That's a shame to hear. I didn't pay a lot for it so it doesn't bother me that much. I'm gonna install mine around July.
Preference: Charcoal or no?
- Thread starter Propflux01
- Start date
I've never noticed a difference. Driving by a cow pasture still stinks with a charcoal filter
I am waiting for Project Farm to conduct this test, in the name of science.
Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again...
The Purolator Boss (has a carbon layer) is pretty effective but you need to change your cabin filter about every six months or so in my opinion.
So bye bye "once a year and it's done".
On the upside, if any trash falls into the filter, it won't just sit there and accumulate for long.
There are luxury cars that not only have a cabin filter, they have air freshener cartridges you're supposed to change out at the stealership as well.
I use carbon where specified by the manufacturer, but the charcoal does seem to lose its effectiveness very quickly based on this and the referenced study
https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog...-lose-effectiveness-just-minutes-study-finds/
https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog...-lose-effectiveness-just-minutes-study-finds/
They seem to recommend a filter that has a separate carbon element, but I am not aware of the existence of any such filter.
Me neither. Worth noting that that site is tailored towards building indoor air quality and those air purifiers do use a separate carbon filter.
The referenced cabin filter study is neat though. I found it interesting how ineffective the aftermarket filters were at adsorbing VOCs compared to OEM filters, I assume due to the amount of activated charcoal? The blue micronAir lookalike filters were not comparable either. But on the other hand, the activated charcoal doesn't last very long so it seems like a moot point, unless you're changing cabin filters annually or live in an area with high VOCs in the environment.
I just read my own earlier post and noticed I left out "not." Inserted in bold as it completely changes the meaning. Proof? I have an activated carbon Hengst CAF in there right now. Also, I can't say I have noticed activated carbon CAFs lose their effectiveness in eliminating odors throughout their service life.
Another amusing yet interesting testing. Anyone want to repeat the rotten egg test for validation?
Many moons ago I used to spray paint cars and Marine applications. Charcoal filters were the only thing that could filter out the organic Vapors. And some of those oil-based epoxy paints were very strong. So I'll stick with charcoal anytime I can get it. Not sure if they work but in my new RAV4 I have not smelled anything from the outside and I leave it on all the time, I never have it off.
Went down the rabbit hole as I shop for new cabin filters, and wanted to see what difference charcoal filters made. I put Sergiu's particulate counts from his comparison of Mann's particulate, charcoal and Frecious Plus filters into a table for easier reference:
I think charcoal is worth it as the particulate filter doesn't capture any VOCs at all, but quality seems to be all over the place based on this study mentioned earlier. The same study also found that the charcoal doesn't last very long:
https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog...-lose-effectiveness-just-minutes-study-finds/
| Dust | Smoke | Diesel Exhaust | Total VOCs | |||||||||||||||||||
| >0.3um | >0.5um | >1.0um | >2.5um | >5.0um | >10um | >0.3um | >0.5um | >1.0um | >2.5um | >5.0um | >10um | VOC | >0.3um | >0.5um | >1.0um | >2.5um | >5.0um | >10um | VOC | Acetone | Gas Exhaust | |
| Control | 65535 | 44869 | 38022 | 25502 | 11165 | 8811 | 65535 | 55046 | 31370 | 10975 | 4754 | 2597 | 1.745 | 65535 | 51581 | 34046 | 11431 | 7401 | 2965 | 2 | 2.000 | 2.000 |
| Particle | 65535 | 43185 | 31226 | 9475 | 2720 | 204 | 65535 | 51956 | 25354 | 3720 | 1029 | 174 | 1.745 | 65535 | 49480 | 27818 | 4024 | 1759 | 202 | 2 | 2.000 | 2.000 |
| Carbon | 65535 | 43129 | 31011 | 7784 | 2215 | 219 | 65535 | 50294 | 24841 | 3552 | 982 | 158 | 0.445 | 65535 | 48702 | 27092 | 3891 | 1676 | 181 | 0.745 | 0.705 | 0.825 |
| FreciousPlus | 65535 | 42912 | 28451 | 5579 | 1202 | 113 | 65535 | 48592 | 22701 | 2888 | 614 | 78 | 0.695 | 65535 | 46294 | 25149 | 3048 | 1042 | 82 | 0.685 | 0.795 | 0.775 |
| >0.3um | >0.5um | >1.0um | >2.5um | >5.0um | >10um | >0.3um | >0.5um | >1.0um | >2.5um | >5.0um | >10um | VOC | >0.3um | >0.5um | >1.0um | >2.5um | >5.0um | >10um | VOC | Acetone | Gas Exhaust | |
| Control | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Particle | 0% | -4% | -18% | -63% | -76% | -98% | 0% | -6% | -19% | -66% | -78% | -93% | 0% | 0% | -4% | -18% | -65% | -76% | -93% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Carbon | 0% | -4% | -18% | -69% | -80% | -98% | 0% | -9% | -21% | -68% | -79% | -94% | -74% | 0% | -6% | -20% | -66% | -77% | -94% | -63% | -65% | -59% |
| FreciousPlus | 0% | -4% | -25% | -78% | -89% | -99% | 0% | -12% | -28% | -74% | -87% | -97% | -60% | 0% | -10% | -26% | -73% | -86% | -97% | -66% | -60% | -61% |
I think charcoal is worth it as the particulate filter doesn't capture any VOCs at all, but quality seems to be all over the place based on this study mentioned earlier. The same study also found that the charcoal doesn't last very long:
https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog...-lose-effectiveness-just-minutes-study-finds/
Charcoal is profit.
It’s effectiveness if there is any would be dead in less than a week.
This is why you see it in the aftermarket. Selling something optional that sounds good and technically might be able to claim it does something no matter how short a period of time.
It’s really silly if you think about it. Your car is always bringing in fresh air and selling a product with sprayed on carbon dust, Well oh never mind
Have you ever read old advertisements from 80 years ago on how ridiculous they sound with the claims they make. Well guess what? Time hasn’t changed the advertising business.
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Agreed.
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- Feb 9, 2024
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Agreed. Back in the day I was big in freshwater aquariums. Charcoal filtration was a popular choice in pet stores and such. Any bit of research shows it is saturated very quickly. We only ever used it to remove medications and then dispose.Charcoal is profit.
It’s effectiveness if there is any would be dead in less than a week.
This is why you see it in the aftermarket. Selling something optional that sounds good and technically might be able to claim it does something no matter how short a period of time.
It’s really silly if you think about it. Your car is always bringing in fresh air and selling a product with sprayed on carbon dust, Well oh never mind
Have you ever read old advertisements from 80 years ago on how ridiculous they sound with the claims they make. Well guess what? Time hasn’t changed the advertising business.
