What's an Air Scrubber?

By Elizabeth Michael

February 24, 2025

While musty odors and dusty air circulating in your home may be the perfect solution to keeping nosy neighbors at bay, these issues should actually be addressed as soon as possible. Musty smells are often indicative of mold spores or mold growth somewhere in your home, while excess dust and pet dander can sometimes trigger allergic symptoms.

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In many cases, bad indoor air is easy to remedy with the help of an air scrubber — a handy device that safely and effectively removes stubborn particles and impurities.

What Is an HVAC Air Scrubber?

An air scrubber is a portable air-cleaning machine designed to reduce airborne impurities, such as pet dander, bacteria, chemical compounds and mold. Air scrubbers feature fan blowers and a series of filters that "scrub" circulating air by pulling it in and filtering out potentially harmful substances. Air scrubbers are most often utilized in industrial and commercial settings, but you can also purchase or rent the units for use in the home.

How Does a Home Air Scrubber Work?

Air scrubbers draw in dirty or contaminated circulating air through a simple fan/blower mechanism. The air passes through several filters that trap potentially dangerous particles, and clean air is then released in its place. Most air scrubbers feature four distinct components that work together to clean and purify indoor air and pull impurities from surfaces:

Prefilter

When an air scrubber is running, it pulls in impurities via the blower. The prefilter catches large particles such as dust, pet hair and other debris.

Carbon Filter

Some air scrubbers are equipped with carbon filters that help capture and filter out compounds like gases, vapor molecules and other types of chemicals.

Primary/HEPA filter

The primary/HEPA filter is responsible for pulling in fine indoor air and surface particles. It serves as the main filter for the unit and can help reduce mold spores, bacteria, viruses and allergens.

Blower

The blower is an essential air scrubber component that draws in and pushes air through the filters. Once the air is cleaned and purified, the blower pushes it back out into the circulating indoor air.

How Long Does It Take an Air Scrubber to Clean a House?

Specific run times for air scrubbers can vary, depending on factors like the specific level of pollution or amount of impurities in your space. However, it's generally recommended to run an air scrubber for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours for optimal results.

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Is an Air Scrubber Necessary?

There are no specific rules that require home or business owners to install or utilize air scrubbers. However, they're highly efficient in reducing a wide range of impurities from indoor air and off surfaces, including mold and bacteria. If you schedule indoor air quality testing with a professional HVAC company and it detects mold spores or any other potentially harmful impurities, it may recommend air scrubber installation.

What’s the Difference Between an Air Purifier and an Air Scrubber?

Both air purifiers and air scrubbers are designed to clean and purify indoor air. The main difference between the two is how they operate. Air purifiers are typically crafted with filters that pull in impurities, such as dust, allergens and bacteria, from the surrounding air.

While exact specifications can vary, air scrubbers are usually larger in size and utilize both filters and negative ion technology to clean and purify impurities from surfaces and circulating air. Air purifiers are commonly installed in residential spaces, while air scrubbers are often used with larger applications such as commercial buildings.

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