Replace Refrigerator Water Filter

If your refrigerator has a water dispenser or ice maker, it has a filter that removes chlorine, sediment, and some contaminants from tap water. Manufacturers recommend replacing it every 6 months regardless of use — an overdue filter becomes saturated, loses filtering effectiveness, and can restrict flow enough to reduce ice production. Locate your filter: most are inside the fridge in the upper right corner, the bottom left corner, or at the base grille. Find your model number (inside the door frame) and order the exact replacement filter — off-brand filters are fine as long as they're NSF 42 and 53 certified. For most inline filters: turn the old filter counterclockwise and pull it out (some require pressing a release button). Slide in the new filter and turn clockwise until it locks. Run 2 gallons of water through the dispenser to flush the new filter (discard this water — it contains carbon fines from the new filter). Reset the filter indicator light (usually hold the 'filter reset' button for 3 seconds). If your model uses an external inline filter, shut off the water supply valve behind the fridge before swapping. Store the receipt — filters are often tax-deductible as home maintenance.