RECO Filtration’s media life analysis service provides actionable insights into the performance and remaining lifespan of your activated carbon. Whether you're managing air emissions at an airport or treating process water in a food plant, understanding how much useful life your carbon media has left is essential for optimizing performance and budgeting for changeouts.
Our in-house lab offers advanced activated carbon testing services to evaluate carbon loading, adsorption capacity, and remaining service life. These results help facility operators make informed maintenance decisions and avoid costly premature media replacements or compliance violations.
We analyze and estimate Remaining Life of Activated Virgin Carbon, Activated Impregnated Carbon, Potassium Permanganate and other media samples from your filtration system. We will work with you to secure media samples, provide you with a laboratory analysis of your media samples to establish its life cycle and improve your system performance
Contact us today to learn more about our Activated Carbon Media Life Analysis Services.
How RECO’s Media Life Analysis Works
Media life analysis is a laboratory-based evaluation of the adsorptive effectiveness of activated carbon currently in use. It helps determine if the carbon is approaching breakthrough or still has available capacity to operate effectively.
Our process includes:
- Sample Collection: Field teams collect representative samples from your system’s media bed
- Lab Testing: We measure for adsorption capacity and remaining service life.
- Performance Assessment: Adsorption capacity is compared against baseline specs to estimate remaining life
- Reporting: You receive a detailed report with results, life expectancy, and recommendations
This data-driven approach empowers your team to schedule carbon changeouts proactively.
Industries That Benefit from Media Life Analysis
We support a wide range of industries where activated carbon plays a critical role in treatment and compliance:
- Airports: Evaluate media life in systems treating deicing runoff or terminal HVAC emissions
- Water Treatment: Track carbon performance in drinking water and wastewater systems
- Oil & Gas: Optimize vapor-phase filtration systems for H₂S, VOCs, and other hydrocarbons
- Food & Beverage: Ensure media used for odor, taste, or color removal is still effective
Our analyses are calibrated to your industry’s performance standards and regulatory requirements.
Advantages of Regular Carbon Media Testing
Scheduling regular media life analysis helps you avoid common filtration risks:
- Prevent Breakthrough: Avoid system failures due to media saturation
- Plan Ahead: Align changeout schedules with shutdowns or maintenance windows
- Cut Costs: Maximize media usage without sacrificing performance
- Maintain Compliance: Stay within permitted emission or effluent limits
We work closely with facility managers, engineers, and environmental teams to integrate testing into broader system maintenance strategies.
FAQs About Media Life Analysis Services
Media life analysis helps you avoid premature changeouts and costly breakthrough events. Below are answers to common questions about how RECO evaluates activated carbon performance and helps clients act on the results.
What does media life analysis test for?
When testing, we measure for adsorption capacity. This gives a clear picture of how much performance remains in your carbon media.
How often should media life be tested?
Testing frequency depends on usage rates and contaminant loads, but many facilities benefit from testing every 3 to 6 months to optimize media use and avoid breakthrough.
Can RECO help interpret the results and plan next steps?
Yes. We not only test your carbon media but also provide recommendations on changeout timing, media selection, and performance optimization.
Schedule Your Media Life Analysis with RECO Today
Maximize your system’s performance—test before it fails. Contact RECO Filtration to schedule your media life analysis and take advantage of our full range of activated carbon testing services.
