System and methods for improving implementation of a scrubber unit in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. The scrubber unit includes a housing that house a plurality of filter cartridges, which each includes a chemical compound that facilitates sorbing air contaminants. The housing includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall. The scrubber unit includes an internal wall enclosed within the housing, a cross-member coupled between the first sidewall and the second sidewall perpendicular to the internal wall, and a contaminant filter that includes the plurality of filter cartridges coupled between a top cartridge deck and a bottom cartridge deck, in which the bottom cartridge deck is coupled to the cross-member when the contaminant filter is completely enclosed within the housing to facilitate reducing likelihood of the bottom cartridge deck deforming under weight of the plurality of filter cartridges.