are an affordable and incredibly effective way to improve air quality in your home. With their ability to kill contaminants and pollutants that make you and your family sick, an air scrubber is a necessity in your home. 

The professional HVAC contractors at Max’s Fix-it 24/7 Heating & Air are the experts in installing air scrubbers for your new or existing HVAC system near Charleston, SC. Call us today for your air scrubber installation — your family’s health depends on it.