ecobee has just launched an air filter subscription service (as you know who foretold).
Starting at $13 a filter, ecobee will ship you an appropriately sized HVAC filter of your preferred MERV/MPR/FPR rating. And, of course, the subscription will be synced to smart thermostat reminders. While it seems to be something of an anomaly to see a technologically advanced (tho challenged) smart home firm resort to decidedly pedestrian consumable home goods sales, “the razor blade business” seems to have found a toehold in all sorts of verticals.
For the time being, service is limited to New York state residents and two filters are shipped per box — which doesn’t quite line up with singular unit pricing, but perhaps more info will be available soon. Then again, many will remain well-served by simply ordering a case of Amazon Nordic Pure filters once every year or so.
I’ve been told by quite a few HVAC folks that the most basic filter is the best, as it catches most of the basic stuff, and is sufficient unless you have a medical condition. The issue with the higher MERV rating is the more restrictive airflow through the return, which can lead to the unit working harder to perform heating and cooling functions. I can buy filters at Lowe’s or Amazon for much less than $13 per filter, and they have worked fine. That said, some of this is convenience, but still seems pricey, especially for someone like me that has 4 returns (and has considered adding 1 or 2 more to help equalize air pressure in the bedrooms while also getting more air movement in those rooms).
A tad bit late to the subscription party? Amazon’s been doing this for years…and the filters are very competitively priced. But….you are buying from Amazon, the evil empire…
I need a furnace air filter. But I confuse! What kind of filter will be good for me?