Customer Reviews

3M Filtrete Dust & Pollen Air Filters 14x24x1 (6-Pack)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Thank you for your inquiry regarding Filtrete(TM) Filters. We appreciate
hearing from you.

All our filters will remove particles that measure .3-10 microns.

The media fibers are polypropylene and polyolefin plastic.

Performance, MERV Ratings and pressure drop:

Maximum/Ultimate Allergen 1700

1-10 microns - 93%
MERV 12
pressure drop .20

Ultra Allergen 1250

1-10 microns - 90%
MERV 11
pressure drop .18

Allergen Reduction 1200

1-10 microns - 85%
MERV 11
pressure drop .23

Micro Allergen Extra 1085

1-10 microns - 85%
MERV 11
pressure drop .19

Micro Allergen 1000

1-10 microns - 80%
MERV 11
pressure drop .21

Micro Particle 700

1-10 microns - 75%
MERV 9
pressure drop .18

Dust & Pollen 600

1-10 microns - 70%
MERV 8
pressure drop .14

Dust Reduction 300

1-10 microns - 60%
MERV 7
pressure drop .15

As clean filters, the product is not restrictive to air flow. Filters will
become restrictive if they are not changed when needed. We say filter life
is approximately 3 months and this is an approximation. Filter life is
actually determined by the user's living conditions and will vary for every
user. To determine when the filter needs to be change, we suggest holding
it up to the light. When you cannot see light through the filters, it will
need to be changed even if it is before 3 months.

If you are concerned about airflow, you might want to use the Dust & Pollen
filter which has the lowest pressure drop, and change it more frequently.
The capture rate of this filter is also lower.

Additional information is available on our website at www.filtrete.com

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 two 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 this year, I have used of variety of filters with mixed results. However, this year, I started using the 3M Advanced Allergen Filters, the ones in the blue wrapper. These have a 3M Microparticle Performance Rating of 1500, but do not have a MERV rating listed. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value and is a number from 1 to 12, 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 Allegen Filter, Microparticle Performance Rating 1500,
MERV rating not available

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. The additional cost of the Advanced filter is worth it if you have allergies or pets. However, if you are happy with a lower-rated and lower-cost filter, then you can continue using that one. I suggest that you check Amazon and vendors on the web to get the best price.

I was using the red Filtrete 1000 filters and my HVAC tech said those were too restrictive for a heat pump system since a heat pump relies on more airflow to obtain their BTU rating than a conventional furnace system. He recommended I use a cheap pleated filter one step above the worthless fiberglass type filters. Now I believe that a heat pump relies on good air flow but I also know that HVAC techs rely on service calls. They love to come out and clean your system because it is full of dust from a cheap filter and charge you an arm and a leg. Dirty systems are also not covered under warranty so it's a win win for them. I did some research and found that some cheap pleated filters can also be very restrictive. I really wanted to use a good filter like the Filtretes but needed something with more airflow. I saw on the blue 600 Filtrete filters that it said "Best Filtrete filter for high velocity equipment" so I tried one and it is the perfect match between airflow and air cleaning ability. I highly recommend the blue Filtrete 600 for your heat pump system.

I admittedly did not expect to experience much of a difference in air quality in my home. I was just looking to replace my previous ones with filters that claim to filter well but won't shut down my central air system by over-limiting the air flow (as happened once before with a more dense filter). I've used this one for several months now and have been sniffling 'a whole lot' less. Also, my central air system has not shut down yet (same one in for about 4 months now). Recommended.

I have been experimenting with different air filters over the last few years to see which level of filtration works the best for us. 600 MPR, like these filters are the best balance between airflow and filtration. Any higher, and you start increasing your energy costs and reducing the airflow of your system. Any lower, and the amount of indoor allergens becomes apparent.

In addition to being the right balance between airflow and effectiveness, the 3M Filtrete 600 MPR filters also are durable and provide a large amount of 'in-filter surface area' to hold the stuff it catches over a long period of time. We have found that these filters will last 2 months in the high use periods and as many as 4 during the spring and fall. They hold a lot of dust before impacting airflow.

The price and convenience of buying these on Amazon.com can't be beat. A 6-pack of these delivered to your doorstep, well packaged for transport and long-term storage, is much better than having to buy them frequently locally. When you do that, they dominate your cart and often get damaged in the process.

I wish I started buying these earlier, and recommend that you learn from my mistake. These are the best price on the best filters.

6 3-month air filters, came quick in a nice box for a good price. They fit well and get the job done. The box they came in also opens in a certain way as so you can use it as a "storage" box, so when you need a new one they're easy to get. Also each one is individually wrapped in plastic.

Purchased these and have been using them for about five months now. No problems. They fit the opening properly and appear to be catching everything. Don't know how much more you can say about a dust filter. ;)

After having used everything from the cheap blue fiberglass to the washable filter media to the high MPR rated filters over the past 25 years, I believe this filter is perfect. Seriously - it's an excellent compromise in terms of giving you dust/pollen relief while not running up your electric bill because it's restricting the airflow (which can also damage the equipment). I used the 1250 MPR Filtrete filter for many years and would leave it in for 3 months. While it's a good filter - that was a mistake in my particular situation. After 3 mos it was mostly clogged and starting to cave in some - and you could barely feel the air coming out of the vents. Now I use this filter (600 MPR) and replace it monthly. The air is clean and the electric bill is manageable. When you walk by a vent - you can feel the force of the air coming out. Perfect product!

As recommended by my local hardware store, I finally moved away from "blue floss" filters. I compared prices, and quality: I'm very pleased with 3M filters.

These filters are #1 in my book. The seller was lightning fast shipping them and very reasonable. Will buy from them again next time!!!!!!