Blowing Out Air Filters: Good or Bad Idea?

[Faawrenchbndr]

Wow……..,
I think the information is probably still relevant, but I was taught packing like 1984 while in shop class to never use compressed air on a paper air filter.

One must understand that these paper filters are not designed to hold up to pressurized air in a concentrated stream.

Personally, I don’t care what one person does. However, if I got to the point where I felt I needed to blow out a filter with compressed air. I would just buy a new one.

I don’t believe in reusable filters whether it be dry or oiled. I have seen oil analysis while using these that showed silicon levels higher than when using paper filters.

Blowing out filters with shop air it might be OK but it might damage the filter. I really have no way of verifying that thought.

Anyway, gobble gobble, happy Thanksgiving

 

[oil pan 4]

There may be something to this.
I pulled a zero hour oil sample after changing the oil and filter and found what looked like a debris field after a space battle when I looked at an oil sample under my microscope.
So far I have only seen this once in one sample. Several minutes later most of the debris was gone.
Either pulverized or caught by the filter it came in on.

 

[D1dad]

Every spring my cars get new air, cabin and all fluids changed. Just the way it was manufactured. I just can’t go along with a dirty air filter being a good thing.

 

[Bob in Utah]

$20 annually with OEM filter maybe ?

 

[Huskyguy68]

On both the cabin filter and engine filter i will tap and reverse shop vac blow them out.
Eventually i do go buy new ones and replace them , especially when they go on sale.
I have done the same with the home furnace filters, and i keep a stack of three on hand .
I also clean all my fan blades in the home, even the ceiling fan blades.
All that dust accumulates, blows that dust around.
I have had allergies to Dust And Grass since age 12.
I even went to the emergency twice at age 13 . My family Doc gave me a wee bit too much allergy serum with the needle...i had a severe allergic reaction.
Tell you, parents rushed me to the ER both times, my body was shutting down. I think i was given antihystamine, like with an oxygen mask, on the ER exam room table.
Opened up my airways, but it ( my allergic reactiin) knocked the wind outta me pretty good.

Parents were upset with Doc, stopped bringing me in for my weekly allergy shot.
But you know, eventually by age 20 or so, my dust and grass allergies were not so bad.
I mean, i mow the lawn, do weeding, dust and vacuum...rarely sneeze. Then some mornings, i have a 3 minute sneezing fit.
I sneeze my head off, eventually it stops, im good to go.

 

[walterjay]

My Tucson manual states to blow it out clean at a certain mileage and replace it the next time.

 

[FDT09]

I think this has been covered thoroughly here and other threads. I have seen good mechanics I know blow out air filters. I am no mechanic, but I do believe that highly compressed air is likely damaging to the paper fibers of air filters. Enough to make a difference in filtration? I don't know. But probably a little.

That being said, I think blowing it out from 1-2 feet away, and blowing at an angle, will probably remove the loose surface contamination without damage to the filter paper itself.

 

[NashNative]

Cleaned air filters will reduce dust holding capacity by up to 25% after the first cleaning, with additional capacity lost after each subsequent cleaning.

Also, cleaning the air filter will weaken the media and can lead to dust bypass and eventual engine damage or failure.

In general, it's not a good idea...just let it run and do its job until it's time to replace with a new filter. Use a restriction gauge to get the full life out of it so you aren't guessing.

 

[Chris142]

I used to blow mine out. They will eventually get dirt down in the fibers that can't be blown out. My jeep lost a lot of power and I scratched my head until I replaced the air filter with a new one.
I also have seen the damage that a damaged air filter will allow to happen to construction equipment .

Not worth the gamble.