How Often Should You Change Breathing Air Filters? Safe Breathing Air for Blasters

Maintaining clean breathing air is essential for the safety and comfort of operators in any industrial environment. To help illustrate the importance of replacing breathing air filters regularly, let’s first look at how these filters work to protect you.

How Breathing Air Filters Work

1. Pre-Filter Stage: Dirty air first passes through the pre-filter, where oils and larger particulates are removed.
2. Moisture Removal: The air then flows through activated alumina, which effectively removes excess moisture from the air.
3. Contaminant Removal: Next, the air passes through activated charcoal, which is responsible for eliminating organic vapors and other harmful contaminants.
4. Particulate Filtration: A dense felt layer serves as a particulate filter, capturing smaller particles that may have bypassed previous stages.
5. Final Filtration: Finally, the filtered air moves through wool wadding, which provides an additional level of particulate removal before the air reaches the operator.

Why Regular Filter Changes Are Crucial

Two major risks arise when filters are not changed regularly:

1. Airflow Restriction: As the filters collect more particles, they begin to restrict the volume of air flowing to the operator. This can make it difficult to breathe comfortably, potentially leading to decreased oxygen intake.
2. Mold Inhalation: If breathing air cartridges aren’t replaced routinely, they can harbor mold. Over time, operators may be exposed to damaging levels of mold, leading to long-term health issues.

How Often Should You Change Your Breathing Air Filter?

Manufacturers typically recommend replacing your air cartridge every three months or after 400 hours of use, whichever comes first.

Pro Tip: An easy way to track your filter’s lifespan is to write the installation date directly on the filter after opening it.

Remember, the quality of air that operators breathe is critically important. To avoid breathing in contaminated air, be diligent about changing your breathing air filter cartridge at least four times a year.