Bad smell and pollution – or why it is important to replace the cabin air filter on time

Changing the cabin air filter is as important as timely replacement of all other filters in the car – not only for the sake of comfort and pleasant aroma, but also for the sake of your health, says Reinis Puharts, head of the “Inter Cars” Product Group.

“If we think about our health in the long term, changing the cabin air filter is even more important. Its regular replacement contributes to good ventilation of the car interior, ensuring adequate air quality for the driver and passengers. It is interesting that up to 500,000 liters of air escapes through the interior of a car in one hour. You can imagine how much dust, dirt and various gases flow with it,” says R. Puhart, adding that several studies have shown , that the concentration of harmful substances in a car without a cabin filter is higher than in the surrounding road environment. For example, when standing in traffic jams with closed windows, the concentration of harmful substances in the cabin can be 4-6 times higher than in the air next to the car.

How often should the cabin air filter be changed?

“Manufacturers recommend doing it at least once a year, but their recommendations differ according to mileage. One manufacturer recommends doing it every 10,000 km, another again after 15,000 km, but despite the mileage, it is worth doing it at least once a year,” says the expert.

He recommends changing the cabin air filter even twice a year – in spring and autumn. “I have made sure that in the fall, after the summer, even though less than 7,000 km have been driven since the filter change, the filter is quite dirty, so that later in the fall and winter period, problems with ventilation in the cabin may arise. Poor ventilation manifests itself, for example, in fogging of the windows,” explains R. Puharts.

When asked about how to choose a cabin air filter more successfully, he says – the choice on the market is very large and the uninitiated could even get confused in their offer, there are filters from different manufacturers and suppliers and one type of filter can have up to four different variations.

“I recommend starting with a filter that has a layer of activated carbon, which is an added safety against gases in the environment. Here you should also pay attention to the product itself and its price. In cheaper products, the amount of activated carbon used may be negligible compared to a high-quality filter, and this affects the degree of filtration accordingly. People with allergies are advised to choose biofunctional filters, they are also called anti-allergic filters,” says the representative of “Inter Cars”.

The different types of filters

For example, by choosing an appropriate cabin air filter, people with allergies can save themselves a large dose of discomfort during pollen, at least in the cabin of their car, and the most modern filters can even stop viruses.

One car model can have one size filter, but with different variations based on three types of filters. In addition, there is already a fourth type of air filter on the market, says the expert. “The first type is the most elementary – a single-layer particle filter that traps dust, sand, and other solid particles. The second type is the same particle filter, but with an additional layer of activated carbon, thanks to which it prevents various gases, such as nitrogen oxide, ozone, etc., from entering the cabin, also known as an odor absorber. The third type, which is on the market relatively recently, is the biofunctional filter, which is based on the combination of the aforementioned filters with an additional third biofunctional layer, which traps and inactivates small allergen particles. In addition, this layer prevents bacteria and mold from multiplying or developing on the surface of the filter. As the fourth type, we can mention HEPA-type filters, which appeared on the market two years ago, mainly thanks to the Covid pandemic. This filter is special in that it filters out even virus-sized particles. This HEPA technology is traditionally used in medical and pharmaceutical environments, cleanrooms and the aerospace industry, where a high degree of air disinfection is essential.”

The car’s ventilation system also likes clean air

“If we talk about the health of the driver or the passengers, then most likely the driver himself will not immediately feel the fact that he has been driving for a long time without changing the air filter. However, in the long term, it can cause health problems,” says R. Puhart, “Of course, opening the window will also bring fresh air into the car cabin, but you have to take into account that this air will be unfiltered, especially in the city, standing in traffic jams,” explains the representative of “Inter Cars” .

“If we talk about how the technical condition of the car changes when driving with a clogged air filter, it can cause problems in the ventilation system, mainly the formation of bacteria and mold, followed by unpleasant odors in the car interior. In wet weather, the most frequently observed problem is increased fogging of the windows, which endangers not only the driver himself, but also other road users. We can also mention the interior fan, which can be damaged when operating at a higher load. There have also been cases where people tend to simply blow out these filters with compressed air, which is not correct, the air pressure damages the filtering element and it no longer holds the particles in the air as much as a completely new filter,” says R. Puhart.