How we made this guide: picks, prices and specs come from our catalog and the makers' published specs, owner quotes come from customer reviews on our product pages and every guide is checked and edited by Trevor Hall.
On a restoration or construction job, an air scrubber is a portable fan and filter machine that pulls room air through a stack of filters, usually ending in a HEPA filter, and then either blows it back into the room or ducts it outside to hold the room under negative pressure. Portable air scrubbers in our range start around $500. The XPOWER X-2580 is $545, and the Abatement PRED750, one of our best-selling scrubbers, is $1,070.
HVAC companies also sell in-duct units that they call "air scrubbers". That is a different product that mounts inside a home's ductwork, and we do not carry it. This guide covers the portable machines contractors set on the floor.
Two products, one name
Portable air scrubber: a self-contained cabinet with its own fan, plugged into a wall outlet and moved room to room. In-duct "air scrubber": a unit installed in an HVAC system by a heating and cooling contractor. Everything below is about the portable kind. For the consumer comparison, see air scrubber vs air purifier.
How an air scrubber works
Air goes in one side, passes through filters in order from coarse to fine, and leaves cleaner at the other. The fan does the moving. The filters do the catching. Abatement Technologies' PRED750 manual describes the same sequence: a series of particulate filters that successively remove larger particles to smaller ones, with a HEPA filter as the final stage.
Stage 1 and 2: pre-filters
Pre-filters protect the HEPA filter. The PRED750 manual lists a 1 inch coarse filter rated for particles of 100 microns or larger, then a 2 inch pleated filter rated for particles of 10 microns or larger. The HEPA-AIRE PAS1200 uses a 1 inch Fiber-Trapper (MERV 4) and a 2 inch pleated filter (MERV 8). Pre-filters are low-cost and get changed often, which keeps the costly HEPA filter loading slowly.
Optional stage: carbon
Particle filters do not catch odors or gases. For those, the maker offers a carbon filter. Abatement's Vapor-Lock carbon filter is a 2 inch deep (MERV 7) option on the PAS1200, and the PRED750 manual says it is for low concentrations of odors, vapors and gases. On the PRED750 it takes the place of the second-stage pleated filter. On the PAS1200 it is an optional third stage. Either way it is sold separately, and the PRED750 manual says to replace it as soon as you start to smell the contaminant again.
Final stage: HEPA
The HEPA filter is the stage that gives the machine its name. Abatement rates the PAS1200, PAS2400, PRED750 and BULLDOG BD2KM filters at 99.97% efficiency at 0.3 microns. That is the maker's rating of what the filter is tested to capture, not a promise about any room. If you want the standards behind the number, read what a HEPA filter is.
Do air scrubbers work?
A scrubber does what its filters are rated to do: it catches particles that pass through it. The rating covers the filter, while results in a real room also depend on airflow, how long it runs, leaks around the filter and how much air reaches the machine. Makers note this themselves. The PRED750 manual says filter loading, duct losses and reduced voltage can all cut real airflow, and suggests building in a safety factor.
A scrubber moves air through filters. It does not remediate mold, and it is not a substitute for removing the source of the problem.
CFM, speeds and what the numbers mean
CFM is cubic feet of air per minute. Makers quote peak airflow, so read these as ratings, not what you will measure on site with loaded filters and duct attached. The machines in this guide span a wide range.
| Machine | Rated airflow | Power | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| XPOWER X-2580 | 550 CFM, 5 speeds | 2.8 A on the highest speed | $545 |
| Abatement PRED750 | 200 to 750 CFM | 1.9 A or less running; own 15 A circuit (start-up surge) | $1,070 |
| Abatement PAS1200 | 300 to 900 CFM | 120 V, 15 A supply | $2,280 |
| Abatement BULLDOG BD2KM | 2,000 CFM high, 1,300 low | 10 A operating draw | $1,180 |
| Abatement PAS2400 | 2,100 CFM high, 700 low | 120 V, 15 A | $3,800 |
Spec-sheet weights: XPOWER X-2580 23.6 lb, PRED750 35 lb with filters, PAS1200 85 lb with filters and BULLDOG BD2KM 117 lb with filters. The PAS2400 rolls on a built-in transport dolly with a stair climber.
Low running amps do not mean units can share a circuit. Because of a brief surge at start-up, the PRED750 manual wants it on its own 15 amp circuit with nothing else drawing power, and any extension cord must be UL-listed heavy duty 14/3 AWG.
Smallest
XPOWER Commercial 4 Stage Filtration HEPA Mini Air Scrubber X-2580
$545
A 4-stage unit with a 5-speed switch and a filter change light, stackable up to 5 units.
The usual way to use the number is air changes per hour (ACH): how many times the machine could move a room's whole volume in an hour. The formula is ACH = CFM x 60 / room volume in cubic feet. As an example, our calculation for a 20 ft x 30 ft x 12 ft room (7,200 cubic feet) with one machine rated at 750 CFM gives 750 x 60 / 7,200 = 6.25 ACH at the rated airflow. Real installed airflow is lower. The PRED750 manual works this same room: when no ACH is specified, most users target at least 6, and the manual adds a 25% safety factor for filter loading, duct losses and low voltage (7.5 design ACH). Units needed = (7,200 x 7.5) / (750 x 60) = 1.2, which the manual rounds up to 2 machines. The full sizing method is in how to size an air scrubber.
Recirculating or negative air
Before you buy, decide which mode the machine will spend most of its time in. That choice drives whether you need duct collars, a pressure monitor and a place to exhaust.
The PRED750 manual lists three modes. Recirculation cleans the room's air and sends all of it back into the same room. Negative pressure exhausts filtered air out of the room faster than it enters, so leaks flow in, not out. Positive pressure does the reverse for a clean area: it pushes HEPA-filtered air in so leaks flow out. Restoration and remediation work mostly uses the first two.
How negative air is set up
The PRED750 manual describes two ways to do it:
- Put the unit inside the containment area and attach flex duct to the outlet collar. The HEPA-filtered air is pushed out of the area, outdoors or to another location in the building, according to regulations.
- Put the unit outside the area and attach flex duct between the inlet collar and the containment area, so the machine pulls air out.
The manual adds that the filtered air exhausted must be the greater of 10% or 100 CFM higher than the air entering, that openings and HVAC supply to the area may need to be sealed or reduced, and that the pressure difference should be monitored with a calibrated instrument. For how that works, see what a negative pressure room is. Keep ducting short, with few bends. The manual says rigid metal duct loses less airflow than flexible duct, and flex duct should be kept taut. The negative air machines collection holds units built mainly for this job.
One of our best-selling air scrubbers
Abatement Technologies PREDATOR Series Portable Air Scrubber PRED750
$1,070
Variable 200 to 750 CFM at 35 lb, with a quick start guide video from Abatement.
Air scrubber or negative air machine?
In everyday use the terms overlap. A negative air machine is an air scrubber set up and sold mainly to hold a room under negative pressure, often with a higher airflow. The Abatement BULLDOG BD2KM is one: a rated 2,000 CFM on high with a 24 x 24 x 6 inch HEPA filter. The full comparison is in air scrubber vs negative air machine.
Negative air
Abatement Technologies BULLDOG Series Negative Air Machine BD2KM
$1,180
Rated 2,000 CFM on high and 1,300 on low, with a visual change-filter lamp and a 24 x 24 x 6 inch HEPA filter.
When a job needs one
Nothing here is a rule for your job: your contract, the containment plan and local regulations decide whether a scrubber is required and how many you run. The PRED750 manual lists what its filters capture, including dust, drywall dust, sawdust, smoke and metal fumes, which matches the jobs in the table below.
| Job | How it is used |
|---|---|
| Drywall and sanding dust | Recirculate in the room or exhaust the dust outside during demolition and finishing |
| Mold remediation | Hold the work area under negative pressure and filter air during the work. See basement mold remediation and HEPA scrubbers on mold jobs |
| Renovation near occupied rooms | Negative pressure to keep dust from spreading |
| Smoke and odor cleanup | HEPA stage for smoke particles; add the carbon filter for low concentrations of odors and vapors |
A scrubber is one part of a job plan, along with containment, source removal and cleaning. Remediation itself is physical removal and cleaning, not a filter.
Machines to compare
These five cover the usual sizes, from a stackable single-room unit to a high-flow negative air machine. Browse the full range in HEPA air scrubbers, all air scrubbers or the Abatement Technologies air scrubbers.
Mid-size, stainless
Abatement Technologies HEPA-AIRE Series Portable Air Scrubber PAS1200
$2,280
Stainless cabinet, 300 to 900 CFM and a GFCI duplex receptacle for daisy-chaining units.
Largest here
Abatement Technologies HEPA-AIRE Series Portable Air Scrubber PAS2400
$3,800
Rated 2,100 CFM on high with 5.5 in static lift, 700 CFM on low.
Frequently asked questions
What is an air scrubber?
A portable machine that pulls room air through pre-filters and usually a HEPA filter, then returns it to the room or ducts it outside. Contractors use it on restoration, remediation and construction jobs.
What does an air scrubber do?
It filters the air passing through it. The final HEPA stage on the Abatement models here is rated at 99.97% efficiency at 0.3 microns. The machine does not clean surfaces or remove a contamination source.
Which is better, an air purifier or an air scrubber?
They are built for different jobs. A scrubber is a rugged contractor machine with higher airflow and duct connections. Home air purifiers are usually smaller units for living spaces. We compare them in air scrubber vs air purifier.
What is the difference between a negative air machine and an air scrubber?
A negative air machine is an air scrubber set up mainly to exhaust air from a contained area and hold it at lower pressure. Many scrubbers can do both. More in our comparison.
Does an air scrubber need to be ducted?
Only for negative or positive pressure. For recirculation the filtered air returns to the same room, so no ducting is needed.
How often do the filters need changing?
Change them when the filter change light comes on, not on a calendar. The PRED750 manual says contaminant load, temperature, humidity and run time decide how often, and that the light can also mean a blocked inlet or too much flex duct. When it comes on, change the first-stage filter first, then the second stage if the light stays on, then the HEPA filter. The filters are not reusable, so never wash and refit them.
Is it safe to be in a room with an air scrubber?
The five machines here are a fan and filters, and none lists an ozone or UV stage on its spec sheet. The hazards the PRED750 manual warns about are practical: damaged or run-over cords, use near sparks, open flames or explosive vapors, and running without every filter in place. Keep cords and flex duct out of walkways.
Find the right air scrubber
Related guides
- Air Scrubber vs Air Purifier: Airflow, Filters and Which One a Job Needs
- What Is a HEPA Filter? Ratings, H13 vs H14, ULPA and Why the Seal Matters
- Air Changes per Hour Formula: How to Calculate ACH and Size an Air Scrubber
- Air Scrubber vs Negative Air Machine: Same Box, Different Setup (and When You Need Each)
