Ecobee, the Canadian smart device maker known for its range of smart thermostats, announced an HVAC air filter subscription service. You receive frequent shipments, as well as reminders on your smart thermostat, to guarantee that you change them. But are they worth it?
The HVAC air filters from ecobee are of good quality, and it’s quite handy to have automatic shipments and reminders (so you don’t forget to change them). Still, the price is generally more than that of other rival filters on Amazon.
ecobee’s 2024 ‘Air Filter’ announcement
Ecobee is well recognized for its smart thermostats, while its smart thermostats handle various HVAC systems. Consequently, ecobee’s entry into the air filter subscription market in April 2020 came as a surprise – but not a huge one.
Their announcement was preceded by a series of teaser emails about an impending major surprise, and ecobee’s sales website promised the following:
- Home delivery – The packages are delivered directly to your house in recyclable packaging. Each shipment contains two filters, which help lessen the carbon footprint of having many single deliveries. FedEx SmartPost is utilized in the United States, while APC Postal Logistics or Canada Post are used in Canada.
- Cleaner air – To be fair, their air filters (like other air filters) supply filtered air to keep your internal air clean, which helps to keep your family healthy. Their MERV 13 ‘Premium’ filter may reduce virus-carrying particles by up to 87 percent.
- Expert recommendations – Their team is available to assist you in selecting the appropriate size and thickness filter for your climate and HVAC system. “Virtually all” standard and bespoke filter sizes are available from ecobee.
- Save 5-15% on energy – According to ecobee, cleaning your air filters regularly may reduce energy expenditures by up to 15% while preventing costly repairs from a damaged HVAC system due to poor maintenance.
You may buy ecobee air filters with or without owning any other ecobee device. However, the filters work well with the ecobee thermostat since they inform you when your filters need to be changed. This is very easy to overlook, so these notifications are quite useful. Once you’ve updated the filter change date, you may tell your Ecobee to reset its internal timer by saying, “Ecobee, reset filter change date.”
What are air filters used for?
Air filters are utilized whenever polluted air from the outside has to be cleaned before being breathed in, commonly in a limited or interior location.
In other words, a contemporary automobile will feature a cabin filter that filters outside air (which may contain bugs or leaves) and delivers higher quality air into the inside cabin for you and your passengers to breathe.
A house with an HVAC system will have the same feature: a detachable air filter that will remove contaminants from the entering (outside) air, bringing clean air to the residence.
NAFA’s rather thorough study report discusses all of the numerous ways to convey bacteria, viruses, and other airborne contaminants and how air filters can significantly help prevent or decrease these hazards.
What should replace a house’s air filter regularly, not only to enhance the quality of the air provided but also to protect your HVAC system (a clogged air filter will make your system work harder, potentially damaging it).
The standard suggestion is to change the channel like clockwork. However, this can be more frequent (every 1-2 months) if you have dogs or someone in the house who suffers from allergies. Similarly, if the residence is a vacation home or just a single person lives there, a filter replacement every 6+ months is generally sufficient.
Are ecobee’s air filters good quality?
Because ecobee’s air filters are still relatively new to the market, there hasn’t been extensive testing, but all indications point to their high quality. For starters, they don’t sell low-MERV filters, which may appear attractive at first glance (especially when you consider their low price!) but do not effectively filter out numerous air contaminants. Ecobee filters range from MERV8 to MERV13.
Second, a filter’s static pressure drop ratings are crucial since a filter with a too-high rating would force the air handler to work harder (to adjust for the reduced air pressure), increasing energy expenses. The static air pressure decreases of ecobee are.
To provide a fast comparison, Nordic Pure’s MERV12 air filters generally have a 0.24 inH20 reading – hence. In contrast, ecobee doesn’t have a straight comparison (since they offer MERV11 and then MERV13); ecobee’s filters likely have a somewhat lower air pressure drop than Nordic Pure filters. However, for a more in-depth comparison, continue reading.
Are ecobee’s air filters worth it (compared to the competition)?
The big question: is Ecobee’s air filter worth it? On the other hand, the air filters elicited the response, “they’re too pricey.”
People pointed to the Nordic Pure MERV 12 filters which are $41.69 for a 6-pack (roughly $7 each), or the FilterBuy MERV 8 filters, which are $29.08 for a 4-pack (roughly $7 each), compared to ecobee’s MERV 8 filters, which are $13 each, or their more expensive MERV 11-13 filters, which are $17-19 each – a significant price increase over the Nordic pack.
However, as I indicated before, pricing isn’t the only factor to consider. You must first ensure that you are purchasing a high-quality product (Nordic Pure is well-known for this) and that the air pressure drop is adequately minimal.
After all, if you choose a low-quality filter with a significant air pressure drop, Your HVAC system will have to work more, which will result in increased energy bills.
Ecobee’s air filters, in my opinion, have the following advantages:
- Their expertise –If you are unsure about the sort of filter you require, contact ecobee, and they can assist you. This is great if you’ve recently moved into a new house — there’s a lot to accomplish, and the last thing you want to do is waste time looking for the best filter type and thickness.
Sure, if you already know what filter you need, “ecobee’s experience” won’t help you, but it will help others.
- Convenience – The ecobee filters are automatically supplied when they need to be changed, and two at a time to avoid too-frequent delivery. You’ll also remember to change them since you’ll receive reminder messages, such as from your ecobee thermostat. This is handier than having several calendar reminders to get you to remember when to buy (and change) the filters. At the same time, Amazon’s “subscription and save” feature is nearly as convenient.
- Correct thickness filter – A higher MARV rating isn’t necessarily the best option. If your filter is overly thick, your HVAC system will have to work harder to compensate for the higher-than-expected reduction in air pressure. This might endanger your HVAC system, but it will undoubtedly increase your energy expenditures.
Speaking with ecobee (if you’re unsure) and acquiring the proper filters for your system is preferable to going to Amazon and simply ‘purchasing the best MARV’ filter.
In 90% of situations, you’ll be able to purchase a comparable filter on Amazon for a considerably lower price than with ecobee. I’ve heard of some individuals getting a non-standard filter for less money through ecobee, but this is the exception rather than the rule.
If none of the three reasons described above apply to you, you might as well get a cheaper filter from Amazon or HomeDepot instead of buying from Ecobee.
