Razorback MaxxGuard 550UV Air Scrubber — 550 CFM, 50Hz/230V/AU

The MaxxGuard 550UV is a three-stage portable air scrubber for water damage restoration, mould remediation and dust control. It draws contaminated air through a pre-filter and a combined HEPA/activated carbon filter, and carries a supplementary UV-C lamp downstream of the filtration.

It is the machine you run alongside air movers to capture the particulate they stir up — particularly on category 3 water damage and mould remediation, where uncontrolled airborne spread is the main risk to the rest of the structure. Both inlet and outlet can be ducted, so the same unit works as a recirculating scrubber or as a negative air machine within containment.

One unit at maximum speed will generate more than seven air changes per hour in a 100 m³ room.

Important — what the UV-C stage is, and what it is not

This page previously described the UV-C stage as inactivating pathogens that the filtration stages did not remove. We asked the manufacturer for the test data behind that claim. They confirmed that no efficacy test reports exist, and that the unit holds no Australian listing or approval for a disinfection claim. We have removed the claim.

We would rather tell you that than leave the wording where it was.

The measurable performance of this machine is its filtration. That is what the pre-filter and HEPA/activated carbon stage are there to do, and that is what the machine should be specified on. Treat the UV-C lamp as a supplementary stage with no quantified performance figure attached to it.

If your scope of works requires verified pathogen reduction, that is achieved through containment, negative pressure, HEPA filtration and surface remediation using an ARTG-listed disinfectant — not by a lamp in an airstream. We stock listed products for that part of the job and can point you at the right one.

Key features

• 550 CFM rating (934 CMH), variable across a 330–750 CFM range
• Three-stage filtration: pre-filter plus combined HEPA/activated carbon filter
• Supplementary 254 nm UV-C lamp, ozone-free quartz
• Hour meter to track unit running time across jobs
• Filter change indicator light
• Both inlet and outlet ductable for negative air or containment work
• Stackable rotomoulded housing, 18 kg
• 6 m power cord

Typical applications

• Water damage restoration, including category 3
• Mould remediation
• Containment and negative air
• Dust control during demolition and strip-out
• Odour work as part of a wider treatment
• General air filtration in occupied and unoccupied spaces

Understanding the UV-C stage

UV-C is real technology and it is used seriously in water treatment and in engineered in-duct systems. Whether it does anything useful in a given machine comes down to dose — the product of the lamp's irradiance and the time the air spends in front of it.

In a portable scrubber moving between 330 and 750 CFM, air passes the lamp in a fraction of a second. That is a fundamentally different arrangement to an engineered system designed around a target dose, and it is why no efficacy figure is published for this class of machine by any manufacturer we are aware of.

What we can tell you precisely is what the lamp is. The specification below comes from the lamp manufacturer's datasheet.

UV-C lamp specification

Ozone-free matters. Low-pressure mercury lamps can emit at 185 nm as well as 254 nm, and 185 nm generates ozone. This lamp uses a quartz envelope that transmits 253.7 nm while suppressing the ozone-generating line, and the lamp manufacturer states the glass is ozone-free. That is what allows the unit to run in a semi-occupied space. It is not an ozone generator and should never be substituted for one, or the reverse.

Five minutes to stable output is worth knowing if you run the machine in short bursts. The lamp does not reach its rated output the moment it strikes.

Operating advice

• Set fan speed to the containment, not to the maximum. A scrubber that overwhelms your containment barrier is working against you.
• Run the pre-filter as the sacrificial stage and change it often. It is far cheaper than the HEPA/carbon cartridge and it is what protects it.
• On category 3 and mould work, duct the outlet outside the containment and run the unit as a negative air machine rather than recirculating.
• Use the hour meter. It is the only record you have of filter and lamp service life, and it is the number that tells you when consumables are due.
• Ambient above 50 °C is outside the lamp's stated operating range. Roof spaces and unventilated structures in an Australian summer can exceed that.

Maintenance and consumables

Filters

Change the pre-filter frequently — it is the cheapest consumable on the machine and it determines how long the HEPA/carbon cartridge lasts. Replace the HEPA/activated carbon filter when the filter change indicator illuminates, or sooner if airflow has visibly dropped.

UV-C lamp

Clean the lamp and its sleeve every three to six months. A dust film on the quartz attenuates output and there is no indication on the machine when that has happened.

Replace the lamp annually. Two things sit behind that interval: the lamp carries a twelve-month component warranty, and UV output falls progressively over life with no visible symptom. A UV-C lamp that has lost most of its output still lights normally. "It is still glowing" is not a serviceability test — without a UV radiometer there is no way to check output in the field, which is why the interval is a calendar rule rather than a condition-based one.

Safety — read before servicing

• UV-C exposure. 254 nm radiation causes photokeratitis (welder's flash) and skin erythema. Never look directly at an energised lamp and never operate the machine with the housing open. Isolate power at the outlet before opening the unit for any reason.
• The lamp contains liquid mercury. Handle it as you would any mercury-containing tube. If one breaks, ventilate the area, do not vacuum the debris — including with this machine — and collect fragments with stiff card and adhesive tape into a sealed container.
• Disposal. Do not put spent lamps in general waste. Mercury-containing lamps are handled under state and territory waste regulations, which vary by jurisdiction. Only two facilities in Australia process them, so lamps need to go to a collector who delivers to one of those. The FluoroCycle scheme, run by Lighting Council Australia, publishes a directory of recyclers — note that it is a voluntary scheme rather than a mandatory national one.

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Does the UV-C lamp disinfect the air passing through the machine?

We cannot tell you that it does. We asked the manufacturer for test data and they confirmed none exists, and that the unit holds no Australian approval for a disinfection claim. Specify this machine for its filtration performance and treat the UV-C stage as supplementary.

Does this unit produce ozone?

No. The lamp uses ozone-free quartz and emits at 254 nm as a single band. The ozone-generating 185 nm line is suppressed by the envelope. Do not confuse this machine with an ozone generator — they do different jobs, and an ozone generator cannot be run in an occupied space.

How often does the UV-C lamp need replacing?

Annually. The lamp carries a twelve-month component warranty and its output declines over life with no visible indication. Clean the lamp and sleeve every three to six months in between.

Can I run the machine if the UV-C lamp has failed?

The filtration stages are independent of the lamp and are what the machine's performance rests on. That said, replace a failed lamp rather than leaving it — and never operate the unit with the housing open to inspect it.

What do I do with the old lamp?

It contains mercury, so it does not go in general waste. Mercury-containing lamps are covered by state and territory waste regulations and need to reach one of the two Australian processing facilities via a collector. See the disposal note above.

Can I use this as a negative air machine?

Yes. Both inlet and outlet accept ducting, so the unit can be run as a negative air machine within containment or as a recirculating scrubber. On category 3 water damage and mould remediation, ducting the outlet outside the containment is the correct configuration.

Replacement filters and consumables

• Pre-filter G3, MG550 & MG550UV (5 pack)
• HEPA/activated carbon filter, MG550 & MG550UV (each)
• Layflat Duct 300 mm x 362 mtr

Documents

• User Manual

Electrical safety

Razorback restoration equipment is supplied against the electrical safety requirements of the applicable Australian and New Zealand Standards. This relates to electrical safety only and is unrelated to any claim about air treatment performance.

Warranty

Razorback cleaning and restoration equipment is covered against manufacturing defect across all components, large and small — every part, assembly and component is covered against defect or failure.

Click here for warranty details

Not sure whether this machine suits your scope of works, or whether you need a scrubber, a negative air machine or both? Call us before you order. We would rather help you specify it correctly than process a return.

Razorback MaxxGuard 550UV Air Scrubber 50Hz/230V/AU With UV-C Light Sterilization Technology

The Razorback MaxxGuard 550UV Air Scrubber is an effective part of a multi-barrier approach to decontamination of air and surfaces

• Stage 1: Decontamination cleaning of surfaces
• Stage 2: 3 Stage Filtration System, Pre-Filter and HEPA/Activated Carbon Filter
• Stage 3: UV-C light sterilization technology is used to ensure whatever pathogens are not “killed” and "removed" in stages 1 and 2 are inactivated at stage 3

The Razorback MaxxGuard 550UV air scrubber is an essential tool for removing harmful particulates that have been stirred up by air movers used during water damage restoration, particularly when performing category 3 water damage restoration and mould remediation.  

The Razorback MaxxGuard 550UV air scrubber works fast. One unit running at maximum speed will generate more than seven air changes per hour in a 100 M³ room, restoring the environment to pre-loss condition fast - the ultimate goal of every restoration job.

How does UV-C light work? UV-C rays work by destroying DNA or RNA inside bacteria, viruses, and fungi. UVC light has been used extensively for decades for disinfecting drinking water, wastewater, air, pharmaceutical products, and surfaces against a whole suite of pathogens.

Features

• 550 CFM rating (934 CMH)
• 3 Stage Filtration System, Pre-Filter and HEPA/Activated Carbon Filter
• UV-C Light Sterilization Technology (100nm-280nm)
• Hour meter to monitor units usage duration.
• Filter change light indicates when HEPA /Activated carbon filter needs to be changed.
• Stackable, lightweight, and easily transportable.
• Made from rotomolded plastic for maximum durability.
• Both inlet and outlet can be ducted using Layflat Duct 300mm x 362mtr

Typical Applications

• Air Purification
• Odour Removal
• Dust removal
• Restoration
• Mould Remediation
• Containment/Negative air

Specifications

Replacement Filters

• PRE FILTER G3 MG550 & MG550UV (5PACK)
• HEPA/ACTIVATED CARBON FILTER MG550 & MG550UV (EACH)

Layflat Ducting

• Layflat Duct 300mm x 362mtr

Documents

• User Manual

Warranty