A water filter is a necessity in the modern kitchen, but with so many options on the market, it’s difficult to find the right one for your needs. The best way to do this is by considering what you want from your water filter and how much money you are willing to spend. If cost is the determining factor, then you might want to check out the best refrigerator filters on Discount Water Filters.
Where Is the Water Filter for My Refrigerator?
Filter locations depend on the model and brand of the refrigerator. The most common parts to locate a refrigerator water filter include the upper-right corner of the fridge’s inside, at the back, or the bottom of the grille. Older fridge models used water filters in the back of the fridge connected to the water supply line. Here is an explanation of the different locations of different types of fridge filters:
Top-Freezer Fridge Filter
You’ll find them at the left-lower or top-right portion of the grille of the fridge.
Bottom-Freezer Fridge Filter
You’ll find them in the grille’s lower-left, top-left, or top-right portion.
French 3-Door Fridge Filter
You’ll find them in the bottom center, top-right, or top-left grille portion.
Side-by-Side French Door Fridge Filter
You’ll find them in the left-lower or top-right grille portion.
Under-Counter Fridge Filter
You’ll find them in the left-lower grille portion of the refrigerator.
Are Refrigerator Water Filters Necessary？
While the majority of municipal water systems in the US do provide clean water, this does not automatically imply pure water. Even after excessive chlorination, tap water can still contain a lot of chemicals and dangerous pollutants. It can also taste and smell strange.
Additionally, the tap water that eventually makes it to your home is made even more contaminated by pipeline transit of overly chlorinated tap water.
Pesticides and other contaminants are effectively removed from domestic water supplies by refrigerator water filters, providing your family with clean, safe water.
Why You Should Change Your Refrigerator Filter
Many people don’t think about the fridge filter until they notice a funny aftertaste in their drinks. This can be because of bacteria growth in the water line, which is not something anyone wants to deal with!
If ignored, old or dirty water can cause all sorts of illnesses, including diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and more serious conditions like a brain infection, meningitis, and cholera. Contaminants found in some water sources can also lead to cancers, including leukemia and lymphoma.
So, be sure to change your refrigerator filter according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. It’s also wise to change the filter at the end of a season, just in case there’s something growing in it.
What Is the Best Refrigerator Filter?
It’s difficult to decide which refrigerator filter is going to be the best fit without considering some important factors first. For example, if cost is an issue, it may make sense to check out the best fridge filter deals online.
A water professional will also be able to help you decide what’s going to work for your home and family, or if it would make more sense to choose a different product. For instance, an under-sink system might not be appropriate if space is limited in the kitchen.
Ultimately, it’s best to consider what you want from your filter and how much money you are willing to spend before making a purchase. This will ensure that the product will serve its purpose for as long as possible while still maintaining convenience in terms of installation or usage.
How to Find an Affordable Filter Yourself
If you’re not sure which filter is the best for your needs but are still keen on finding a bargain, it may be worth doing some research. Start with your local hardware store and ask the workers for advice on which products they would recommend.
However, it’s important to know which features are the most important for you in order to find an affordable filter. For instance, do you want a water pitcher or just a faucet attachment? Do you need filtration and UV light protection? Once those questions have been answered, it should be simple enough to figure out the best product for you.
Are Aftermarket Filters as Good as the Original Ones?
It’s worth mentioning that aftermarket filters are generally not as good as the original ones. This is because they are often made of lower quality materials and they usually don’t come with a guarantee, unlike an OEM product.
However, if you’re just looking for something temporary that doesn’t cost too much money, it might make sense to get an aftermarket filter.
The other option is to go with OEM filters, which are more expensive but will provide the best protection for your system. There are many options available on the market right now so you should be able to find something that suits your needs and budget!
How Often Should You Change the Water Filter?
You should change the water filter every six months, or at least once a year. The frequency of changing these devices depends on how much you use it and where you live.
Some people might need to replace their fridge filters more often based on the quality of drinking water in their area while others may not have to worry about this for quite some time.
For example, if you live in an area that does not have water quality issues, it may make sense to change the filter every four or five years while people who are at a high risk of developing bacterial infections from drinking contaminated water might need to do this more frequently.
Refrigerator filters are an essential investment for anyone who wants to protect their family from contaminants that can make us sick. However, it’s more important than ever to do your research before you purchase a filter because many of the products on the market may not be as effective as they claim.
For instance, some aftermarket brands have been found to contain harmful chemicals like lead and mercury which is something we don’t want in our drinking water!
What Harmful Substances Can the Refrigerator Water Filter Remove?
Refrigerator water filters use the carbon filtration method to remove chlorine, other foul-smelling chemicals, and contaminants from the water supply dispensed from the fridge.
Here is the list of contaminants that refrigerator filters can easily remove:
- Herbicides
- Lithium (Li+)
- PFA
- Chloride (Cl-)
- Nitrate (N032-)
- Microplastics
- Chlorine byproducts
- Phosphate (P043-)
- Pharmaceuticals
Along with that, the activated charcoal in fridge filters can help eliminate the following drugs and toxins:
- Sedatives
- Dapsone
- Calcium channel blockers
- Malaria medications
- Methylxanthines (mild stimulants)
- NSAIDs, and other OTC anti-inflammatories
- Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
How To Choose The Best Water Filter: A Checklist
Buying the best water filter for your family can be difficult. Firstly, it impacts your health. Secondly, you need to be aware of the contaminants in your water that you wanna remove. So let’s look at some parameters you should look out for.
Is The Product Patented?
A patented product means the company has exclusive rights to the product, which promises genuine quality water filter products.
Is the Filter Material Environmental Friendly?
It is essential to choose water filters that have environmentally friendly materials used in them. These filters are more sustainable, last longer, reduce wastage of material, and prevent pollution.
Is my Water Filter BPA free?
BPA or Bisphenol A is an industrial chemical that can cause serious health issues. Therefore, checking that your water filter uses BPA-free materials is crucial.
Does the Filter Contain High-Quality Manufacturing Material?
You must ensure that your water filter is made up of high-quality materials. Whether an OEM or replacement filter, the manufacturer should be NSF certified, such as Glacier Fresh. It means that the required quality standards are met during the manufacturing of your filter.
Pros of refrigerator water filters
A refrigerator water filter offers the following benefits over other forms of water filtration:
Great convenience
The easiest and most practical drinking water filtering technology available is a refrigerator water filter. They filter the water that is utilized by the ice maker and instantly produces filtered water when a button is pressed. Refrigerator water filters don’t need any kind of storage tank to account for sluggish filtering because they have such a high flow rate.
High flow rate
Water may be filtered in “real-time” when the dispenser is turned on thanks to the refrigerator filters’ high flow rates. This gives you the freedom to distribute any amount of water you want at any moment, which certain other filtration systems, like RO, cannot.
Simple maintenance
Approximately once every six months, a refrigerator water filter has to be changed. While the exact steps for changing a filter differ from refrigerator to refrigerator, the procedure usually entails just inserting and twisting the filter to secure it in place. Prior to being ready for use, water must be put through the filter to remove any remaining compressed air. Find out how to change the water filter in your refrigerator.
Improved water taste and odor
A refrigerator water filter works to enhance the flavor and smell of water. Chlorine is vital for disinfecting water since it destroys bacteria, viruses, and parasites, but it also makes water taste less pleasant to drink. In order to provide water a crisp, fresh flavor, refrigerator filters lower the chlorine content.
Cons of refrigerator water filters
In contrast to other types of water filtration, refrigerator water filters possess the following downsides.
Ineffective at removing many contaminants
Fluoride, microplastics, arsenic, heavy metals, germs, and viruses are not removed by refrigerator filters, despite the fact that they are excellent in removing pollutants like chlorine, lead, and other VOCs. Microbial pollutants are not a problem if the water in your house is treated by the city, unless you are given a “boil water” warning. Although reverse osmosis and water distillers clean water far more effectively than refrigerator filters, water that has gone through a refrigerator water filter still tastes better than water that hasn’t been filtered at all.
Contain only one filtration stage
Many filtering systems have three stages or more. This makes it possible to decrease pollutants in the final product by a larger proportion. Refrigerator filters can only operate in one stage due to space constraints, which prevents them from eliminating larger concentrations of the toxins they lower.
Need frequent replacement
Every six to twelve months, refrigerator water filters need to be replaced, and they may be pricey for a filter that is just used to filter drinking water. Maintaining these regular changes is crucial to avoid producing a product that is worse than tap water from not updating your refrigerator filter.
Increases cost of refrigerator substantially
The initial costs of refrigerators with built-in water filters are greater, and these prices do not even account for future filter replacement expenses. Some customers can decide to buy a less priced refrigerator without a filter and install a different filtering system beneath their sink.