Disposable diesel particulate filters do not require regeneration, they are simply thrown away when they are full of soot. This removes the problem of working out how to clean them, but they have several serious drawbacks which are often not made clear by their vendors:
- The useful life of most disposable filter elements is no more than 30 hours.
- Changing the filter element exposes the mechanic to carcinogenic diesel particulate matter.
- The used elements need to be disposed of in accordance with environmental regulations.
- If they are used at anything other than low exhaust temperatures they can catch fire.
For these reasons, Blackthorn does not recommend this type of filter. Fortunately, better alternatives are now available for all applications which previously used disposable filters.
