Cigar Odor Removal:
“Beyond particulate removal, LakeAir recognizes the importance of odor control. Smoke particles are effectively captured by our filtration media, achieving near-complete removal in just a few passes. However, odor, comprised of volatile organic compounds, requires adsorption by activated carbon. This process often requires multiple air exchanges. To ensure effective odor elimination, LakeAir integrates carbon filters into all units. This page will detail how odor is removed and why a fast acting activated carbon filter is the best for your smoking environment, We will provide guidance on selecting the optimal carbon filtration system for your specific odor control requirements.
Removing cigar odor has become as important to most cigar lovers as smoke removal. There are several reasons:
- Health Concerns: Smoke Odors (gases) contain elements that pose a health risk. VOCs present in cigar smoke include Benzene, Toluene, Formaldehyde, and many more. All of these harmful agents can be removed through activated carbon filtration.
- Property Value: Smoke odors can diminish property value. To protect this value, homeowners and property managers must eliminate smoke odors.
- Quality of Life: Smoke odor can greatly reduce the enjoyment of your cigar. It’s hard to appreciate the nuisances of your stick when all you can smell and taste is the stogies that were smoked last week.
- Personal Hygiene: The big complaint we here from shop owners is they don’t want their customers leaving smelling like a cigar ash tray. Proper odor removal along with the right amount of ventilation will achieve this goal.
How Odor is Removed in a Carbon Filter
Even after smoke particles are gone, lingering odors can still fill the air. That’s where activated carbon comes in. Our carbon filters work by trapping odor molecules on their surface, a process called adsorption. Think of it like a magnet attracting and holding onto those unwanted smells. The longer the air stays in contact with the carbon, the more odors get trapped. This is called residence time, and it’s key to effective odor removal.
LakeAir’s odor eliminators feature carbon filters with varying depths, from 0.75 to 4.5 inches. A deeper filter bed means more odor gets removed in each pass. But it’s not just about depth; the total amount of carbon also matters. Carbon can only hold so much odor, so eventually, all of the carbon in a filter becomes saturated with odors and it needs to be replaced.
To the right, we see a microscopic depiction of activated carbon crystals with small, colorful odor molecules clinging to their surface. The image visually represents the adsorption process.
Fast Acting Carbon Filters verse Longer lasting Carbon Filters
LakeAir manufactures fast-acting carbon filters. In our filter design, we use a smaller amount of carbon placed directly into the air stream. Several layers of carbon make up a wider filter bed. VOCs are pulled through this three-dimensional field of activated carbon. Using this filter design increases the smoke odor removal rate. However, this does mean that your carbon filters will need to be replaced more often.
The image below illustrates a filter bed that allows odor-filled air to pass directly through it, which has a better chance of removing odors from the air stream. Odor molecules are exposed to a much greater surface in this filter design.
Some air purifier manufacturers employ a deep filter bed design for odor mitigation. The air stream is passed over beds of activated carbon, which can have larger capacities. The VOCs come into contact on one face of the bed, which provides a much smaller surface for adsorption. The VOCs are slowly drawn down into the filter bed through diffusion.
Long-lasting carbon filters are a good option in an environment where odor control is of moderate concern. However, in a room where odors are constantly generated, like a cigar lounge, the long lasting filter design will not provide immediate odor mitigation. A carbon filter that boast a 17 pound capacity does not mean it will necessarily remove smoke and other odors better than a product with a smaller total carbon capacity.
The image below illustrates that odor molecules cling to the top of the filter bed. Odor is slowly drawn away deep into the filter bed by the property of diffusion. This provides a slower but longer-lasting odor-removal process.
Other Odor Removing Technologies
There are other technologies that can be used to remove odor from a smoking area.
- Ozone: Ozone is an effective method of removing odors from the air. Ozone is, however, a dangerous chemical and can only be used safely in an unoccupied space. As part of an integrated system, the volume of air processed is rather low and might not be a viable option for large rooms.
- UV Light: UV light can be combined with other systems to help sterilize the air. However, it is not very effective in removing particles or odors.
- PECO: (Photo Electrochemical Oxidation) is a promising technology. It actually destroys the odors rather than capturing them like activated carbon. The problem appears to be volume. Consumer Reports showed that PECO would be ineffective for spaces larger than 100 square feet and air volumes greater than 500 cubic feet per minute.
- Zeolite: When comparing zeolite and activated carbon for cigar odor adsorption, both materials have distinct advantages and characteristics. Zeolite acts as a molecular sieve that captures and eliminates odors rather than masking them. It is effective at adsorbing ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, common components in odors. We love zeolite and we use a combination of zeolite and activated carbon in our products to remove cannabis odor. We will provide you a combination of activated carbon and zeolite at no extra cost.