Let your car breathe with best cabin filter for your car A/C

Do you know that some cars have a cabin air filter to save your AC from being dirty or clogged? Aftermarket industry surveys have depicted that a majority of the vehicle owners are unaware of this feature which is nothing less than a wonder to keep the air inside your car clean. Without much publicity, in the last 20 years, these filters have been added to vehicles and now the cabin air filter is quite common in American and Asian automobiles.

What exactly is a cabin air filter?

Almost every auto geek is aware of the fact that their vehicle has an air filter for their engine, however only a few realize that there is also an air filter or the vehicle’s cabin that works in conjunction with the airflow system and air conditioning.

The function of these filters is much similar to the air conditioning system in our homes. The car’s cabin filters trap dust, debris, and other contaminant particles to help purified air for the car’s interior.

Where is my cabin air filter?

Cabin air filters are often found behind an access panel in the air conditioning duct housing, inside or under the hood of the car. You can access the filter cartridge through or beneath the glove box.

What are the different types of cabin air filters?

In the aftermarket, there are essentially three types of cabin air filters namely: single and multiple stage filters. To know more, have a look at the brief description of each filter below:

• Single-stage filters
  When you are talking about single stage particulate filter, you are maybe talking about just paper which is common in original equipment installations. These filters are used to trap larger airborne dust, big allergens, and pollens. There are also premium cabin air filters that use an electrostatically charged fiber mat to retain the airborne particles.
• Multiple stage filters
  This one typically uses activated carbon technology to reduce toxic gases and odors. Several tests have claimed that carbon monoxide levels are significantly reduced using the multi-stage filter models. These air filters have rather progressive sized layers like pre-filters and the carbon layer comes at last. If you are trying to find the best models then look for sealed and framing edges.
• Wire mesh/sieve type cabin filters
  These are indigenous to the Indian markets. These area mainly involved in filtering out the chunkier particles that are quite bigger in size (interestingly in micro meters), or dry leaves etc.

How to pick one?
If you are going for replacement or trying to install a brand new filter in your old car A/C model, then you need to pick the best for the better quality of air and prolonged usage. Or one, consider the budget that you have, then consider the model of your car along with the warranty and the features that the car air filter offers. Check out the maintenance options and buy one accordingly to suit your car’s interiors.