You have probably heard of activated carbon air filters, as they are among the most popular types of filters in the market. However, you shouldn’t buy something just because it is popular.
It is always worth it to do some research and understand how these filters actually work.
In the end, it might turn out that this is not even the type of filter that you need. We are here to explain you all the benefits of activated carbon air filters and some additional advice on how to use them.
These are rather small filters that can be highly effective if you use them for the right purposes.
It is particularly useful for those who are allergic. It is also a great idea to buy one in case you just want to clean the air from unpleasant odors.
But there are much more details you should be aware of before you get one of these filters. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
What are Activated Air Carbon Filters?
As its name says, an activated carbon air filter is based on tiny pieces of carbon. It is manufactured either in powdered or granular form.
What allows the air to go through it is it’s the porous nature of this material. The best thing about carbon is that making it powderier increases the surface area it can cover by an insane amount.
A single gram of this porous substance has a surface of approximately 500 square meters. This means that it can adsorb far more little particles than bigger carbon chunks.
What we mean by adsorption is the process of locking down contaminants thanks to a chemical reaction.
This reaction causes all the small particles to stick to the activated carbon instead of going through it. The finer the activated carbon, the more particles will get locked down in the process.
What we end up with is a highly effective filter that is simple to produce and use.
Nowadays, activated carbon is widely used in air purification appliances.
Benefits of Using Activated Carbon Air Filter
An activated carbon air filter can effectively remove a range of different particles from the air around you.
You will not only be able to get rid of unwanted odors but also to eliminate various harmful contaminants. This is particularly important for people who suffer from asthma or are sensitive to allergens.
If you combine an activated carbon filter with a HEPA filter, you get the perfect solution. These two complements each other so well that all your air quality problems are going to be fixed once and for all.
All the mold spores, odors, chemicals emitted by home detergents, smoke, dust, pet hair and lint are going to be trapped.
What the activated filter does is that it filters out all the odors from the air that goes through it. Second hand smokers are not going to be exposed to smoke anymore.
In fact, it is the best way to protect your respiratory health when there are smokers around you in your house.
How Often You Need to Change Activated Carbon Filter?
It will get to the point when the activated carbon filter is so contaminated that it can’t filter out any more particles. But when exactly do you need to toss it away and buy a new one?
We are going to show you what indicates that your activated carbon air filter is not safe to use anymore.
The most expensive way to do it is to buy some measuring instruments and find out how contaminated the air is in the area where you use the filter.
After a few days of testing, you can find out whether the filter has to be changed or not. This is a precise method but it takes quite a lot of time.
If you want to spend less money on it, you can buy air sampling tubes. In order to get some accurate results, you need to spend a couple of weeks sampling the air.
It is all about monitoring the concentration of gasses. In the end, you will be able to tell how effective your filter is.
There are also carbon life prediction services. You need to get a sample out of the filter and send it to the laboratory of the respective company.
This usually doesn’t cost much and they are able to give you precise feedback on your carbon filter.
Can You Wash Activated Carbon Air Filter?
Depending on how you use it, you might need to change the activated carbon air filter to a new one quite often. You can certainly clean it, yet you need to be aware that it will be less effective every time you do so.
If it’s used for air filtration, then you can’t wash it with water. You will use a vacuum cleaner for the process.
Firstly, you need to remove the filter with its housing to clean them together. Next, run the vacuum cleaner through the housing and use a damp towel to scrub through it. This way, you can remove all the debris that would otherwise clog up the carbon filter.
Now comes the filter itself. You need to run the vacuum cleaner through it a few times and then scrub it using any lint-free piece of textile. Repeat this step until you don’t see any dirt coming out of the filter.
Can Activated Carbon Air Filter Remove Dust?
Activated charcoal filters simply can’t remove salts, minerals or any type of dissolved inorganic particles. Therefore, don’t expect them to filter out dust either. There are different types of air filters that can help you get rid of the dust floating in your home.
You can do your own research on this, although we can already recommend you to use a combination of HEPA and activated charcoal. It will fix your dust problem immediately.
Conclusion
As you can see, using an activated carbon air filter comes with numerous benefits. Hopefully, we were able to clarify in detail what these filters are exactly for. Now it is clear that if you are looking to buy one for particle removal, then this is not the technology you are looking for.
What it is able to do is to remove certain pollutants and to keep the air clean from odors. There are various ways to improve the air quality around you and this is surely one of them.
Activated carbon air filters are not for everyone. That is why you need to do the homework and read a bit into what each air filtration technology does.
It is important because many people don’t do this. They just buy a high-rated air filter and then complain about the air quality later because they have bought the wrong technology.
After a quick little article like this one, you can already learn a lot about these products.
