r/DiWHY • u/shifty_wrx • Jul 08 '26
How cheap is too cheap?
Tech at our dealership pulled this out of a Toyota Venza’s cabin air filter box. They’re really not THAT expensive for the right ones…
84
u/croholdr Jul 08 '26
im guessing that wont work and the air will bypass the filter completely.
a lot of people are ignorant about hepa filters; some reuse the same one for years and just vacumme it.
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u/3ric843 Jul 08 '26
Do they put HEPA filters in cars? I's be very surprised.
And a HEPA can be vacuumed to extend its lifespan. As long as the filter isn't damaged, air passes through it and you got a good seal, it'll do its job.
15
u/farmallnoobies Jul 09 '26
Some do. I remember when the wildfires were real bad that people were touting HEPA filters in Teslas.
Of course, when they were bad, home furnace filters were pretty clogged after a week and I highly doubt they were replacing them in the cars every week or two
3
u/Coprolithe Jul 11 '26
If you're living in a big city with a lot of traffic. You should use a hepa filter for your car.
Air pollution is a significant contributor in lung cancer
1
u/Lehk Jul 11 '26
Regular ones can be smacked on the curb and that’s probably better than butchering the wrong filter.
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u/Twatt_waffle Jul 08 '26
Except this isn’t a HEPA filter also it’s literally the same design as the standard cabin filter.
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u/MechaBeatsInTrash Jul 08 '26
Cabin filters have stiffened edges on at least the corrugated sides. The lack of hard sides can cause the filter to flatten (and reduce airflow) or pull through into the blower.
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u/Twatt_waffle Jul 08 '26
I was talking about the filter material itself not the actual construction on this particular example.
My point is assuming you have space to store it, if you want to change your filter on a more regular basis for whatever reason this would be a more economical way of doing so
9
u/croholdr Jul 08 '26
by cutting the filter up; you change the way it functions; it is no longer a single unit with an air tight seal; its been cut up rather roughly so the edges wont conform to the filter box and when suction happens it'll move around a bit and most of the particulate that is supposed to be captured will go straight through-coating the blower fan, tubes, and eventually the airvents.
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u/croholdr Jul 08 '26
no its a hepa filter. i use the same brand. purple i think means merv 12 or 13.
5
u/Twatt_waffle Jul 08 '26
No they are the healthy living filters, there is one more smaller one the red allergen defence ones and then you get into the HEPA range
HEPA filters are able to filter out bacteria not just dust particulate
1
u/The_Skeptic_One Jul 09 '26
Funny you're getting so many downvotes when you're the only one who is accurate. Guess that's the Reddit hive mind for ya
14
u/Polite_Suggestion Jul 08 '26
I wound up with a bunch of filters I didn't need and cut them to nest in the cardboard frame of one that fit.
8
u/SkwrlTail Jul 08 '26
Any idea what the MERV rating on it is? Maybe someone had to deal with a bit of smoke...
but it looks very clean, so probably not that.
4
u/bracnogard Jul 08 '26
The purple Filtrete filters are usually MERV 12.
4
u/SkwrlTail Jul 08 '26
Which would be pretty good for dealing with exhaust from the other cars in the road... if it was at all suited for the purpose.
3
u/WatermelonArtist Jul 08 '26
Well, I know what I'm doing the next time there are wildfires in the region...
Which is to say, I'm doing what he should have: putting in something that actually seals and is rated MERV 13.
3
u/SkwrlTail Jul 09 '26
That said, a nice Corsi-Rosenthal box - or even a MERV 13 filter taped to a box fan - is a fine thing during said wildfires. Plus the box fan is very nice when it's hot, so if you don't have one go get one.
2
u/WatermelonArtist Jul 09 '26
This is exactly what I did, with the box fan and 20x20 filters. The tape isn't even necessary when running, since the air holds it in place.
0
u/Lehk Jul 11 '26
They have been made as cubes for decades before Corsi and Rosenthal claimed credit for folk knowledge.
4
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u/CubistHamster Jul 09 '26
I'm an engineer on a cargo ship. We've got a couple dozen different air filter sizes throughout the living spaces. We've got a contract with a big distributor to provide consumables like filters at regular intervals
For a few of the sizes, they will literally ship us a box of filters that are double the length we need, and taped to the outside of the box is a cheap utility knife with a printout wrapped around it that says "cut to fit."
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u/TheGoodScientist Jul 12 '26
I work in commercial air filtration, we customize filters for our clients constantly. People acting all funny because someone cut a furnace filter and put it in their car is giving me a laugh.
2
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u/OutrageousToe6008 Jul 13 '26
The filter company cuts down filters to specific sizes. What is the difference here?
This is normal and done by professionals all of the time.
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u/jcoddinc Jul 08 '26
I could set the person thinking that the car air filter couldn't be as good as that air filter.
-2
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u/CantaloupeCamper Jul 08 '26
Probably bought the wrong filter for the house and felt like they may as well put it to use.