It's easy to forget about basic maintenance duties in today's busy household unless they're planned into your calendar. Otherwise, you can forget to replace a refrigerator water filter until it's far past its expiration date. This is one chore, however, that you should not overlook.

You may be asking when you should replace your refrigerator water filter if you haven't done so in a few months, a year, or several years. Perhaps your water tastes OK, and you're debating whether or not you need to change your fridge filter. Just because your water tastes good doesn't imply it's actually good. Many contaminants have no flavour. Many brands like Kenmore make good water filters, which require less maintenance and are easy to replace.

How often should I replace the water filter in my refrigerator?

Have you ever wondered, "How frequently should I replace the water filter in my refrigerator?" You're not the only one who feels this way! It's easy to forget that your refrigerator's filter is responsible for providing an unlimited supply of fresh, clean water. Your health depends on having access to clean water. On its route to your pipes, the water provided to your house picks up heavy minerals, germs, and other impurities. When you use your refrigerator's water dispenser, the filter's purpose is to remove all of the impurities.

Refrigerator water filters should be changed at least once every six months, according to manufacturers. However, there are a number of factors that influence how often water filters should be replaced. How soon your water filter fills depends on water hardness, water quality, or how often you use the water dispenser and ice maker. If you’re unsure about its quality, you may use test strips to check what toxins are present in your household water supply.

How does a water filter in a refrigerator work?

Most refrigerator filters use a mix of sediment and carbon filters to eliminate unpleasant tastes and odours. A carbon block core is encased in a material like polypropylene in refrigerator filters. To remove dirt and suspended materials, water runs mechanically through the outer material. Other undesirable particles stick to the carbon block's surface.

Adsorption is the mechanism by which contaminants in water cling to the carbon in a refrigerator filter. They don't absorb into the carbon's surface (absorption) but rather stick to a place inside the massive surface area of carbon (adsorption).

Signs that it's time to replace your refrigerator's water filter

Filters in refrigerators should be changed every six months. A filter should never be left in place for more than a year. The longer a carbon filter is used above its maximum capacity, the more toxic your water may become. Filter placement guidelines are a fantastic place to start. Any time you notice indicators of low filter quality, you should change your refrigerator water filter. Here are several signs that it's time to update your water filter:
  • Water has a flavour similar to tap water.
  • Ice tastes like water or smells like ice.
  • The dispenser's water pressure is low, and the water filter alarm beeps or changes colour.

Here's what happens if you don't change the water filter in your refrigerator

  • Your filter has become clogged. It becomes clogged with dirt and particles to the point that it can no longer filter. When water stops flowing out of your filter, you know it's time to replace it.
  • Carbon has reached its limit. Even though the surface area of the filter is full, water continues to flow past it, carrying pollutants with it. Consider going to a mall around the holidays. You go back on the road and travel somewhere else after driving up and down rows of automobiles and finding no space to park. Similarly, particles collect or flow through an old carbon filter when all of the gaps are filled.
  • Bacteria can multiply in your filter. A clogged carbon filter accumulates particles that feed live organisms and serves as a bacterial breeding ground.

Are water filters in refrigerators effective?

Refrigerator filters work well for their primary purpose. They're great in reducing chlorine taste, odour, and sediment. They won't soften water, eliminate iron, or protect you from health risks if you drink untreated water. If your water comes from a well, you're responsible for its safety and will require more than a refrigerator filter to purify it. Well, water often needs whole-house filtration, as well as microbial treatment.

The new filter is ready to use once you've installed it and flushed it out. Remember to set a reminder in your calendar for another six months to update your filter. To enjoy fresh, clean water all year, changing your water filter should be part of your normal maintenance regimen.