Most US and European cars are built with a cabin air-con filter provision located at the passenger side of the external car cabin, underneath the car hood. For most Japanese and Korean cars, cabin air-con filters can be installed at the blower unit located behind or under the glove compartment. The effectiveness of cabin air-con filters on the market covers a wide range, from relatively inexpensive low performance filter types to the sophisticated HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arrestance) grade, similar to standards used in cleanrooms and hospitals.
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Low performance cabin air-con filters are only effective in removing large and visible particles, less so for respirable particles (under 10 microns). However, they are relatively inexpensive and can be washed and re-used. |
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Some cabin air-con filters are made of “electret” media consisting of electrostatically charged fibres and usually added with activated carbon filter media to remove odours. The charged material attracts the particles in the air and removes them. These filters have been proven to better capture respirable particles but still at a low efficiency level of 20-25%. The carbon filter media also tends to wear out quickly. |
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The latest and most effective air-con filter currently in the market is the HEPA filter, which uses leading edge air filtration technology to capture toxic air pollutants effectively and within a short time. Combining HEPA technology used in cleanrooms and hospitals with electret filter fibres, these air-con filters are specially designed for city driving and can capture over 95% of respirable particles within minutes without compromising the quality of the air-conditioning system. They also come with anti-bacterial properties to help prevent the growth of bacteria in the filter. |
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