The insides of Evapolar cartridges are made from non-organic basalt fibers, which prevent mold and bacteria from growing. Why so? The answer is pretty simple: harmful microorganisms multiply well, settling on materials of organic origin, such as cellulose or cotton. evaBREEZE® looks like paper but in fact it is a rock solid processed into a porous soft material. That's why it can stay safe after a long term contact with water, and you don't have to wash it in any way.
The color of the material may differ from white to gray and slightly yellow depending on the batch and conditions it was stored and shipped in, but it does not affect its efficiency. Moreover, in 2021 we improved our technology of evaBREEZE® production, but it affected the color of the fibers so to some people it may seem used or dirty.
There is nothing to worry about: this is a natural color of basalt! We don't use any chemicals, coloring, or bleach to whiten the material. This is to ensure our materials are environmentally friendly. Here in the picture, you can see the difference between evaBreeze produced in 2020 and 2021. In addition to the outstanding absorbent properties, this material, unlike the previous version, is completely devoid of any odor.
 |
 |
Cartridge material tends to crumble a bit during transportation so sometimes you can find basalt "dust" on the bottom of the device. That is ok as they strengthen up after the first contact with water.
As cartridge material catches large dust particles out of air and filters impurities out of water, it can begin looking like the ones in the picture below with time. There is no need to panic, it's not mold.
- the white or grey fluffy residue on the cartridge is dust or fur (if you're a happy pet owner)
- the cartridge can also become yellow if the water contains lots of iron
We recommend replacing cartridges every 3-4 months (in another words — one Summer season) depending on the water and air quality and, of course, on the time of usage per day.
If the cartridge looks like the one in the middle, there is no need to replace it immediately, but you can try putting a drop of lemon juice to reduce the sediment.
A good rule of thumb is checking if the device still cools normally. If its cooling capacity has diminished, you may want to consider installing a new cartridge. If the cartridge looks like the one on the right, we recommend replacing it, but also you can try to clean it with a compressed air from the can, in case 3 month haven't passed yet. For instance, that can be a good solution when you are a happy pet owner and fur is almost everywhere :)
Here you can find out more about replacing your cartridge:
How to replace the evaCHILL cartridge
How to replace the evaLIGHT cartridge
How to replace the evaLIGHT plus cartridge
How to replace the evaSMART cartridge
For more information, also check out the article with FAQ regarding Evapolar cartridges and the "Evapolar cartridges: wear and tear" article.
If you have more questions, please feel free to ask anything via our Contact form, we'll be glad to help you!