Filtrete Smart

I’ve been using Filtrete 2500 Smart Air Filters for several months now, one upstairs and two downstairs. I’ve replaced each when the filter life is at 0%, which has been at different times for each filter. I’d rather spend more money now for these filters and the smart filter capabilities than possibly spend more money in the future dealing with health-related problems that could have been prevented by using high quality smart air filters. The app is great and allows me to know exactly when I need to change my filters rather simply guessing or waiting three months to do so. The tips on the app are informative and helpful. The only thing I would suggest for the app is the addition of a history of when each filter is replaced so I and other users can keep track of short and long term usage and replacement. I’ve been amazed at how sooner I’ve needed to replace my filters but am grateful that my family and I are breathing cleaner air!

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Based on this app, one would expect that the Filtrete “smart” filters that pair with this app would actually monitor the effective airflow through the filter and therefore give you a good idea of when they should be replaced. Alas, its just a gimmick that appears to simply start a countdown timer that expires after 90 days or so. The app also supports an environmental air monitor, but the monitor itself (Speck) is no longer available. As such, this feature has no real use. Filtrete is apparently building their own monitor, which may or may not work with this app if/when they actually release it. But beware - the monitor is under development and being funded via an Indiegogo campaign, which is quite strange for a company as large as 3M to require this type of funding. I personally contributed to the campaign, had an issue and contacted Filtrete. They failed to stand behind their commitment, so I cancelled my contribution and will not buy the monitor if/when it is released. I recommend that others do the same - delete this app, purchase standard filters and just set a reminder on your calendar to replace your filters.

We live in a temperate climate in a well insulated home located in a direction optimized for sun exposure, where we only use air conditioning and heating only a few days a year. We decided to put in a bluetooth filter (I know, probably not needed 😊) and after 3 months or so the app indicates it should be changed. Went to change it today and not surprisingly it looks like new. It appears the bluetooth is based on time and not if the filter is dirty. If you use cooling and heating regularly this is a great app to remind you the filter needs to be checked and changed, but if you hardly if ever use cooling and heating the bluetooth and this app may not be needed.

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The linked disk attached to the filter appears to be just a countdown timer. Besides common sense tips like not living like a slob to help keep air quality high I feel like the whole set up is just a fancy way to raise the cost of the filters. My house unfortunately has filters/returns in just about every room (5 total filters), so the need to change them is a lot lower than the average home because the filters all work together. I’m bringing this up because I wanted to test and see if the disk truly determines air movement and filter usage, or if it’s just a count down timer. Overall it appears to be just a really fancy timer that tells your app to tell you go by a new filter. It doesn’t seem to keep track of actual usage, just the time from when you pull the battery seal off the disk. When inspecting the filters they look only slight dusty, not much more then the day they were installed. Maybe others will enjoy the reminder, but for the added cost I’m not sure it’s worth it.

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I echo the disappointment with the app of others who compare the Bluetooth device and app to a countdown timer. Despite the marketing jargon used to explain how and why filters in some houses need to be replaced more frequently than others (to which I agree), the device and app should do more than merely measure air flow. Not that I don’t understand the rationale, but if the app and device doesn’t measure, record and display airflow over the life of the filter or even better some semblance of the actual particles caught, it really is nothing more than a countdown timer regardless how quickly that time passes, which any homeowner interested enough to make use of the app would already know. That being said, a reminder for changing the filter is never a bad idea. The app should just have more functionality. As it is, it just seems like an app for app sake.