Air scrubbers (or negative air machines) are a great way to reduce mold spores, chemical fumes and VOCs in the home. They are also often used during mold remolding projects to process the air in the contained space and prevent spores from becoming airborne and spreading to unaffected areas of the house. They are a far better option than a regular home air purifier.

When deciding how many air scrubbers do i need air scrubbers to purchase you need to know your project’s requirements and the capabilities of each machine. First, determine the volume of the room in cubic feet. To do this you can use a calculator that calculates the room size using your dimensions and the air scrubber’s CFM rating. Then enter the desired Air Changes per Hour (ACH). This is the number of times you want the air in the room to be cleared. For residential use, experts recommend 6 ACH. Larger applications like hospitals may require up to 12 ACH.

Clearing the Air: How to Determine Your Needs with a Negative Air Machine Calculator

Once you have your ACH and CFM entered into the calculator select a model of air scrubber from the drop down menu. Then the calculator will display the treatment volume that the air scrubber can achieve and how many machines you need.

An air scrubber is different from an air purifier in that it actually kills harmful pathogens and pollutants. It does this by pulling air through a bank of filters and then releasing negatively charged ions that flow throughout the space. These ions act much like the anthropomorphic soap suds in those Scrubbing Bubbles commercials, scrubbing the air and eliminating odors, smoke and other harmful particles.