19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Try the Ultimate filter if you have allergies or pets, April 8, 2010
My house uses forced air for heating. The disadvantage of such a system is that it distributes the dust in the air everywhere in the house. However, it is supposed to be possible to filter out the dust. Over the years, I have steadily increased the quality of the filter that I use for my forced air heating system. However, until now I have not noticed any obvious difference in my allergic reactions that seem to start with the heating season.
There are cats in my house. I have read that cat dander, tiny flakes of cat skin shed by the cats, is five times smaller than household dust particles. It stays in the air much longer than ordinary dust before it settles. Because of its small size it requires a more efficient filter to get it out of the air.
Until three years ago, I used of variety of filters with mixed results. However, then I started using the 3M Advanced Allergen Filters, the ones in the blue wrapper. These have a 3M Microparticle Performance Rating of 1500, and a MERV rating of 12.
MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value produced from a test designed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). A higher MERV rating indicates better filter performance.
3M uses particle data between 0.3 and 1.0 micron size to calculate a Microparticle Performance Rating or MPR. The higher the MPR, the better the filter. However, higher rated filters cost more.
Here are some of the Filtrete filters offered by 3M:
Dust & Pollen Filter, Microparticle Performance Rating 600,
MERV rating of 8
Micro Allergen Filter, Microparticle Performance Rating 1000,
MERV rating of 11
Ultra Allergen Filter, Microparticle Performance Rating 1250,
MERV rating of 11
Advanced Allergen Filter, Microparticle Performance Rating 1500,
MERV rating of 12
Ultimate Allergen Filter, Microparticle Performance Rating 1900,
MERV rating of 13.
The difference made by the Advanced filter was immediately obvious. My running nose stopped running. I assume that the new Advanced filters must be taking out more of the dust in the air including the cat dander. I have not noticed a change in the speed of the circulated air.
More recently, I have started using the newer Ultimate filter. It works better than the Advanced filter. The additional cost of the filter is worth it if you have allergies or pets. However, if you are happy with a lower-rated and lower-cost filter, then continue using that one.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Buyer Beware!!, September 27, 2010
Buyer Beware!! On 9/17/2010, I purchased the Filtrete filters from this ad. At that time, this page implied that you were getting 6 /each of Filtrete 1250 Ultra Allergen Filters from the vendor Filters-Now for $75.96 plus $7.99 shipping. I say "implied" because they didn't tell you the quantity in the title, just "xx Filtrete 1250 Ultra Allergen Filters by 3M." However, under the Product Description, they said "........so grab a 6-pack and at least you'll have a fighting chance." When I received my delivery from Filters-Now, it contained 4 filters, or about 50% higher cost per filter. I won't go through the heated discussion that I had with Filters-Now, but I will say that ultimately Filters-Now sent me 2 more filters for free. Filters-Now said that Amazon asks them and other dealers to bid on what they will sell a filter for, but Amazon writes the ads. I tried to contact Amazon but was unable to reach an Amazon service representative, as the links kept steering me to Filters-Now. The ad has now been partially rewritten so it no longer reads as it did when I purchased my filters. It now implies you are getting a single filter (based on price) and allows you to select the size you want. You will note that under the pull down for size, it does not have a 24X30X1 size offered (which is the size I ordered), but if you scroll down to Product Details, it still says it is "24X30X1" and under the Product Description, it still says "........so grab a 6-pack and at least you'll have a fighting chance." You will also note that the new vendor is not Filters-Now, but is National Allergy. I can only assume that Amazon has got a new vendor to sign up to sell under this misleading advertisement. Bottom line, I am very disappointed with Amazon for this ad and to a lesser extent Filters-Now, who agreed to sell under this misleading ad. Again: Buyer Beware, you may get any size and any quantity!! (PS. Since I originally wrote this review, I have talked to a couple of Amazon Reps and they said that they will correct the misleading data in the ad, but as of 9/29/10 it is still misleading)
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