The Air-Care TurboMax III is a negative air machine for commercial and residential duct cleaning. A 3 HP motor draws air through the system and captures the debris in three stages of filtration ending in a certified HEPA element. This is the 220 V complete assembly.
It does not clean the duct on its own. A negative air machine pulls; something else has to push. Air-Care state this in their manuals — an agitation device is required to properly clean an air system. Without a brush or air tool working the duct walls you are extracting loose debris and leaving the adhered soil behind. Budget for the agitation system at the same time as the machine.
Body is rotation moulded poly, on 305 mm rear dolly wheels with 101.6 mm non-marking swivel casters at the front.
Why this rather than the smaller machines
The TurboMax III is the commercial machine in the range. Air-Care rate it for commercial and residential work, where the smaller TurboMax II was positioned for residential and light commercial only.
In practical terms the difference is what you can pull through a long or large duct run. Rooftop plant, rigid commercial trunk and multi-storey risers ask more of a machine than a domestic ducted system, and an under-specified negative air unit shows up as slow work rather than as an obvious failure.
The TurboMax II is no longer available in Australia. Air-Care confirmed on 21 August 2026 that it is not supplied outside the United States. The TurboMax III is the current negative air machine in the range.
Specifications
| Model | TurboMax III |
| Application | Commercial and residential air system cleaning |
| Motor | 3 HP |
| Airflow, free air | 8,495 m³/h (5,000 CFM) |
| Airflow, filters fitted | 5,947 m³/h (3,500 CFM) |
| Maximum static pressure | 1.54 kPa (6.2 inches W.C.) |
| Power supply | 208–240 V, 50 or 60 Hz, single phase input |
| Motor drive | Three phase motor fed by an internal inverter with soft start |
| Duty rating | Continuous — filtered airflow cools the motor |
| Weight, filters fitted | 64.5 kg (142 lb) |
| Weight, filters removed | 58.6 kg (129 lb) |
| Sound level at 2 m | 84 dB front, 86 dB each side, 88 dB rear |
| Operating temperature | 0 °C to 44 °C |
| Filtration | Three stage, ending in certified HEPA |
| Wheels | 305 mm rear dolly, 101.6 mm front non-marking swivel casters |
| Hose collar | 305 mm diameter |
| Latches | Rubber locking |
| Construction | Rotation moulded poly |
| Warranty | 3 year limited |
Full specification: Air-Care TurboMax III sell sheet (PDF).
Filtration and filter part numbers
| First stage | 457 × 610 × 25 mm frame and disposable poly pads | FG0259 |
| Second stage | 457 × 610 mm Flex 94% permanent electrostatic filter | F0060 |
| Third stage | 457 × 610 × 120 mm certified HEPA filter | F0059 |
- Clean the first stage pad when visibly dirty and at the end of each working day. A loaded first stage costs you airflow before anything else does.
- Wash the second stage electrostatic filter and dry it fully before refitting.
- Replace the HEPA when airflow at the inlet drops noticeably and the first two stages are clean.
Never brush or blow out a HEPA element. Air-Care are explicit that compressed air or a vacuum brush on the HEPA surface damages the media. Once it is loaded it is replaced, not cleaned.
Other Air-Care part numbers for this machine
- FG0003 — 305 mm × 7.62 m light duty mylar hose with Velcro straps
- FG0041 — 305 mm diameter hose collar
- EC0005 — 7.62 m extension power cord
Check the voltage against the part number. Air-Care’s own website lists FG00282 as the TurboMax III, and that is the 115 V machine for the United States. Their TurboMax III sell sheet labels FG0282 as the “complete assembly 220v”, which does not match. Our supply code for the 220 V unit is AIRC-FG0290. Quote our code when ordering from us, and confirm with us before ordering a machine or parts against a US listing — we have asked Air-Care to clarify their numbering.
What you also need
The machine alone will not complete a job. In practice a working kit is:
- An agitation system. The Air-Care Cobra-7 power brush system scrubs the duct wall while the TurboMax pulls the debris out.
- Inlet hose. Air-Care supply a light duty mylar hose with this machine. We also stock a heavy duty 305 mm hose, 7.6 m with strap collar, which lasts considerably longer on rough work.
- Ceiling and wall connection. The Pogo Pole hose adaptor is the quickest way to seal onto a ceiling or wall register.
- First stage pads. Filter pads, 10 pack — these suit the TurboMax 3 as well as the TurboMax 2 and TurboJet Max.
- HEPA element. Third stage certified HEPA filter — the F0059 element.
- Verification. An Apollo duct inspection camera gives before and after footage. On commercial work that record is often what gets the invoice paid without argument.
Operating and maintenance
- Collect debris by placing a bag over the 305 mm inlet, securing it with the Velcro strap, then unlatching the top section and tipping it back on its hinge so the debris falls into the bag.
- Rubber locking latches secure the top section — check they are seated before running, or you will lose suction at the lid.
- Ducts can be fogged with an appropriate deodoriser after cleaning if the job calls for it.
- Air-Care recommend checking or replacing the prefilters weekly, and more often on heavily loaded systems. The prefilters are what protect the HEPA element, and they cost a fraction of it.
- Expect roughly six months from a HEPA element if the prefilters are kept to that schedule. Neglect the prefilters and it loads up far sooner.
- Never brush or blow out a HEPA element. Compressed air or a vacuum brush damages the media, and the element stops filtering properly while still looking intact. Loaded elements are replaced, not cleaned.
Frequently asked questions
Will the TurboMax III clean a duct on its own?
No. It is a negative air machine. It creates the extraction, but an agitation device — a power brush or air tool — has to dislodge soil from the duct wall.
How does it compare with the DuctMaster III?
They work on opposite principles. The TurboMax puts the whole duct under negative pressure and needs a separate agitation device. The DuctMaster III carries its own powered brush on the hose and cleans by direct contact, with far higher static pressure but much lower airflow. Whole-system negative air work suits the TurboMax; contact cleaning, dryer ducts and construction debris suit the DuctMaster.
What happened to the TurboMax II?
Air-Care confirmed on 21 August 2026 that it is no longer supplied outside the United States. The TurboMax III is the current machine.
If you are considering importing a TurboMax II and having it converted to 230 V, Air-Care advise against it — the conversion costs more than you save and the converted machine performs materially worse. Buy the machine built for the voltage.
If you already run a TurboMax II, its consumables are not orphaned. Air-Care have confirmed the FG0259 filter pads and the F0059 HEPA element are shared with the TurboMax III, so we can keep supplying them. Ask us if you are supporting an older machine and are not certain which part you need.
Does it lose performance on Australian 50 Hz power?
No. The motor is three phase, driven by an internal inverter that takes single phase in and holds its output frequency regardless of the supply. The motor never sees 50 Hz, so the airflow figures hold here exactly as they do in the United States. Worth knowing, because it is not true of every imported machine — a directly driven blower genuinely does run slower on 50 Hz.
How loud is it?
Air-Care measure 84 dB at the front, 86 dB at each side and 88 dB at the rear, all at two metres. That is loud enough to assess hearing protection before a long job, and loud enough to matter to the people occupying the building — better raised with the client when you quote than on the day. Point the rear away from occupied space where the layout allows it.
Can I compare its airflow against another machine?
Only if both figures describe the same thing. This machine moves 8,495 m³/h in free air and 5,947 m³/h with its filters fitted. That 30 per cent difference is the resistance of the filters, and it is why a single large number quoted without qualification tells you very little.
Use the filtered figure when you compare. It is the airflow you actually get on site, because nobody runs a negative air machine with the filters out.
From the workshop
[Technician’s Note — replace before publishing: two to four sentences of first-hand CCW field experience relevant to this product. A pattern you see, a mistake customers make, or something learned from servicing or selling it. Not spec repetition, not a sales pitch, not invented.]
Field-tested by Air-Care and backed by a 3 year limited warranty. This does not exclude, restrict or modify your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the ACL. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage.
Duct sizing, agitation choice and machine selection are worth a conversation before you order. Call us with the type of work you do most and we will tell you honestly whether this is the right machine. More equipment in Duct Cleaning.
