diff --git a/code/ATMOSPHERICS/components/unary/vent_scrubber.dm b/code/ATMOSPHERICS/components/unary/vent_scrubber.dm
index 300a8a09ff..a5f48aa8de 100644
--- a/code/ATMOSPHERICS/components/unary/vent_scrubber.dm
+++ b/code/ATMOSPHERICS/components/unary/vent_scrubber.dm
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 	var/on = 0
 	var/scrubbing = 1 //0 = siphoning, 1 = scrubbing
-	var/list/scrubbing_gas = list()
+	var/list/scrubbing_gas = list("carbon_dioxide")
 
 	var/panic = 0 //is this scrubber panicked?