A Fresh Cabin Air Filter Creates 'Breathing Room' Inside Your Vehicle

BROADVIEW, Ill. May 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --MS-- Let's say you are about to take a long road trip. It's one thing to have to clean out your car ahead of time to create enough space for you and your family to be comfortable inside. But did you know that you could also help them breathe more comfortably — especially if some of them suffer from seasonal allergies or asthma? Breathing in dirty roadside air that enters through the vents affects everyone, particularly the most vulnerable — those that are susceptible to respiratory illnesses.

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"If breathing clean air is a concern for any reason, checking and replacing the cabin air filter should be on every vehicle owner's list before taking a long trip," said Chuck Kerrigan, Director of Marketing for Purolator. Purolator is a major supplier of BreatheEasy® cabin air filters (www.BreatheEasycabinfilters.com) to the North American aftermarket.

A new cabin air filter is designed to protect the vehicle's occupants from breathing in air that is contaminated with roadside dust, pollen, dirt, soot and mold spores and even noxious gases and odors.

Most motorists are not aware that more than 80 percent of new domestic and import vehicles sold in the United States today come equipped with cabin air filters, says the Car Care Council (www.carcare.org/node/354), an automotive consumer group.

"And, it is even less likely that they know about the important function these cabin air filters perform, and yet, they are inexpensive and usually quite easy to replace," said Kerrigan.

"Just ask your automotive technician to show you an old, dirty one," said Purolator's Kerrigan. "One look at a clogged cabin air filter will convince you that there's a great deal of dust, dirt, and other contaminants floating around in your car's cockpit. Breathing in that debris can be damaging to the health of anyone, especially those that suffer from allergies or breathing problems."

Purolator BreatheEasy cabin air filters come in two designs depending on the vehicle. One is a particulate filter, the other is an activated charcoal filter which also has the ability to filter out unpleasant odors. You can replace a used cabin air filter with either type, regardless of which was installed by the vehicle's manufacturer. The folks at Purolator advise that a cabin air filter be changed once every year or every 12,000 to 18,000 miles for maximum benefit.

Replacement is usually simple for do-it-yourselfers or professional technicians and many Purolator BreatheEasy cabin air filters come with detailed vehicle-specific installation instructions. Most can be installed in about 15 minutes. The cabin air filter may be located behind the glove box, under the hood near the windshield, or under the dash.

Refer to your owner's manual to see if your vehicle has one. And if you find it clogged, Purolator recommends you change it. Information: www.BreatheEasycabinfilters.com.

SOURCE Purolator