The air in your home or office can be dirty and unhealthy. There are many different products on the market to help remove harmful particles from the air, but not all are created equal.
This blog post will discuss the differences between an air scrubber vs. air purifier and which one you should use if you want a healthy indoor environment.
What Is An Air Scrubber?
A scrubbing system that uses a chemical to clean the air is known as an air scrubber. It’s frequently used to eliminate odors, mold spores, exhaust fumes, and gas emissions (gas scrubber).
Negative ions are created when an electric current is passed through the air. Air scrubbers clean the air by using ionization. These negative ions attach to the positive particles in the room like dust, pollen, and smoke.
These negative ions can then be collected with a metal plate or fan that blows them away from your breathing space, where they will not cause you any harm. Air scrubbers work best in small rooms that have minimal airflow.
The cleaned air is released back into your room as fresh air.
What Is An Air Purifier?
An air purifying device is a machine that uses one of three types of cleaning technology: adsorption, filtration, or HEPA filter (high-efficiency particulate absorption).
Adsorption Air Purifiers
Adsorption is a process where dust, dirt, and other harmful airborne particles stick to the surface of the filter. Absorption is the cheapest technology used in air purifiers and will typically cost you less than filtration air purifiers.
However, it does not work well for airborne particles larger than .003 microns because they will fall back into your room.
Filtration Air Purifiers
Filtration is also pretty self-explanatory – it works by trapping pollutants in an air purifier’s replaceable or permanent filters for improved indoor air quality. For example, HEPA filtration systems use a series of filters to trap dust and other contaminants.
HEPA filtration system technology uses high-efficiency particulate absorption (or HEPA filter) to capture 99.97% of allergens and contaminants in the air. These technologies work together to clean the room’s atmosphere and remove pollutants such as dust, pollen spores, mold, smoke, and pet dander.
The tightness of the weave on HEPA filters allows them to capture particles as small as .03 microns.
HEPA filter technology is the best option if you are concerned about allergies or asthma because it’s the best at removing small particles and allergens from the air.
Adsorption and HEPA Air Purifiers
Air purifiers combine adsorption and HEPA filtration, giving these appliances an advantage over traditional air cleaners because they can trap both large and small particles. Some filters may also use activated carbon filter technology for advanced filtration.
Air purifiers also include an ionizer that can work in conjunction with the filters to clear particles from your room when they’re exhausted into the air.
For example, many products on the market use UV light and titanium dioxide (TiO₂), which combine to kill bacteria and viruses, remove odors, and clear the air.
What Is The Difference Between An Air Scrubber And An Air Purifier?
The main difference is that air scrubbers tend to remove fine dust particles from the air, while an air purifier filters out larger particles such as smoke, pollen, pet dander, and mold spores.
The air scrubber technology has the advantage of cleaning a more extensive space more quickly than an air purifying device can.
Air scrubbers are also more effective at removing mold spores, airborne contaminants, chemical vapors, odors, and gases. However, it does not trap or remove particles from the room’s surface like an air purifying device can.
Air purifiers are better for people with allergies or respiratory problems because they remove the smallest particles and dust mites that may be irritating your breathing space.
It is not as efficient at quickly cleaning a more ample space, making it more suitable for a house air purifier to function as an air cleaner filtering out toxic particles to improve indoor air quality.
Should I Choose an Air Scrubber or Air Purifier?
It depends on your needs, but we recommend using an air purifier if you want to improve indoor air quality and remove toxic particles with a house air purifier. Improving air quality will help people who suffer from allergies or asthma and anyone else who wants to breathe healthier, fresher, smelling indoor air.
Who Should Choose an Air Purifier?
Air purifiers work best for people with allergies or respiratory problems because they trap smaller particles that can harm your breathing space and create contaminated air.
A whole-house air purifier with HEPA filters effectively removes allergens, pet dander, dust, odors, bacteria, and harmful air chemicals. People with asthma or other respiratory conditions will benefit significantly from an air purifying device.
Employing a whole-house air purifier can often help reduce allergies and asthma symptoms while also making the air cleaner. In addition, using one air purifier per room is the most cost-effective solution for improving air quality.
Who Should Choose An Air Scrubber?
Air scrubbers are best for cleaning indoor spaces, warehouses, and other commercial areas. Portable air scrubbers help clean the air from toxic and harmful contaminants.
Professionals commonly use air scrubbers for mold remediation, during significant renovations, or while painting to reduce odors and fumes.
If you’re trying to remove mold spores from the air, an air scrubber is the best solution. The scrubber’s negative particles attach to mold spores suspended in the air and kill them inside the scrubber.
Placing an air scrubber in an area with recent mold remediation or removal will reduce the total number of spores in the air, helping prevent future outbreaks.
An air scrubber is ideal for removing any chemical vapors, odors, gases or disinfecting the room’s atmosphere. They are not as efficient in terms of removing allergens and larger particles from the air, however.
If you want to clean a room quickly for your health and well-being, an air scrubber is the best way to go.
However, if you suffer from allergies or respiratory problems, it may be better for you to choose an air-purifying device instead.
Use common sense when making your decision about which one you should purchase. For example, if you have small children or pets that could be harmed by the lack of an air purifier’s filters, then you should buy one to ensure your family and pets’ safety.
Frequently asked questions
Are air scrubbers worth the cost?
It is true that air scrubbers are a bit costly, but to improve the home air quality, it is worth the investment for sure. Air scrubbers cost more than air purifiers, and their maintenance service should be done every three months. Considering that air scrubber price is higher compared to Air Purifier is challenging to tell if it is worth the cost.
Do air scrubbers clean the air?
All air scrubbers manufacturers claim that they remove 99.9% of the pollutants from the air, and they purify the air and disinfect home surfaces.
Do air scrubbers remove mold?
Yes, they can remove mold spores due to the fact that they have HEPA filters and enough airflow. Air purifiers are a better solution for mold removal!
Home Air Quality is founded by Bernard K to provide information on Indoor Air Quality in Homes and enlighten people about what they need to know about creating and maintaining a comfortable and healthy home environment.
We believe that “Quality air brings a healthy life.”
