How often should you change fridge water filters? The answer is not as clear as it seems, and opinions can vary. Some people say every six months or so, while others say it should be changed every three months.
We will discuss the fridge water filter replacement frequency and how to determine when they need to be changed already.
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Factors That Affect the Frequency of Changing Fridge Water Filters
There are a few factors that affect fridge water filter replacement frequency.
Quality of Local Drinking Water
First is the quality of your local drinking water and how often it gets changed since this affects just how much dirtier your fridge filters get than normal ones would do. If you have very dirty tap water or if there’s construction nearby that would cause bad plumbing or blocked drains, then sometimes even every three months.
Quality of Fridge Filters
Secondly, the fridge filter replacement frequency should also depend on the quality of your fridge filters since some are more durable than others and can last longer, whereas other fridge filters will wear off faster even if you don’t use them that often.
Also, it is important to determine what fridge water filter you have. There are two main types that people use in their fridges: the easy-to-change cartridge filters and the gravity-fed sediment filters.
If your fridge has a cartridge filter, then the fridge water filters will come with an indicator that shows if it needs changing or not – this usually comes in the form of red dots, which appear when the time is due for replacement.
On the other hand, sediment fridge water filters don’t have any indicator, so fridge owners need to pay attention to when their water pressure starts dropping.
The Usage
Finally, a third factor is how much usage there is in your fridge. The more you open the fridge door, the faster it will wear out and need replacement filters. How often you use filtered drinking water from inside of the fridge would also affect how quickly or slowly dirt accumulates in there.
The Signs You Need
Changes in Taste and Odour of the Water
When the fridge filter replacement frequency has passed, drinking water from it would not only taste bad but might also produce a bad odour which can cause health problems.
If there’s too much chlorine in your local drinking water and some undesirable bacteria have grown inside of the fridge itself as well, then it can cause health issues such as diarrhea.
If you happen to drink from it, this is when you might start experiencing stomach pain and other problems so be sure to replace your fridge filters too soon rather than wait until they wear out completely.
Decrease in Water Pressure
When the replacement is overdue, it can cause a decrease in water pressure or an increase in temperature inside of your fridge.
If you notice this then go ahead and change filters to prevent any more damage from being done by these symptoms.
Cloudy Ice
Sometimes, there might be some clouding of ice cubes when the replacement has passed. This happens because the dirt and rubbish that accumulates in the fridge water filters makes them less effective than they should be.
Best Time to Replace
In general, fridge water filters should be changed before you experience any of the problems mentioned above.
The best way to know, however, is by following the manufacturer’s instructions and not just when you feel like it’s time to change them.
So, when should you change fridge filters? It actually depends on your circumstances but we recommend replacing it every three months or after around six hundred gallons of usage (based on the average household).
