Five year filter cost

Researched from the AHAM AC-1 test method, EPA and CARB guidance, and published manufacturer specifications

Quick answer

Filters usually cost more than the machine. BLUEAIR sells its unit at $349.00 with replacement filters at $49.99, so at a twelve month interval the five year total is $548.96 and the filters are 36 percent of it. At a six month interval the filter share rises sharply, which is why the interval matters as much as the price.

Five year filter cost Worked answer below
Some machines take two or three filters at once.
Six to twelve months covers most machines.
5 year cost of ownership $549.00
Machine$349.00
Filter changes in 5 years4
Spent on filters$200.00
Filters as a share of the total36 percent
Cost per year$109.80
Cost per month$9.15

The machine is the larger share of the cost here, which is the less common case and usually means either a long interval or an inexpensive filter.

A washable pre-filter does not replace the main filter, but keeping the coarse dust off it is what stops the expensive stage loading early.

How it decides: unit price + (replacements over the period x filter price) = five year cost of ownership

Replacement intervals vary by model and by how dirty the air is. Where a manufacturer states an interval, use it. Where none is stated, running the calculation at six, nine and twelve months shows how much of the answer that one unknown decides.

Equipment this calculator applies to

HPA300 Filter Replacement for Honeywell HPA300 Series Air Purifiers HPA300, HPA300VP, HPA304, HPA3300, Replace HRF-R3 (3 R Replacement Filter + 4 Activated Carbon Pre-Filter) by Funmit

A machine that publishes a figure you can actually compare against the answer above, rather than a coverage area with no air change rate behind it.

$31.99Check pricePrices change often

Prices and specifications change, so check the listing against the number this calculator gave you.

Replacement filters and the machines they fit

Common questions

Why does the filter cost matter more than the purchase price?

Because you pay it repeatedly. A machine bought once at a hundred dollars with a forty dollar filter due twice a year costs four hundred and sixty dollars over five years, and the filters are nearly four fifths of that. The purchase price is the smaller decision even though it is the one that feels like the decision.

How often do filters actually need changing?

It depends on the machine and on how dirty the air is, and manufacturers commonly state somewhere between six and twelve months. A filter reminder light is usually a timer rather than a measurement, so it counts hours run rather than how loaded the filter is. Looking at the media is a better guide than the light.

Are third party replacement filters worth it?

Sometimes, and the risk is real: the media grade and the seal around it are what make a filter work, and a poor fit lets air bypass the filter entirely. If you use one, look at how it seats in the machine rather than at the percentage on the box.

Can I wash a HEPA filter?

No. Washing a pleated HEPA filter damages the fibre structure that does the filtering and it does not recover, whatever the packaging suggests. A washable pre-filter is a different part: it is a coarse screen in front of the HEPA stage, and washing that one is exactly what you should be doing.

What about the power cost?

It is smaller than most people expect and it is not nothing. A machine drawing fifty watts continuously uses about 438 kilowatt hours a year, which at fifteen cents a unit is around sixty five dollars. That belongs in the comparison alongside the filters, and it is the argument for a larger machine running at a lower speed.

Related on this site