As COVID-19 rages through our country, shutting us up in our homes, scientists are trying to develop more effective products that can help protect us from the virus even while we stay indoors. One recent study that has been making the rounds is whether portable air scrubber can protect us from COVID-19.
So if you are trying to find the answer to that question, you have arrived at the right place. Let’s get started! Here, we will discuss the effectiveness of air cleaners in protecting us, how they work, and how suitable they are for our homes and commercial buildings.
Can Portable Air Scrubbers Protect Us?
The answer is yes; they are capable of protecting us from COVID-19 by eliminating viruses from the air.
The COVID-19 virus transmits through tiny water droplets from sneezing or coughing or, in some studies, is also transmitted through different surfaces. And when you are in an enclosed space in your home or your office, you run the risk of being affected by the virus.
In such scenarios, getting a portable air scrubber rental can limit the spread of the virus considerably. These purifiers use HVAC systems and HEPA filters to clean the air almost 6 times/hour. These filters clear out practically 99.97% of particles in the air, even if their size is as small as .3 microns. Thus, the chances of harmful viruses lingering in the air diminish considerably, increasing our chances of safety from the virus.
But this effectiveness has several conditions. Air scrubbers, however powerful, won’t be able to protect us entirely on their own.
Some factors influence their effectiveness. For example –
- The filter technology they use
- The type of product
- The ratio of the size of room and size of air cleaner you use
- Whether you use the filter on its own or with other air filtration or ventilation machines.
So if you are an individual who lives alone, it might not be necessary for you. But if you live with roommates who are frontline workers or have a kid, we suggest investing in an air cleaner to protect yourself and those around you against the COVID-19 virus.
Additionally, if you are working in a commercial building like offices and schools, you will have people coming over all the time. So it would be a great idea to include an air scrubber there as well.
Now you might be wondering how the air scrubbers work to protect us from COVID-19. Let us explain.
How Does the Air Scrubber Work?
Most air cleaners and filters in HVAC systems use a technology known as Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization, or simply Bipolar Ionization. This technology is used to generate negatively or positively charged particles in the air, which helps remove deadly viruses like SARS-2-CoV (the virus causing COVID-19).
This ionization technology works to disinfect surfaces where they are placed. While this is a relatively new technology, it is as effective and safe as more traditional technologies like filtration.
While buying any air purifiers or filters with Bipolar Ionization technology, make sure you regularly maintain the machine to avoid the emission of harmful gases. The best way to ensure that a filter with BI technology is safe to use is to make sure that it meets the UL 2998 Standard Certification.
Air Filters To Protect From COVID-19
In Homes
If one properly uses air cleaners with HVAC systems in homes, clearing airborne viruses is very easy in such small spaces. It is constructive for those who cannot circulate outside air indoors due to high temperature and pollution.
To take maximum advantage of an air scrubber to clean your home of deadly viruses, make sure you use the ones that have proper CADR or Clean Air Delivery Rate rating. You can even choose ones with HEPA or High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters. Also, check if the cleaner’s filter particle range is around 0.1-1um to eliminate tiny virus particles.
Just make sure to get an air scrubber whose size is just right to purify the space you intend it for.
In Commercial Buildings
Getting an effective air scrubber for a commercial building like schools and offices is a little trickier than getting one for your home. These purifiers for more extensive facilities need to be distributed throughout the building. Thus, we always suggest consulting an HVAC professional or the right scrubber & heater rental supplier to determine which air cleaner is best suited for the job.
There are also several technical guidelines to be maintained, like those issues by CDC and ASHRAE. Institutes like EPA also suggest constantly keeping and upgrading air scrubber filters to ensure the best efficiency rate. They also recommend attaching the best filter fit to catch and eliminate even the tiniest virus particles.
We recommend using air cleaners, specifically in places where there is a lack of adequate ventilation. These areas will require this HVAC filtration and ventilation to ensure better airflow. This also helps to reduce the spread of droplets with infectious viruses from one individual to another.
For a large commercial building, do not depend entirely on air purifiers. Try to use them with proper ventilation to ensure better efficiency. This will provide better air quality and lesser airborne viruses like SARS-2-CoV.
Conclusion
We can conclude that a portable air scrubber is very much capable of protecting us from COVID-19 by eliminating harmful viruses from the atmosphere. However, one should always keep in mind that this is subject to a few conditions. So to get the best results, get proper air filtration and ventilation machines to stay safe! Most importantly, choose the right air scrubber or Portable AC Rental supplier to get the most out of the unit. Also, make sure to follow all government-issued COVID guidelines like wearing a mask and maintaining social distance.
