Importance Of Your Cabin Air Filter
Posted on August 13, 2021
While most drivers pay close attention to the health of their engines, brakes, and suspension, sometimes we forget to keep a check on the cabin air filter and to take the air quality inside our car into consideration. Sure, if your wet dog jumps in the back, you notice the smell, but the actual quality of your air is extremely important to everyone's health.
Cabin air filters clean the air coming into the passenger area by filtering out road debris, dirt, and other allergens. If not properly maintained, they can become easily clogged thus limiting their effectiveness. This can lead to everything from breathing problems to malfunctioning heating and cooling systems, and even your ability to hear the outside world.
By keeping your cabin air filter in top condition, you will be able to keep the air inside your vehicle clean, eliminate dust and other allergens from the air and preserve your ventilation system at optimal efficiency.
How Often Should You Change Your Cabin Air Filter?
According to the experts in the CarHub Service Centre, to maintain optimal performance, the filter should be replaced every 12 months or 19,312 kilometers (12,000) miles. A quick inspection of the air filter will add further insights to your changing schedule. If your filter is covered in dirt, soot or grime, it’s a sure sign that a replacement is in order!
What Are the Symptoms of a Bad Cabin Air Filter?
When your filter is clogged and dirty, if you don’t upgrade with a replacement it could impact:
- the efficiency of the heating and cooling system in your car
- the consistency of your air volume,
- bad odors in the cabin
- premature failure of HVAC components
- your car's overall air quality
How Do You Replace a Cabin Air Filter?
In the majority of cars, your cabin air filter can be found right behind the glovebox. If so, you can likely access it yourself by removing the glovebox by unclipping the hinges that hold it in place. Your owner’s manual should provide some extra guidance on how to best accomplish this. If your air cabin filter is located beneath the dash or under the hood, you will likely require a trained service technician to access the cabin filter.
Luckily, the expert team in the CarHub service department is standing by at the ready to take care of your car maintenance needs. For instance, a cabin air filter change is standard in a Peace of Mind Inspection!
What Happens If Your Cabin Air Filter Is Dirty?
So, you know that a clogged air filter is a bad news, but what will that actually do to your vehicle’s health? And even more pressing, how will it affect your health? The reasons to maintain a clean air filter are vast and varied, just like most items within your vehicle but here are a few worth mentioning:
- Poor airflow from the air vents even when the system is set to high
- A high-tinny sound emitted from the air vents
- Stale or unpleasant odours coming through the air in your vehicle
- Loud and/or constant noise when the heating or cooling system is on
The best fix for any vehicle is the finely-trained eye of a CarHub certified technician. You can book an appointment today for a full-service diagnostic that will ensure that your cabin filter is the picture of health!