If bad smells have invaded your Dover, Delaware home, then you should know a few things about filters in air purifiers. Activated carbon and charcoal are porous materials that trap odor-causing molecules, leaving your air fresher and cleaner than it was before.
How Activated Carbon Works
Activated carbon and activated charcoal are names for the same thing as far as air filters are concerned. They’re porous materials that can capture molecules from the air, like scents and VOCs. Filters with activated carbon in them are more effective at removing odors from your indoor air. They cannot get rid of the source of the odor, but they can trap the molecules that cause the scent.
For this reason, you want to use an activated carbon air filter after you’ve been painting or spraying aerosol cleaners. Air purifiers with activated carbon are one of the most effective ways to remove VOCs from the air after using products containing harmful chemicals.
You Still Need to Change the Filter
The thing you need to remember about activated carbon is this: It can fill up, just like an air filter fills with debris. The pores in the activated carbon get filled up with odor-causing molecules, VOCs, and other things you don’t want to breathe.
This is the point where you want to change the air purifier’s filter. Otherwise, you run the air purifier and it keeps pulling air through the carbon. Some scent molecules will displace those already trapped in the carbon’s pores. When this happens, random smells will faintly come from your air purifier, which defeats the purpose of having one.
If the odd smells are coming from your HVAC system, always call a Griffith Energy Services technician to come take a look. Neutralizing the odors with a purifier doesn’t attack them at their source, and you may need system maintenance to fix the problem. Make an appointment with one of our qualified technicians today by calling us at 888-474-3391.
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