Five Scary Facts About Disposable Oil Filters
Disposable oil filters are very common, but it doesn’t mean that they’re a good option. Disposable oil filters have issues, including but not limited to:
- Poor filtration may lead to engine wear
- Harmful to the environment
Read on for five reasons why disposable oil filters aren’t the best option.
1. The Filter Material Can Tear Off And Seize The Engine
Some disposable oil filters contain cheap filter material. This especially rings true for aftermarket filters. Manufacturers make disposable oil filters with paper and a little bit of fiberglass. Both materials are dangerous for engines.
Cheap paper filters can’t hold up to constant pressure. As a result, small chunks of the filter material can tear off. These chunks then flow with the oil into the oil passageways in the engine. A chunk of filter material can even clog a smaller passageway. Whatever was supposed to get oil via that passageway instead gets starved for oil, and wears prematurely.
2. Disposable Oil Filters Can Go Bad Long Before Your Next Oil Change
Most disposable filters rely on paper filter media. That means they tend to get clogged quickly. Some filters clog in as little as 2,000 miles. A lot of cheap disposable oil filters do not have enough pore density – basically they contain too few pores. As a result, the pores clog quickly. Once an oil filter gets too clogged up, its bypass valve lets the dirty oil through to the engine. It’s better for an engine to get dirty oil than no oil.
3. Disposable Oil Filters Are Not Equipped To Handle Metallic Particles
Most disposable filters don’t have any magnets to catch metallic particles. While metallic particles aren’t common, they are there and can damage your engine. At the very least, they will speed up the engine’s wear and tear.
Metallic particles get into the oil when there’s metal-to-metal contact within the engine. That happens when the engine doesn’t have enough fresh oil.
Disposable filters don’t do anything to ‘catch’ metallic particles. So if there are any metallic particles in the motor oil, they will go back into the engine after going through the oil filter. Metallic particles are highly abrasive, and will cause engine components to wear prematurely.
4. The Manufacturing Process Contaminates Many Disposable Oil Filters
It’s common for disposable oil filters to come off the assembly line with strands of cellulose and glue hanging off the filter media. The cellulose and glue can break off and then contaminate the oil in your motor.
5. Disposable Oil Filters Are Bad For The Environment
Did you know that one gallon of used motor oil can contaminate up to 1,000,000 gallons of drinking water? That’s why the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stringent regulations for oil filters.
The EPA requires that you must dispose of used motor oil a certain way that does not harm the environment. Used motor oil is hazardous waste because:
- Used motor oil doesn’t break down.
- Used motor oil can contaminate the soil and the local drinking water supply
The EPA also requires everyone to drain free-flowing oil from used oil filters. Some shops use an oil filter crusher that squeezes oil out of disposable filters before throwing them away. Other shops ignore the law by throwing out oil filters with lots of oil left in them. A lot of regular people doing oil changes at home do this, too.
100 million disposable oil filters end up in landfills each year. That’s over 273,000 oil filters a day. A good amount of these oil filters still contain free-flowing oil. The oil will seep into the soil and then contaminate the water supply.
Lifetime Oil Filters Solve All These Problems
Disposable oil filters have issues that can harm your engine. If you care about your engine’s health, you should switch to a lifetime oil filter.
What Is A Lifetime Oil Filter?
A lifetime oil filter is the last oil filter you’ll ever have to buy. It’s a sturdy metal oil filter you can empty and reuse during the lifetime of the engine.
How Is A Lifetime Oil Filter Better Than A Disposable Oil Filter?
A lifetime oil filter is worth the investment. It’s much safer for your engine than a disposable oil filter. Here’s why:
- Lifetime oil filters are metal and don’t have any paper filter material that can tear off and clog oil passages.
- Lifetime oil filters will always stay good until the next oil change.
- Lifetime oil filters contain magnets to trap metallic particles.
- With a lifetime oil filter, you don’t have to worry about anything like glue or cellulose contaminating the oil.
- Lifetime oil filters are eco friendly. They don’t generate any waste. You can also clean out the filter and dispose of the oil without contaminating the landfill.
PurePower! lifetime oil filters are among the best in the market. Find out why here.