There are certain pieces of personal equipment and machinery used in our everyday lives for which we have to perform regular maintenance. For example, around every 3000 miles or so, we need to change the oil in our automobiles to ensure the longevity of the engine, and to keep certain particles from building up and causing serious damage.
Isn’t the water that you and your family drinks and cooks with just as important as the oil you put in your car?
We believe that the purity of the water we drink is paramount to our health and well being. There is wide diversity in water filtration and purification systems on the market, but one of the most common systems is the filtration unit built right into your refrigerator. Most refrigerators built in the last two decades provide water filtration and dispense ice and water through an orifice built into the door. Most people drink water on a daily basis but fail to realize or remember where that water actually comes from, and how it gets from its natural source into our cups. The fact of the matter is that water travels through miles of steel, plastic, and copper piping before ever reaching homes, potentially picking up impurities along the way.
It is recommended by most experts and refrigerator manufacturers that you change your refrigerator’s water filter at least every six months.
Six months is an average but can vary widely based on factors such as usage and flow rate expectancy. Failure to replace your filter in a timely manner permits unabsorbed water contaminants, bacteria, and a bad taste and smell to saturate the filter, forcing it to leak impurities into the processed water.
If you’re uncertain how long it’s been since you’ve replaced your refrigerator’s water filter, some indicators that it needs to be replaced include:
- the water gives off an unpleasant odor
- the water has an icky taste or tastes like tap
- the water pressure gradually decreases
In most cases, changing your refrigerator water filter is fairly simple. Many manufacturers have taken steps to ensure that their filters are easy to access and replace. Some need to be twisted a quarter turn and pulled out, while others have a large button next to the filter that you simply push, and the filter pops out.
Each manufacturer’s refrigerator water filtration system is a bit different though. You should consult your owner’s manual to locate the filter, and follow the directions for removing and replacing it.
Replacement refrigerator water filters range in cost, but on average, to change your filter two times a year would roughly cost $70-$80.
By using two water filters per year, a refrigerator can filter about 3,000 bottles of water. This can save you over $600 a year versus purchasing bottled water, and it’s good for the environment to spare landfills from all of the plastic bottles.
