Guide to AllerAir Carbon Filter Sizes and Carbon Blends

How Does More Carbon Depth Help Clean Your Air Better?

Activated carbon has been specially treated to open up millions of tiny pores and fissures. This creates a huge internal surface area. In fact, less than a handful of carbon has the surface area of an entire football field. When polluted air is drawn into the air purifier, chemicals, gases and odors are trapped in these openings. An air purifier made specifically for chemicals and odors will have a thick filter of granular activated carbon. Avoid any air purifier that uses only a thin carbon filter. This type of air purifier simply does not have enough carbon to be effective. It will quickly become saturated and may stop adsorbing within weeks or even days. A large carbon filter could last up to two years depending on the level of odors and chemicals in the dwelling.

About Filter Depth

AllerAir offers various carbon depths to better treat more complex air quality problems. Think of your carbon filter as something absorbent like a sponge.  For most spills, a standard size sponge will probably do the job, for larger spills you may something more substantial. Carbon works in a similar way. In a more polluted environment, a smaller carbon filter will fill up faster and require more frequent filter changes. A deeper carbon filter also offers more opportunity to pollutants to be trapped.

Standard deep-bed carbon filter

At AllerAir we believe in offering real solutions for our modern air quality problems. That’s why even our standard deep-bed carbon filter is an industry leader. It is recommended for light to moderately polluted areas. Our standard filter can also be enhanced with a special carbon blend to target specific chemicals and odors.

“D” deep-bed carbon filter

Our D models offer a deeper carbon bed for areas where moderate to heavy pollutants are a concern. All D models can also be enhanced with a special carbon blend to target specific chemicals and odors.

“DX” extra-deep carbon filters

The DX is the deepest carbon filter available in our residential line. It is equivalent to many filters used in commercial and industrial settings and is ideal for areas that require serious pollution control. All DX models can also be enhanced with a special carbon blend to target specific chemicals and odors.

“DS and DXS”

Models with the DS and DXS designation are designed for smoke including wildfire smoke, tobacco and other smoking products. Smoke presents a unique air quality challenge. The complex mix of fine particles, widely ranging chemicals (depending on what’s burning) and penetrating odor requires a special air purifier. Units in the DS and DXS range come with a tar-trapping filter which traps sticky pollutants that would otherwise clog the main filters. DS and DXS models also come with a special carbon blend to better attract and trap smoke chemicals and odors.  DXS is the largest of the smoking filters, while the DS is ideal for moderate levels of smoke.

“VOG”

The VOG filter was developed specifically for our clients in Hawaii and other areas around the world were volcanic smog is a problem.  It features an exclusive carbon blend to treat the complex mix of chemicals and odors present as a by-product of volcanic activity.

About Carbon Blends

Our standard “EXEC” carbon blend has a very large internal surface area and works exceptionally well for a wide range of air pollutants. However, some chemicals adhere better to different types of carbon materials and carbon blends. Over the years we’ve sourced and developed over 40 carbon blends. If you have an odor or chemical you need to remove, we have a blend to target it.

The “Vocarb” carbon blend is our most recommended and best-selling specialty carbon blend. Vocarb stands for Volatile organic compounds or VOC's. VOC's include a variety of chemicals that can cause a range of health problems including shortness of breath, headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness and eye, nose, lung and throat irritation. Some VOC's are suspected to cause cancer in humans and have been shown to cause cancer in animals. The long-term health effects caused by VOC's would depend on the concentration and length of exposure.