Many car owners and drivers may not know about the cabin air filter, and others don't pay much attention to it. While it may not interfere with your car's movement or performance, it may affect your health due to the air quality inside. Basically, it filters the air that you breathe inside your vehicle.
The cabin air filter helps to remove or prevent harmful pollutants such as dust, pollen, smoke, mold, spores, smog, and other allergens. However, it should not be confused with the engine's air filter. The engine filter ensures the air inside it is clean and free from debris and other particles for effective combustion.
Cabin air filters are usually rectangular and made of paper and fibrous material. When air passes through the filter, all debris, pollutants, and allergens are trapped and prevented from entering the car. However, like every other HVAC filter, you should change the cabin air filter regularly to make the air clean and safe.
What Happens If You Don't Replace the Air Filters?
Dirty filters can seriously harm your passengers, you, and the car's HVAC system.
- It may cause health problems due to polluted air inside your cabin. The clogged filters fail to stop contaminants, causing you and your passengers to breathe allergens. These allergens may cause breathing problems and other respiratory complications.
- Your car will also have foul odors. Accumulation of dirt and dust causes a release of a musty stench and mold, usually a bad smell, that makes your car inhabitable.
- Your HVAC also runs poorly due to excessive clogging. This affects the cabin's airflow, leading to high temperatures and eventually damaging your HVAC since it is forced to work harder than usual.
How Often Should You Change Your Cabin Air Filters?
To prevent these problems associated with dirty filters, you should regularly replace them. But how do you know when to change the filters? Most manufacturers recommend changing your cabin air filters every 12,000 to 30,000 miles. People with extreme respiratory conditions and allergies should consider replacing filters every 5,000 miles.
However, this depends on the vehicle. In addition, if you notice a sudden increase in allergies every time you are inside your car, or an increase in temperatures even with HVAC on, you may need to change the filters. Since many drivers and car owners may not know about the cabin air filters, it's vital to let an expert replace them.
To improve your cabin's air condition, bring your car to Guthrie's Auto Service Inc today for air filter replacement and start enjoying a healthy ride with clean air inside your vehicle.