Determining how long an air scrubber should be run is one of the most popular questions asked about the machines. When used to remove mold, pollutants and particulates from the air, the industry standard is that an air scrubber should be run for 24 to 48 hours.
There are a few caveats to keep in mind.
First, the 24 to 48 hour recommendation assumes that the air scrubber or scrubbers run in the 400 – 600 CFM range.
Second, It also assumes 4 air changes per hour (ACH).
Third, the unit or units should be commercial grade and in good working condition and be using filters with more than 50% of their life left. Once a HEPA filter (or any other filter in use) becomes clogged, it should be changed. A clogged filter restricts airflow, reducing the number of air changes per hour the unit can achieve.
Finally, the 24 to 48 hour run time should be considered a minimum. There will be jobs where additional time is required
How long should an air scrubber be run, or how many machines?
The one question that isn’t asked nearly as much is how many air scrubbers are needed. The number of units necessary is a product of the size of the space.
More space means more air that needs to be scrubber. So, the rule-of-thumb of 24 to 48 hours requires that the right number of machines are used for the job.
There’s a few simple air scrubber calculations that can answer that question–as can a mold remediation or renovation professional or the manual included with your air scrubber.