Air Filters

As simple as it may be, the air filter plays a crucial role in preserving the life of your everyday internal combustion engine, and can greatly influence the performance and efficiency of your engine. As air passes from the outside of your vehicle, into the engine compartment and finally into the engine cylinders to mix with your fuel, it needs to be filtered to remove any particulate matter that may be abrasive to the mechanical parts of the engine and contaminate its oil. If this flow of air is obstructed, it could cause your engine to lose efficiency.

A common rule of thumb is to replace your filter every 12,000 miles or every 12 months, but that poses a problem - when people are done with their old, non-recyclable air filters they end up in a landfill. That’s not very green.

Most consumer air filters on the market today are made of paper that tends to clog very easily, blocking the flow of air to your engine. If the air flow is blocked even in the slightest, your engine could start burning more gas and losing efficiency. This can hurt your pocket while also hurting the environment. Fortunately there are different air filters that are making their way onto the consumer market. These filters, many of which are considered high-performance filters, are made of slightly different materials including cross-woven cotton and cotton gauze that are washable and re-usable. These materials also claim to allow for better air-flow, increasing the amount of oxygen and therefore allowing a more complete fuel burn.

There is one thing to note about these permanent air filters - They are a bit more pricey ($30 - $50) compared to the more traditional disposable paper filters ($10 - $12). This difference in price however, can be negated if you plan on keeping your current vehicle for a few years. For instance, let’s consider you own your car for five years and buy a new paper filter once a year. That will cost you roughly $50 - $60. If you pony up and buy a permanent washable filter for $40, and use it for five years, you save money.

Now, add the fact that permanent air filters save you money, to the fact that they are more eco-friendly and reduce our carbon footprint, and the decision becomes a bit easier. Buying permanent filters saves on the raw materials used to manufacture, package, and ship new disposable ones. It also keeps our would-be grimy old used filters out of our overflowing landfills. That IS very green.

The choice is yours, but we suggest you consider a permanent air filter next time your up for a tune-up, or maybe just when your car starts hacking up that nasty black smoke because it can’t breath anymore. Let us know of any neat eco-friendly air filters you come across out there, and don’t forget to let us know how these products work for you.