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My fiancee says it was really easy to cut. He said he laid an old filter on top of the new one, to get started. He then put the frame together (adjusted it to the appropriate notches indicated on the frame), and then, before cutting anything, slid it into the furnace slot to test it. Once he was *sure* he had the frame to the right size, then he measured (against that frame) and cut the cross-hatch part, and then he measured (against the frame) and cut the guts (filtering part). measure twice, cut once
We don't have animals or an old house and we keep our home generally clean, and this filter seems to work great. With the climate where we live being either extremely cold or extremely hot and humid and the air quality and cleanliness outside being questionable, we run our whole-house HVAC often. This filter states a good rating (MERV 8) and a 5-year lifespan. According to an interesting furnace filter care site I found via google, MERV runs from 1-16, with ratings of 5-8 considered "better" filters. Of course, a filter is only as good as its maintenance (ease of which and therefore, consistency of which) and we find it makes more sense to clean this filter than to continually "invest" in throw-away ones, which need to be disposed of and replaced, at a cost. The "care"/cleaning of this filter is fairly easy. To clean, he chooses a day when we aren't running the furnace or a/c (same filter). He takes the filter outside, sprays each side with water from the hose and shakes it off. He has also sprayed it with thyme-based disinfectant (seventh generation makes a nice one). After waiting a few minutes for max effectiveness, he hoses the filter off again. He then lays the filter in the sun, both to dry and because UV rays kill some bacteria. Someone told me this a while ago and then I found air and water purifiers and surface sanitizers here on amazon that use UV light, and I even have a little travel UV light for hotel rooms (remotes, doorknobs, etc.). I just googled "UV rays kill bacteria" and found an interesting ehow article on it.
Once it is clean and dry, sometimes, he's lightly misted the filter with essential oils (tea tree, eucalyptus, lavender, etc.), and allowed it to air dry for a minute before putting it back in. Then, when our furnace/AC runs, it blows beneficial vapors of Essential Oils throughout the house, helping to cleanse the air and uplift the spirits :) If you choose to do this, please do your due diligence on essential oils, their properties, contraindications, and usage (especially if you're pregnant, have epilepsy, high blood pressure, or are otherwise sensitive or considered physically at risk). And, always buy pure essential oils and not "perfume" or "fragrance" oils, which may have unhealthy additives. Pure EO's may cost a little more, but a few drops of pure essential oil goes a long way. I just googled "essential oil spray recipes" and found an interesting article on food dot com. You can just use a few drops of one essential oil in a reused (thoroughly washed) glass spray bottle with some distilled water, and keep the spray for room freshening purposes. I travel with a spray bottle for long car trips or hotel stays. If you: care enough about the air in your home, are looking for eco products, or are looking to save money, to buy this sort of a filter, then you might also be interested in these additional ways to "freshen" the air, wherever you are!
Another tip: if you have the money and so desire, buy two of these filters. That way, if there is a time when you cannot stop running your furnace long enough, or don't want to go outside, (blizzard conditions, extended heat wave, etc.) or don't have a utility sink, you can keep a fresh one on hand and pop it in and clean the other one when you can (storing it in a reused plastic bag, of course).
PROS:
reusable (save $, resources, trips to the store, & no having to store replacements)
5-year lifespan (limited lifetime guarantee)
easy to assemble
easy to clean
made from recycled plastic
recyclable
MERV 8 (filters out pollen, dust, & dander, as per them)
could potentially put your own filter media (guts) into the frame, for customized filtering
ability to add EO's without causing saturation, as with a paper-based filter
CONS:
assembly required (albeit easy)
cleaning required (again, easy)
not a carbon filter (personal preference, it's also not a BMW, haha)
I rely on reviews here at Amazon to help me make informed buying choices. I hope this review has helped you in the same manner. If you voted this as helpful, I Thank You! :)
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Like most of you, I went searching for a cheaper and more environmentally friendly solution to replacement furnace filters. I have always kept my old filters around for a few months after usage just to monitor the dirt collection. I installed this easily without any cutting. At the end of month one, I placed it in the tub to see what had been collected and I watched the water coming off the filter. What I saw was that the water looked much too clear considering what I had been picking up in the past. Months two and three looked the same with no noticeable dirt in the tub. There seemed to a great deal of dust on the furniture all the sudden, yet another indication these were not doing their job. I went back to try my filtrete micron filters for a month which I used to change every 2 to 3 months and found the filter completely filthy at the end of that month. As I said, these are typically 3 month filters. I also recently had my furnace serviced and the repairman told me not to use these eco filters as they don't filter anything and end up clogging the system because all the dirt accumulates at the bottom of the furnace. I normally don't believe everything I'm told, however this time I had real proof.
Best Deals on WEB WPLUS Eco Filter Plus Adjustable Air Filter, 1-Pack
First, the facts: the census estimate for # of U.S. households in 2010 was 114,825,428 (interpolate upwards as this review was written in 2012).
Conservative assumptions...
Assume: 66% have central air/heat
Assume: 2.5 air intakes/home
Assume: $5/filter
Assume: 4 filter changes/year
With these low-ball assumptions, we are talking a $3.8 BILLION a year in "subscription fees" for the replacement filter industry. Do you honestly think that the one-star reviews here were made by anyone other than agents of this racket? Caveat Emptor.
That said, I HAVE used these filters for over a decade, and here is my opinion.
PROs
1. They do an excellent job of filtering. Not as good as the high-end* HEPA filters, but they do get the grime, smoke, dust, pollen, hair out of the air that is circulating through your house.
2. On a cost-basis, it's a no-brainer. Within a year of installing these, they will have paid for themselves.
3. Environmentally, much, much less waste. Imagine the sheer amount of landfill waste used up by disposable filters. Not that I'm any sort of tree-hugger; rather, I'm a conservative who actually likes to conserve.
CONs
1. They can be a pain to assemble. You will need some powerful scissors/plier-cutters to cut the grid down to the size of your filter boxes. Expect about a half-hour of work per filter.
2. Cleaning is work. Either in the tub with a faucet-hose, or in your yard with the garden-hose, you'll need to give these things a good amount of blasting to get all the filth out. For this, about 15 minutes per filter.
Conclusion
If you lead a busy life and don't want the hassle of doing something like this on your own, then by all means: sign yourself up for the lifetime subscription to the filter industry. For the rest of us, this is an excellent way to save money and conserve.
Hope this helps!
* Amazingly, the high-end HEPA filters have problems of their own:
1. Cost one disposable HEPA can cost as much as one of these re-usables. Unless you are running a clean-room, fabricating semiconductor chips, this is absolutely NUTS!
2. Air Handler Failure because the HEPA is not letting enough air through, it can cause your Air Handler to overwork. There is quite a bit of documentation on the danger of HEPA to your AC system just look it up on the web.
Honest reviews on WEB WPLUS Eco Filter Plus Adjustable Air Filter, 1-Pack
Recently got this as an alternative to the replaceable filters that you have to change out and throw away after 3 to 6 months. These filters work great and have a lifetime warranty. They filter as good if not better than the regular throw away filters and they help save the enviroment from waste too. The only thing that keeps it from 5 stars is the price. These are pricey as an initial purchase as compared to the throw aways but considering you should never have to replace it, it will make up for in time. Just make sure you clean them regularly.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for WEB WPLUS Eco Filter Plus Adjustable Air Filter, 1-Pack
I just cut it to size and used w/out the plastic cage like covering because my mobilehome furnace didnt need it .works great and is washable and sturdy.Wish I knew of this lond ago.
