No, your water filter won’t blow up your kitchen. But if you let charcoal sit dry for too long, it can catch fire due to spontaneous combustion. It loves oxygen so much that it will literally burn for it.
Also, old charcoal is a bacterial buffet. If you don’t change it, you’re basically filtering water through a tiny, black petri dish. Delicious.
So change your filter every three months. Your taste buds and your intestines will thank you.
How Long Does the Magic Last?
Eventually, every microscopic Velcro pad gets full. The charcoal becomes a saturated, grumpy black rock that can’t hold anything else.
What Is The Purpose Of Charcoal In A Water Filter – HZYCT
At that point, it stops filtering and just sits there, judging you. Worse, it might start releasing the stuff it trapped, like a passive-aggressive ex sending back your old T-shirts.
The rule of thumb: if your water starts tasting like a dusty basement again, your charcoal needs a retirement party.