How Often Should You Change Your Cabin Air Filter?

Cabin air filters are an important part of your vehicle's HVAC system, and they should be checked and replaced regularly. In general, most cabin air filters need to be replaced between 15,000 and 30,000 miles. If you're not sure if it's time to replace your cabin air filter, you may notice some warning signs, such as reduced airflow through your vehicle's HVAC system or persistent bad odors. When you look at one of these, it's a good indication that it's time to replace the cabin air filter.

Whether you notice these signs or not, you should have your cabin air filter checked every 15,000 to 25,000 miles or at least once a year. If you don't do this task in a timely manner, you'll have an ineffective ventilation system in your vehicle that doesn't help much to clean the air you breathe when driving. Cabin air filters can also trap leaves, rodent droppings, and other unwanted small debris. However, this is a completely different type of filter, because it is made of cloth or paper, and it has the ability to remove any airborne contaminants before it enters the car cabin. However, when it comes to cabin air filters, many car owners don't even know that there is such a thing in their vehicles in the first place. Regardless of the time of year, you should replace the cabin air filter if it is full, restricting airflow, or if it smells bad.

The best indicator that the cabin air filter needs to be changed is through a visual inspection, observing the impact of the air flow, or by an olfactory inspection. While this can definitely be a factor when replacing your car's cabin air filter, it's usually not as important as the rest. Your car's cabin air filter is crucial to the overall health of your HVAC system, as well as for people who ride your car. Any skilled mechanic will explain to you that every time you replace your car's dirty cabin air filter, your car's air quality will improve. It's there to filter all the air that comes in through the car's HVAC system and prevent any and all pollutants from entering the car.

In addition to improving the air quality inside the vehicle cabin, if you keep abreast of the situation and change the cabin air filter in due time without postponing this task for a while and postponing things, you will save yourself from paying for costly repairs in the future. And, if you have a carbon cabin air filter, you'll also be protected from bad odors coming from the outside.