Using Air Scrubbers for Odor Control

First, ventilate.
Send stale, smelly air out of the building space and bring in fresh air—the more the better. This is easily accomplished using our Vortex axial fan with Sto and Go ducting, or you can set up Stealth airmovers at windows and/or doorways.

Can’t ventilate it? Scrub it!
Not every job site is easily ventilated to the outdoors. Commercial buildings may have windows that don’t open, and many offer no practical access to the outdoors at all. When ventilation isn’t an option, it is important to provide adequate air exchanges. In a fire and smoke restoration environment, Restoration Science Academy recommends between four and six air changes per hour. This high level of air filtering combined with carbon filtration (read on) greatly aids in the initial detoxification and fine particle filtration as the crew completes demolition, cleaning and deodorization.

Carbon Filtration—the Key Ingredient
Carbon filtration is essential for odor control in the restoration setting. An activated carbon filter-equipped air scrubber not only adsorbs smoke and soot odors, it is also is useful for many other types including petrochemical odors (turpentine, toluene, paint thinner, etc.), sewer gas and related odors, food and cooking odors, and many other strong, objectionable odors such as those from dead animals. Activated carbon is also useful for ozone odors, as it is particularly good at adsorbing this substance.

To avoid delays in the restoration process, be sure to have plenty of replacement filters on hand. Pay special attention to your prefilters—change them often and you’ll extend the life of your HEPA primary filter. Prefilters should be changed whenever the accumulation of dust and debris is visible. Carbon filters should be replaced when a simple “sniff-test” tells you they’re no longer removing odors. The DefendAir® HEPA 500 unit has a change filter light that comes on when the HEPA filter needs replacing.

Additional information about air scrubbing and odor control can be found at RestorationSciencesAcademy.com.

Additional information:
DefendAir HEPA 500 Air Scrubber
DefendAir Carbon Filter