It's easy to forget about essential maintenance duties in today's busy household if 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 pay attention to. Also, read 5 Mistakes To Avoid When Purchasing Refrigerator Water Filters

You may be asking when you should replace your refrigerator water filter if you last did so in a few months, a year, or several years. 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 flavor. 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 provides unlimited fresh, clean water. Your health depends on having access to clean water. On its route to your pipes, the water supplied to your house picks up heavy minerals, germs, and other impurities. When you use your refrigerator's water dispenser, the filter aims to remove all impurities.

According to manufacturers, refrigerator water filters should be changed at least once every six months. However, several factors influence how often water filters should be replaced. How soon your water filter fills depends on water hardness, water quality, or how usually you use the water dispenser and ice maker. If you are unsure about its quality, you may use test strips to check what toxins are 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 odors. In refrigerator filters, a carbon block core is encased in a material like polypropylene. Water runs mechanically through the outer material to remove dirt and suspended materials. 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 flavor 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 color.

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, so 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 entire, water continues to flow past it, carrying pollutants with it. Consider going to a mall around the holidays. You return to the road and travel somewhere else after driving up and down rows of automobiles and finding no parking space. Similarly, particles collect or flow through an old carbon filter when all 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 excellent at reducing chlorine taste, odour, and sediment. However, 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 it will require more than a refrigerator filter to purify it. Well, water often needs whole-house filtration and microbial treatment. 

Also read: Can a Water Dispenser Purify Water?

Once you've installed and flushed the new filter, it's ready to use. Remember to set a reminder in your calendar for another six months to update it. Changing your filter should be part of your regular maintenance regimen so you can enjoy fresh, clean water all year.