“I thought this was a decent filter when I installed it. It can be a little difficult to get started on the tracks properly, but with a little work, it goes in smoothly. However, I went up to the attic to get some things the other day, and while I was there I decided to check my filter. I found that the adhesive on the top rail had released sometime over the summer, and the filter had collapsed to the bottom rail. Now I have layers of dust on my blower assembly and duct work. To top it off, I've had sinus problems for the last couple of months, and now I know why. One of the vents is directly above the bed, and I've been breathing dust all through the night.It was almost time to change the filter anyway, and there isn't much choice in brands. So I ordered a new one. Before I opened the box, I retrieved my industrial stapler, intending to shoot a few staples through the new filter and into the plastic rails, to ensure this doesn't happen again. However, upon opening the new filter, I found it already has staples. So Aprilaire knew this was a problem and has now corrected it. But this doesn't help the problem of all the dust that is now in my blower and duct work.Check the plastic rails on your filter before installing. If there are no staples in it, the only thing holding the filter media to the plastic rails is thin double-sided tape. The heat will cause the tape to release, and the filter will release from the upper rail, folding up accordion-style on the bottom rail (similiar to how it was in the box before you installed it). I have contacted Aprilaire via their website about the failure and will post an update when they respond.Update...Aprilaire promptly replaced my failed filter and gave me information on their warranty for guaranteeing a clean system. But even if I were to pursue using the warranty, it would cover only a fraction of the cost of a complete cleaning of the cabinet, blower, and ductwork. I am updating my rating from 1-star to 3-stars for the prompt filter replacement. The new filters do have staples holding the media to the plastic guides, so I am confident the same problem will not occur again. But I'm still stuck with a thick layer of dust in my system due to months of use with the collapsed filter, which is why I can't rate any higher.”
“The price is right; however, putting these filters on the new frame I purchased was not particularly easy. The filters seem a little flimsy although they may work perfectly. I reserve final judgment until I have to replace the current one.”
“It's much easier to install but I think it releases fibers and created more dust than the 401. It allows more air to flow through it which is where the efficiency come in. But the paper material of the 401 would seem to catch finer particles IMO.”
“UPDATE: I have found the 410 is much better as far as airflow goes with my smaller duct system. If you have small GE ducts, use the 410. My system is running much less. However, they have expanded the filter line and the choices are good for 10-16. If you need removal of dust mites and worse, the 13 or 16 may be better picks.However, my dust in the home is same with the 410 as the 413. So, maybe try each and see if one works better for you (and you can afford it!)The prices are still too high!-------I had hoped this filter would be an improvement on the 3M Filtrette MERV 11/12/13 filters I had been using in my older system. But, I can say that, the dust in my home is much worse with the 413.I suspect that, it might be the high MERV on it. It is fine for my system but all wrong for the old and small ducts in my home (1950s). The higher MERV is just holding back the air flow in the home.I am going to try the 410 to see if it helps. The performance is pretty much the same but, hopefully, the air flow will be better and bring more of the dust to the filter.When these filters sold for about $30, they were comparable to the 3M product. But now that they are more expensive, in the mid $40 range, they are not worth getting installed in your HVAC system IMO.Also, plastic. They need to make a version that is made in a way that the whole thing breaks down. The dumps are full of these filters and they will still be around in 10,000 years‚Ķ Make it out of bioplastic like from corn or other plant matter. Even the filter can be made from cellulose and/or other plant materials.”
“We had a new furnace installed last year and these are the filters it requires. On the plus side, these are very good filters, picking up a huge amount of dust and keeping it out of the house's air circulation system during the winter. On the negative side, we find that the filter fills up and needs to be replaced more often than we were told to expect. We live in coastal California and our winters are quite mild, so the furnace does not run for as many hours a day as it might in a colder climate. And this year was even warmer than most. We were told the filter should last at least 6 months, which is pretty much the whole heating season here. Since this is a new furnace, however, I thought to check the filter at about 4 months and was surprised to see that it was completely full of dust and needed to be replaced already. And this was with all new duct work too, so the filter wasn't picking up dust from old ducts.So while it is a good filter - certainly not the $3 ones you get from the big box stores - the flip side is that you will be replacing it often. We'll probably be replacing it twice in every heating season; I can imagine that in cold climate you might have to replace it every month, which could run into real money.”
“At the time of replacement, I found that the filter had collapsed inside the cabinet. The glue between the top fin of the filter and the upper plastic plate had come off. This effectively had made the filter ineffective !”
“I had to replace my entire air conditioning system in the summer of 2014 (condenser and furnace). I have chronic allergies and thought I would take advantage of the opportunity to install a more robust air-filtering system with the new a/c unit. After doing my research, I decided that the Aprilaire offered the best balance of higher filtration and reasonable cost. The unit sits at the base of my inside a/c system and filters the air as it's drawn into the blower. I gave it four stars only because my allergies didn't improve as much as I had hoped. Admittedly, this is not the filter's fault. As for the replacement filter itself, I was worried that I would receive a no-name filter, but that was not the case; I received a genuine Aprilaire product. I didn't watch the HVAC technicians install the original Aprilaire unit, so I was a bit worried about replacing the filter myself. But I discovered that it was remarkably easy to install. There's a small runner down each side, and you simply slide it into the corresponding clips in the filtration unit and gently push it into place. Small arrows indicate the direction everything goes. I debated between the 410 and this 413, and decided to try the higher level of filtration offered by the 413, but frankly, I haven't noticed much difference.”
