OEM HEPA filters done after 1~ year?

[Umar96]

Had an interesting problem recently...

Canadian winter is coming around so I've started to use the heater a lot more. Thing is... the heater wasn't as strong as I remembered from last year. Odd. After some more experimenting, I found that the heat is perfectly good when using recirculate. This narrowed down the problem to just the intake (the big HEPA filters in the frunk area). I removed it, ran the heat with no filters, and it's perfect. I cleaned the filters (they had a bunch of dandelions stuck on them) with compressed air. Thought it'd be fixed. Put everything back in. Nope... The heat wasn't going. Then I tried with only the top filters (the one without the plastic cage housing thing). And the heat works.

Basically, the HEPA filters are choking the intake. I can't survive without heat right now so I'm currently running just the top filters (yes I know it'll bounce around but I can't do anything else).

Questions...

1. Is it normal for HEPA filters to get so restricted airflow in a year? Ontario had really bad air quality this year with the forrest fires I guess? Still, it seems a bit much for it to be completely dead within a year...
2. Is there any way to "blow out" these filters? I used compressed air and nothing. I believe these aren't washable but not 100% sure...
3. Tesla quoted $300~ for this job. BASENOR sells these filters for $90 on Amazon. It takes 10 minutes to install. Is there any reason not to use the BASENOR ones?

Thanks!

 

[Big Earl]

HEPA filters trap very very fine particles. You won’t be able to blow them out or wash them. Best to replace them with new units when performance degrades. Service life will depend on conditions. As you said, Canada had a lot of forest fire smoke this year.

I don’t know anything about the quality of the BASENOR aftermarket filters. If they’re good quality, I see no reason why you can’t do this job yourself. You could also buy the filters from Tesla and install them yourself, saving on labor.

$90 from the Tesla shop but currently out of stock.

https://shop.tesla.com/product/model-y-hepa-_-carbon-filter-kit

 

[Umar96]

It is a bit worrying if the filters need yearly replacement... Basically the same cost as an oil change per year.

 

[Pianewman]

It is a bit worrying if the filters need yearly replacement... Basically the same cost as an oil change per year.

The filter is doing its job, right, rather than your lungs? $90/year might seem high, but not for 365 days of clean air.
My opinion, of course.

 

[Midnightsun]

I have no problem with aftermarket filters. Tesla is out of stock so go with the Basenor @ Amazon. A little cheaper plus rather quick delivery.

 

[fiehlsport]

Yes, another member here was showing signs of low airflow after only 1-2 years, and replacing the filter did the trick.

I would bet actual money that BASENOR HEPA filters aren't actually HEPA. They're going to work, but not as well. But, I'm cranky about aftermarket parts after learning the hard way over the last 10-15 years.

Set a reminder on the Tesla HEPA filters so you're e-mailed when they are back in stock and pick up a set.

https://shop.tesla.com/product/model-y-hepa-_-carbon-filter-kit

 

[TesLEEZ]

Air filtration is a double edged sword. Make the filter material more restrictive and it cleans the air better, make it less restrictive and too much outside pollution and smells come into the cabin. I think Tesla chose to use a more restrictive material, but make the filter significantly larger than normal to compensate for lower airflow. More restrictive material will clog faster too.

In my area, there's alot of diesel trucks blowing smells in your face. I typically changed my cabin filter once per year for all my previous cars and bought more premium carbon activated filters. I was still always able to smell those trucks and cars with no cats with all my previous cars. The Tesla is the first car I've owned where I have yet to smell another car's exhaust. The filter works!! But unfortunately it's pretty costly to replace compared to all my previous cars.

 

[Unclepaul]

HEPA filters do not have a calendar life, but simply capture as much dust as possible till they are full.

This means, that in relatively clean air, they might last for 10 years, but just one day, driving through dust storms, they might become full and clogged.

They are just doing what they are designed to do.

When owner notices flow has decreased they have several options.
1. Simply remove the filter and allow the dirty air to enter your cabin.
2. Go to Tesla service and have them install a new one.
3. Buy a new filter from Tesla or aftermarket, and install it yourself.

Believe your issue is that you have been driving through very dirty air, contaminated with smoke particles that can damage your lungs. The filters have done their job by protecting you, but now need replacement.

 

[Umar96]

So your claim is that every other car has lung damaging air quality?

Seems kind of silly to me...

 

[TesLEEZ]

So your claim is that every other car has lung damaging air quality?

Seems kind of silly to me...

I don't think he's wrong. All of my previous cars you could smell the exhaust of other cars. So that's bad in itself. Only Tesla, BMW and Mercedes offer better higher quality air filtration. Tesla just offers it standard.

Here's an article: Tesla's Air Filters Are Way Better - CleanTechnica

 

[Umar96]

I don't think he's wrong. All of my previous cars you could smell the exhaust of other cars. So that's bad in itself. Only Tesla, BMW and Mercedes offer better higher quality air filtration. Tesla just offers it standard.

Here's an article: Tesla's Air Filters Are Way Better - CleanTechnica

BMW and Mercedes have hepa filter changes yearly?

 

[Big Earl]

So your claim is that every other car has lung damaging air quality?

Seems kind of silly to me...

What other cars have HEPA filters? There are many cars out there that don't have cabin air filters at all.

As mentioned above, HEPA filters aren't really changed on a schedule, since air quality is variable. If you operate the vehicle in extremely contaminated air, you will need to change the filter more frequently than if you operated the vehicle in clean air.

 

[bfayer62]

My 22 MY Bio Defense (HEPA) filters are fine after a year and a half (24K miles) commuting to and from DC during the week. Keep in mind, we like most folks on the east coast have had multiple red, purple, and maroon days this last summer due to the wild fires in CA.

I changed the interior filters last month (they still looked almost new), and also inspected the bio defense filters at the same time, they are still like new too. Air flow is just as good as it was when we brought it home.

 

[fiehlsport]

My 22 MY Bio Defense (HEPA) filters are fine after a year and a half (24K miles) commuting to and from DC during the week. Keep in mind, we like most folks on the east coast have had multiple red, purple, and maroon days this last summer due to the wild fires in CA.

I changed the interior filters last month (they still looked almost new), and also inspected the bio defense filters at the same time, they are still like new too. Air flow is just as good as it was when we brought it home.

Good you mentioned that - there are still charcoal cabin air filters under the dash that need replacement. I found 25k to be a good interval for my driving on my last Tesla, but it varies.

 

[Pianewman]

Umar96: Mileage probably has a greater impact on the HEPA filter than time, as noted above. Environment/mileage...

 

[TesLEEZ]

BMW and Mercedes have hepa filter changes yearly?

Yes, BMW and Mercedes recommend every 15k miles, which for most people is once a year since the average driver does about 15k miles per year. It used to be 30k-45k intervals, but they lowered it. Bosch recommends you replace their Hepa filter every 12k miles, but they're the ones selling the filters so of course.

 

[zroger73]

Other factors that affect the life of the cabin air filters in addition to air quality:

• Having Cabin Overheat Protection on
• Preconditioning the cabin
• Using Keep Mode, Dog Mode, or Camp Mode
• Other cases where the HVAC is being used while the vehicle isn't being driven, such as sitting in the vehicle while charging

All of these add hours of use to the HVAC system without adding miles to the vehicle.

 

[Occhis]

Had an interesting problem recently...

Canadian winter is coming around so I've started to use the heater a lot more. Thing is... the heater wasn't as strong as I remembered from last year. Odd. After some more experimenting, I found that the heat is perfectly good when using recirculate. This narrowed down the problem to just the intake (the big HEPA filters in the frunk area). I removed it, ran the heat with no filters, and it's perfect. I cleaned the filters (they had a bunch of dandelions stuck on them) with compressed air. Thought it'd be fixed. Put everything back in. Nope... The heat wasn't going. Then I tried with only the top filters (the one without the plastic cage housing thing). And the heat works.

Basically, the HEPA filters are choking the intake. I can't survive without heat right now so I'm currently running just the top filters (yes I know it'll bounce around but I can't do anything else).

Questions...

1. Is it normal for HEPA filters to get so restricted airflow in a year? Ontario had really bad air quality this year with the forrest fires I guess? Still, it seems a bit much for it to be completely dead within a year...
2. Is there any way to "blow out" these filters? I used compressed air and nothing. I believe these aren't washable but not 100% sure...
3. Tesla quoted $300~ for this job. BASENOR sells these filters for $90 on Amazon. It takes 10 minutes to install. Is there any reason not to use the BASENOR ones?

Thanks!

Try using DAWN POWER WASH product on the filters and rinse with water. I use it on my exhaust vent filters over the stove. Dissolves all the grease the filters trap and makes them look like new. Worth a try.

 

[zroger73]

Try using DAWN POWER WASH product on the filters and rinse with water. I use it on my exhaust vent filters over the stove. Dissolves all the grease the filters trap and makes them look like new. Worth a try.

Grease filters are made from metal - typically, aluminum or stainless steel mesh. They are designed to be washed.

HEPA filters are typically made from plastic or glass fibers sometimes held together with a binder and sometimes coated. Washing a HEPA filter or even getting it wet can clog it or ruin its ability to filter.

 

[fiehlsport]

Grease filters are made from metal - typically, aluminum or stainless steel mesh. They are designed to be washed.

HEPA filters are typically made from plastic or glass fibers sometimes held together with a binder and sometimes coated. Washing a HEPA filter or even getting it wet can clog it or ruin its ability to filter.

Not to mention, introduce a scent into the filters. You should never wash paper or HEPA media.