A big question about the effectiveness of CTO activated carbon filters is how long does CTO activated carbon last in an air filter when placed and used inside of an air handling system or air purifier. Although this is a great question, it is often a difficult one to answer since many variables will influence the lifespan of these filters inside of your personal indoor environment. The major factors to consider in your home that can exacerbate the life of the filter will include the amount of pollutants in the air (such as new floors installed, construction in the home, etc.), the airflow and ventilation in the space, and the overall size of the indoor space.
Additionally, the amount of carbon stored within the filter media that you are using in your home will also influence the life of the carbon filter. Those carbon filters that contain as much as 10lbs of carbon in its filter media will last for quite a while, whereas one that contains under 5lbs may be quickly used when placed in your home. On average, however, most carbon filters will only last for about a month to three months, based on carbon manufacturers.
Carbon Air Filter Disadvantages
Similar to nearly every other air filtration technology, activated carbon air filters will have several disadvantages that will be dealt with by those homeowners that decide to utilize this technology in their home’s air quality solutions like air handling systems and air purifiers. Among the drawbacks of using activated carbon for air filtration the top two disadvantages include the following; the filter replacement frequency and cost and the inability for carbon to completely remove and neutralize collected pollution on its filter media.
Filter Replacement Cost: The process of removing fully saturated carbon filters can become inconvenient, a hassle, and costly for many people who use these methods in their indoor air quality products. Activated carbon filters are usually in need of being replaced more often than other filters due to the way that carbon filters work, by filling up by weight. Once the carbon filter becomes full, if it is not changed immediately, the filter will slowly begin to re-release the collected pollutants back into the indoor air that were once trapped on this filter media (acting like a sponge!). Thus, when this occurs it will render the carbon filter ineffective in its job of cleaning the indoor air.