Within the arsenal of meters and machinery restoration companies use, one of the most important and often used is the air scrubber. Essentially, air scrubbers draw in air from its surroundings and pass it through a series of filters to improve air quality. Regardless of whether it is a water or fire damaged property, air scrubbers should be placed on site to improve and maintain air quality as there is usually an increase in particulates in the air from the damage and from work being performed.

For water damaged properties it is not always obvious why an air scrubber is placed—especially if it is a clean-water loss; but the truth is particulates will be introduced by technicians as they work in and as machines dry the affected area. In many cases, technicians remove sections of walls and/or remove flooring to reach the structure or sub-floor and this creates a significant amount of dust and debris and could unknowingly introduce other contaminants into the air that have long settled on building materials. Although many modern tools come equipped with vacuums to catch debris and plastic is also laid down in areas marked for demolition to catch debris, there is no accounting for particulates that remain suspended in the air. Further, air movers will agitate any particulates that were already present such as dust, skins cells, animal hair, dirt, and anything trapped in carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture etc. Although most people are already exposed to these types of common particulates, an increase in them could exacerbate respiratory illnesses, asthma, and allergies. By using an air scrubber, particulates are captured rather than left to spread and re-settle throughout the property or remain suspended in the air.

Properties unfortunately affected by mold, sewage or fire and smoke damage reap the other benefits of air scrubbers. Besides capturing dust and debris, air scrubbers equipped with a charcoal filter are also capable of filtering out odorous gases that are produced by soot, mold and sewage. All these gases are toxic and can cause headaches, nausea, and respiratory issues. Of course, at the same time the gases are being neutralized, soot, ash, mold spores etc. are also being trapped by the filters. For fire damaged properties, running air scrubbers from day one is also important because soot and ash are corrosive and can eat through the metal finishing on appliances, fixtures, door handles and more.

It’s also important to note that restoration technicians travel between multiple job sites every day. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, air scrubbers are largely responsible for preventing cross-contamination, capturing any dirt/debris that come in through open door and windows, and improving the overall indoor air quality. As a rule of thumb, Dry Kings places air scrubbers on every single job—to the point that even if your insurance adjuster does not deem it necessary, we will provide it for free. Placing air scrubbers on every job truly proves beneficial for everyone involved and gives you and our technicians safe, healthy air to breathe. Even if you do not have any property damage, Dry Kings is happy to rent an air scrubber to property owners who want to improve the quality of their indoor air. If you have questions about renting an air scrubber or an odor pervading your home, contact Dry Kings today!