Is it true that the average gas masks only work 15 minutes per charge?

According to this article, a gas mask filter pack lasts for up to 24 hours.

Gas mask for what? Different filters for different use cases will last different amounts of time.

@Lightlyseared Covid and poor air quality from residential wildfire smoke.

You need to be fitted for respirators.

A N95 mask will work for smoke and COVID-19

Gas masks aren’t particularly effective against smoke as the particles will clog the filter quickly but then I’m guessing you’re don’t mean gas mask and actually mean a filtering face piece like an N95 or N100.
Depending on how thick the smoke is then yes it may only last 15 minutes before you could do with replacing it.

You should use a gas mask for noxious gases, and use a particulate mask for contaminants that are particle-sized. Covid is transmitted by exhaled droplets, so go with @Lightlyseared ‘s advice. Same for smoke from brush fires. I have used N95 and KN-95 for both, and they work really well for those purposes.

Are you talking about a “gas” mask or a full face or half face respirator? The difference is that a gas mask is designed for zero ability of gas to get in. This includes air. It will have an air supply system with it. SCBAs are for this application. The air pressure inside the mask is usually slightly higher than outside the mask making it impossible for gases to leak in.

If you are talking about something that filters air, you are not usually talking about something that will block out smoke (or viruses). They have screw in filters that can be swapped out for different applications (dust, chemicals, etc). But with the filter type masks, you are breathing in through a filter. You are getting air into your lungs from outside the mask. So gases can also get through the filters. Some filters might have something like activated charcoal to help filter out contaminants, but poisonous gases could still get through.

@seawulf575 Just wondering about a prepper on YouTube who said that the disks need to be replaced every 15 minutes. Also it getting into wildfire season in Alberta, and I am wondering how to be comfortable with the smoke.

For a prepper, an oxygen mask might also be an idea. Unless on the move, its a bit bulky equipment i think. In a car or bunker it might be more suitable. But you need to replenish the right mix of air particles.

@RedDeerGuy1 I’d suggest finding out what sort of mask and filters he is using. As I said, with a filter mask, you are actually breathing air from outside the mask. It is pulled through the filter as you breathe. These can block out a bunch of particulates, down to a very small size in fact. But they cannot block out things like carbon monoxide which is given off when wood burns.

If you ever look into fire-fighting gear, they usually use respirator masks…air provided. This article goes into it a bit especially related to wildfires. Normal masks (N95) will block out dust and ash just fine, but the toxic gases can still get in.