By changing your refrigerator water filter regularly, your water stays fresh and free of contaminants. Removing your old water filter and installing a new one doesn’t take long, and it’s also quite simple. We spoke with Matthew Morrison, an appliance expert at JustAnswer, for some pro tips on water filters. Here’s how often you should change your refrigerator’s water filter and how to actually do it.

Why changing the water filter is important

Water filters don’t last forever: Over time, they can build up from minerals and contaminants, reducing their ability to filter water. Poorly filtered water may be discolored or have a bad taste. Changing your refrigerator’s water filter regularly ensures that its water (and ice) stays fresh and filtered.

Recommended filter replacement frequency

Your refrigerator’s water filter should be replaced every six months to a year. You will need to replace it more frequently if the water in your home is quite hard or comes from a well: these types of water can leave more minerals behind than softer water. The filter will not need to be replaced as often if you rarely use your water from the refrigerator Or ice maker.

Morrison adds that “as long as you continue to get a solid stream of water at the dispenser…the filter should work fine.”

Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Filter

There are four signs that tell you it’s time to replace your water filter:

• The “change filter” light or indicator on the front of your refrigerator has turned on: “Many refrigerators will have a light that comes on after 200 gallons,” Morrison says.
• Your water is discolored or cloudy.
• Your water tastes a little unpleasant.
• The dispenser does not produce water.

Consequences of not changing the filter

While digging out (and installing) those replacement water filters may seem like a chore, failing to change your water filter has a few unintended consequences. Your water will not only taste (and look!) worse, but it may also be riddled with a few more contaminants like lead and chlorine than it otherwise would be.

How to Replace Your Refrigerator Water Filter

Different brands and models of refrigerators have their own ways of installing a new water filter: check the refrigerator manual for details. But here are the general steps to follow:

1. Open the refrigerator door and locate the filter.
2. Remove the filter cover.
3. Unlock or remove the filter.
4. Place the new filter in the same location, then lock, slide, or rotate it into place.
5. Replace the cover.
6. Close the refrigerator and check that its watermaker is still working.
7. Reset the filter button or indicator.

Common Myths About Water Filter Maintenance

Despite what you may have heard, you cannot clean and reuse an old water filter. This is because the particles and contaminants trapped there are quite small and cannot really be cleaned. Additionally, cleaning a water filter is more likely to damage it than anything else.

Fortunately, replacement water filters aren’t too expensive. This leads to another myth about water filters: water filters are expensive to maintain and replace. Instead, most genuine filters cost around $50 each, while generic replacements cost around $20-30 for a multipack.

Setting reminders for regular filter replacement

Having trouble remembering to replace your water filter? Try these three tips to remember to replace it.

• Replace the water filter every time you move your clock forward or backward.
• As soon as the “change filter” light comes on, order a new filter and try to install it this weekend, don’t delay!
• Set a recurring “change filter” event on your calendar every six months to a year to remind you.