Monday, October 14, 2013

WEB WPLUS Eco Filter Plus Adjustable Air Filter

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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