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When the air inside your home, business or office smells a little less than fresh it may be time to get an activated carbon air filter (sometimes called an activated charcoal filter). Between cooking, pets, kids and the outside world the indoors can have strong odors that are hard to get rid of completely.
There’s one out-of-sight spot that could hold the solution to your problem. The air filter you use in your HVAC system can help remove particles from the air that cause odors to linger. But some air filters are better than others, and many people believe activated carbon air filters are the way to go.
Put simply, an activated carbon air filter is a regular HVAC or room filter that includes a layer of highly porous carbon to capture gases and smells. It’s not much different from a conventional air filter, with a few extra features.
The most important distinction is that activated carbon air filters have a layer of carbon for the filter material. You may also see activated charcoal air filters, which is the same thing as activated carbon.
Activated carbon is ordinary charcoal that has been “activated” at high heat and steam. The treatment opens millions of microscopic pores, creating an enormous internal surface area. When air flows through this porous layer, gas‑phase pollutants—odours from cooking and pets, chemicals given off by new paint or furniture, and smoke fumes—bump into the pore walls. Weak electrical forces make the molecules cling to that surface. This process is called adsorption (the pollutants stick on the surface rather than soaking into the charcoal).
The greater the surface, the more gas a filter can hold. Laboratory tests show a single gram of activated carbon can expose between one and two thousand square metres of internal pore walls. That capacity is why carbon is used in everything from water pitchers to industrial scrubbers. In HVAC inserts, the carbon is bonded to a pleated backing so air can still move easily while spending long enough inside the pores for adsorption to happen. Filterbuy’s Odor Eliminator follows this design: the pleated MERV 8 media removes larger dust and mould spores, while the bonded carbon layer captures smells and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) without suffocating airflow.
Gas capture depends on three factors: carbon weight, dwell time, and pollutant load. A thicker bed or heavier coating means more pores to grab molecules and a longer service life. Slower airflow gives gases more time on the carbon surface, increasing efficiency. A space filled with pets, heavy cooking, or recent renovations will saturate the pores sooner than a lightly used guest room.
Because activated carbon attracts gases, not fine solids, it does little against tiny allergens such as pollen fragments or wildfire soot. Pairing a carbon filter with a higher‑grade particle filter—MERV 11 to 13 in the HVAC return—or running a true‑HEPA purifier in key rooms gives complete coverage: the pleat stops dust and spores, the carbon soaks up smells and fumes, and the HEPA core polishes any remaining fine particles.
Activated carbon cannot remove carbon monoxide, so homes that burn fuel still need a dedicated CO alarm. When the pores are full, odours creep back and the filter must be replaced.
We admire homeowners that want to roll up their sleeves and do things on their own. But not every home project is DIY appropriate.
You may have seen videos on YouTube about how to make your own activated carbon air filter at home. But what they don’t tell you is it requires a 5-gallon bucket or large box. To make a DIY activated carbon air filter you need a container that is open on the sides so that air can be pulled in. If using a 5-gallon bucket holes must be cut into it. Around four pounds of activated carbon is held in a center container and there’s a fan affixed to the lid. The fan draws air into the container and pushes it back out of the top.
Activated carbon air filters aren’t cheap, but making your own isn’t either. There are also ongoing costs because the activated carbon will need to be replaced.
If you’re considering a DIY option because sizing is an issue you’re much better off using a manufacturer like Filterbuy that can create the custom air filter size you need. This will give you a precise fit with a lot less hassle.
Activated carbon works until its pores fill with odour molecules and VOCs. Once saturated, it stops adsorbing and can even release captured gases back into the airstream. Most residential carbon filters last one to three months under average conditions. Shorten that interval when:
Activated carbon filters are almost always disposable. Washing or vacuuming does not reopen the pores and may damage the media, so replacement is the only reliable reset.
Filterbuy’s Odor Eliminator fits right into that routine: under normal loads it lasts a solid 90 days, and in heavy‑use homes you simply swap it sooner.
READ MORE: Which Air Filter Should I Choose
An activated carbon air filter uses highly porous charcoal to adsorb (not just trap) airborne gases, odors, and chemicals like VOCs. It’s designed to remove pollutants that standard dust filters can’t.
While standard filters capture particles like dust and pollen, activated carbon filters target invisible pollutants, like smoke, fumes, and chemical vapors, making them ideal for improving overall air freshness and health.
They’re great for homes with pets, smokers, allergies, or new furniture, and for environments with chemical exposure, like clinics or urban apartments. They can be used in HVAC systems, air purifiers, or standalone filtration units.
Typically, every 2–3 months, depending on air quality and usage. Heavily polluted or high-traffic environments may require more frequent changes.
Yes—indirectly. By removing VOCs, pet odors, and smoke, these filters reduce irritants that can trigger allergy symptoms, complementing the work of particle-based filters for a cleaner, more breathable indoor environment.
