Air Scrubbers

Air Scrubbers with HEPA Filtration for Mold, Dust, and Restoration Work

When a job site or structure requires an air scrubber

An air scrubber pulls contaminated air through a filter stack, removes particulate down to 0.3 microns, and discharges clean air back into the space or exhausts it to the exterior. The machine runs continuously during active work, preventing airborne contaminants from migrating through HVAC systems or into adjacent occupied spaces. Mold remediation, post-flood drying, asbestos abatement, lead paint removal, and active demolition all generate airborne hazards that require active air filtration to meet regulatory thresholds. The EPA mold remediation guide for commercial buildings specifies that air scrubbers with HEPA filtration must be used during active mold removal to maintain negative pressure containment and prevent cross-contamination. Abatement Technologies and XPOWER manufacture the units in this collection specifically for these conditions, with airflow ratings, filter certifications, and housing materials validated for restoration and abatement applications.

Airflow ratings, filter stages, and negative air pressure

Commercial air scrubbers are rated in CFM (cubic feet per minute). The standard for mold remediation, established in IICRC S520 mold remediation standards, requires a minimum of six air changes per hour in the containment zone. Calculate the room volume in cubic feet, multiply by six, and divide by 60 to get the minimum CFM requirement. A 1,200 cubic foot containment zone needs at least 120 CFM of filtration capacity. Most professional units start at 500 to 2,000 CFM, providing substantial margin over the minimum and allowing for negative pressure setups where the scrubber exhausts to the exterior at a rate that keeps containment at lower pressure than surrounding spaces. Negative pressure prevents contaminated air from escaping through containment seams. Three-stage filtration, a pre-filter for large particles, a carbon stage for odors and VOCs, and a final HEPA stage is the configuration required for mold and chemical exposure work. Units with only HEPA filtration skip the carbon stage, making them appropriate for construction dust but not for work involving mycotoxins, formaldehyde, or solvent vapors.

Related: Commercial Dehumidifiers · Flood & Water Extraction Equipment · Air Movers · Commercial Vacuums

Selecting the right unit for water damage versus construction applications

Water damage restoration and construction dust control share the same equipment category but pull from different ends of the specification range. Restoration work demands true three-stage HEPA units, robust housing that tolerates wet environments and repeated transport, and CFM output sufficient to maintain negative pressure in containment. XPOWER units in this collection cover mid-range CFM needs for residential and light commercial water damage projects. Abatement Technologies machines are specified for larger commercial structures and hazmat-adjacent environments where filter certification documentation, unit labeling, and housing durability are requirements from the project owner or insurer. Construction dust applications, drywall cutting, concrete grinding, or general demolition without known hazardous materials, can often be addressed with simpler units at lower CFM ratings, since the goal is dust capture rather than negative pressure containment. The OSHA silica dust standards for construction specify that air filtration equipment used during silica-generating tasks must meet defined capture efficiency thresholds, so confirming the unit's filter rating against the task type keeps the job site in compliance. Portable units with integrated handles and stackable housing reduce staging time on multi-floor jobs. Units with washable pre-filters extend the service interval on the HEPA stage, reducing consumable cost on long-duration projects.