At Air America, we’re all about Sarasota-Manatee indoor air quality (IAQ). After all, a lot has changed in the 40 years we’ve been in business. But the point of air conditioning has always been creating a healthy, comfortable and breathable environment for the people and pets within the spaces we serve.
And, to be fair, IAQ can be a big responsibility with some of the things the southwest Florida environment throws at us, our equipment and our lungs:
- Salt air
- Extreme heat
- Humidity
- Wind
- Rain
- Sand
- Pollen
- Red tide
- Viruses and bacteria
That’s why Air America is right here in Sarasota-Bradenton to assess your situation, test your equipment, and do what it takes to remove the non-breathable bits from your indoor air.
And if you have additional contaminants to contend with, your IAQ might need some heavy-duty consideration. That’s where HVAC air scrubbers come in.
What are Air Scrubbers?
The term “air scrubber” is sometimes used interchangeably with stand-alone air filters. But in our case, we’re talking about high-quality air purification tools that are integrated within your HVAC system. That way, they utilize your home’s existing circulatory setup to maximize the amount of air they can treat.
Today’s air scrubbers perform two distinct air-cleaning functions: particle removal and disinfection.
And they typically perform these functions via two distinct technologies: negative ionization and UV disinfection.
How Does a Negative Ion Air Scrubber Work?
Negative ionization uses an electric charge to create negative ions, or molecules in search of other particles to balance out their negative charge. When air ionizers release these charged particles, they attract loads of teeny-tiny contaminants—contaminants that are usually too small to get caught in typical air filters. These contaminants might create fine dust that clings to surfaces and—worse still—gathers in electrical equipment.
Likewise, these tiny contaminants can be the cause of any number of terrible odors.
By pulling these particles out of the air and forming them into clumps, ions effectively put these airborne contaminants into much easier-to-clean packages.
The larger bits will either cycle through the air conditioning system again, this time getting caught by the filter; or they’ll settle onto a surface where they can be wiped up or vacuumed. What they won’t do is launch right back into the air to wind up in someone’s lungs.
How Does a UV Disinfectant Scrubber Work?
UV, or ultraviolet, light is actually a form of electromagnetic radiation. UV scrubbers create a passageway through which air passes to be fully exposed to UV light. The radiation kills and even eradicates living organisms, like viruses, bacteria, fungi and other microscopic infectants.
And because the UV light is contained within the scrubber itself, UV disinfection poses no threat to the creatures walking around in the treated air. In fact, UV scrubbers’ germicidal properties are often used in hospitals to mitigate airborne contaminants.
Do I Need an Air Scrubber for My Bradenton-Sarasota HVAC System?
If you suspect your air conditioner isn’t able to handle the contaminants in your air or control the smells in the air around you, then give Air America a call. We can assess your situation, determine what an air scrubber could do for you, and recommend the right scrubber for your HVAC, your space, and your budget. We can even install it!
