So… just like a lot of people, my compact filter cartridge needing replacing relatively quickly. At $250/ cartridge, this makes a serious $$ commitment, especially for a small school like ours. Out of curiosity, when my new one arrived, I took apart the old one. The only dirty part on the cartridge seems to be only the top of the uppermost filter. All the rest still looked OK, at least to my eyes.
Would there not be a way to revise the cartridge simply to replace this top filter rather that go through the expense of replacing the entire thing? It seems more environmentally friendly as well.
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You can find thin foam filter material you can cut with scissors at most grocery stores designed to keep dust from clogging a window shaker… They are under a half inch thick and can be hand washed. Used on top of the filter cartridge they should extend the life of the cartridge, as I think running a vacuum cleaner sofa gadget over the filter loosen up enough paths to allow a bit longer use.
The really expensive bit is the HEPA filter and in the compact filter I think that is what is on the top.
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When the Compact Filter first arrived, there were a lot of threads on the forum about people trying to fashion homemade pre-filters for them. I didn’t have one, so I didn’t pay a lot of attention and don’t know how that worked out, but they could probably be found with a search.
When the redesigned Glowforge Air Filter was announced, Dan mentioned that it would support a pre-filter, and that they were “planning to work to make the improved cartridges and prefilters backwards compatible”. So it’s possible that at some point you will be able to get a new part that extends the life of your cartridge.
Finally, in my opinion, I don’t see Glowforge ever supporting the option for you to open the cartridge up and put in new filter material. I can think of a number of reasons why this seems unlikely, from their historical position on DIY maintenance to the potential liability when the filter no longer meets its advertised specifications.
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I agree. But not supported doesn’t mean not usefully doable 
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Thank you for your feedback. We’re not able to provide advice on how to alter or otherwise modify your filter. More information about the lifespan of the cartridge can be found here.
I’ve moved this thread to Beyond the Manual so the discussion can continue there.
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