In the air filter industry, this is known as “dwell time.” A filter with a good amount of carbon of sufficient thickness and high dwell time is going to be far more effective than a filter with a thin layer of carbon. The air needs to spend the maximum possible amount of time passing through the carbon. You should be able to see it filled in the honeycomb design so as to ensure that the entire air has to pass through the carbon filter making sure that all the smoke, VOC, gaseous pollution and smell is absorbed and neutralized in every pass through. It is really important to see that the Activated Carbon filter is densely populated and that can be seen by taking out the filter and looking through it. What should you keep in mind before buying a carbon filter? You can’t wash your carbon filter and it should be kept away from high moisture as that can be damaging to the porous nature of activated carbon. However, you can only reuse the Activated Carbon filter for a maximum of 3-4 times like this, then you must replace the carbon filter so it can work against the smoke, odors and chemicals. You can also reuse the Carbon activated air filter because of the porous nature of activated carbon, this air filter can be recycled by putting it under the sun for a couple of hours every 2-3 months, then you can reuse the air filter completely. Once the bed is saturated, the filter can no longer be capable of taking in more pollutants. This is because of the adsorption process that increasingly fills up the pollutants inside the activated carbon bed. The Activated Carbon filter needs to be changed every few months to be efficient. The Activated Carbon filter is a very important air filter in all the air purifier systems, but it can only last for a short time. In air purifiers, the Activated Carbon filter is mostly used in conjunction with the HEPA filter which is used to capture the other tiny particles like dust, lint, mold spores, pet dander and pollen.Īctivated Carbon filter provides an additional layer of filtration going beyond just the particulate filtration provided by HEPA filters. Importance of activated carbon filter in an air purifier However, the Activated Carbon filter can’t remove fine particles like dust, dust mites, pet dander or pollen from the air. This air filter has been treated to be extremely porous, and this is the popular filtration against gases, chemicals and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Here is a closer look at how these small filters can make a big improvement in your overall air quality.Īctivated Carbon filter, or charcoal filter, is a bed of activated carbon typically in granular or powdered block form, and consists of millions of tiny absorbent pores. They rely on the process of adsorption to remove and capture impurities, so that all you’re left with is fresh, breathable air.

These clever filters are major combatants of everything from smoke, VOC and other gaseous pollutants to unpleasant odors.

If you use an air purifier, or are buying one, you should be familiar with activated carbon filters and their benefits to choose from air purifiers.

Activated carbon filter air purifier