Refrigerator Water Filter Replacement: Find Yours, Change It, Reset the Light

If your refrigerator has a water or ice dispenser, it has a filter, and the five big makers agree on how often to change it: about every six months. Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, GE Appliances, and Frigidaire all give that interval, and some add a gallon limit that can come first in a busy kitchen. The EPA explains why the date matters: "Using a filter after it has expired can make it less effective at removing lead."

This guide covers how to find the exact filter your fridge takes, the swap itself, how much water to run through a new filter, and how to turn off the reminder light. It takes about ten minutes, and no tools.

How Often to Change It

Six months is the outer limit, not a target. Change it sooner if the indicator comes on, the water slows to a trickle, or a big household runs through the gallon rating early. Write the date on the new filter, or add it to your maintenance calendar twice a year.

Find the Right Filter

Filters look alike across models and don't swap between them, so start from a part number, not a photo.

1. Read the old filter. The part number is printed on it. Whirlpool says that once you remove the filter, "you should be able to locate the number on the side of the filter." Samsung says to check the model number on the existing filter to tell a HAF-CIN, HAF-QIN, or HAFCU1 apart.
2. Or check the owner's manual. Whirlpool lists the filter in the manual's "Accessories" section, and Frigidaire says most manuals give the water filter information.
3. Or use the maker's filter finder with your refrigerator's model number. LG's is the Water & Air Filter Finder on its parts locator, GE's is the filter finder on GE Appliance Parts, and Whirlpool points owners to everydrop's site. On a Frigidaire, the model number is on the upper wall of the fresh food compartment: the left side on top-freezer models, the right side on French-door and side-by-side models.

How to Change It

1. Find the housing. On the models above it sits inside the fresh food compartment (top right, top left, or at the back) or behind the bottom door bin. Your manual shows where yours is.
2. Take out the old filter. Most turn a quarter turn counterclockwise, and some push to release. Keep a towel handy for drips.
3. Put in the new one the way it came out: push it in and turn it until it stops or clicks. Don't force it; if it won't seat, check the part number again.
4. Flush it. A new filter holds air and loose carbon dust, so run water through the dispenser and throw it away. The amounts the makers give are below.
5. Reset the reminder (see the next section), then check the housing for drips over the next hour.

Trapped air can also cost you a few batches of ice. Frigidaire says it "can result in 2 or 3 empty ice maker cycles."

Reset the Filter Light

Most indicators count time, not water quality, so they won't go off by themselves after a new filter goes in. Whirlpool says the light "needs to be reset every time the water filter is replaced; it does not automatically reset (on most models)."

• Samsung: press and hold the Filter Reset button for three seconds. On a Family Hub fridge: Apps, Fridge Manager, Fridge Settings, Water Filter, Reset.
• LG: press and hold the Water Filter or Filter Reset button for 3 seconds, until it chimes or the indicator turns off.
• Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid: it depends on the control panel. Whirlpool's examples include holding the FILTER RESET or WATER FILTER button for 3 seconds, or touching MAX COOL and MAX ICE together for 3 seconds.
• GE Appliances: orange means replace soon, red means replace now. Press and hold the RESET WATER FILTER pad until the red light goes off. Models with an RFID filter reset automatically, and GE says the reminder can't be reset by hand.
• Frigidaire: the Water Filter Status shows on the display on most models; the reset steps are in your manual.

Genuine or Compatible Filters?

Third-party "compatible" filters are sold for many of these fridges, and the makers warn against them in plain terms:

• Samsung: "Avoid third-party water filters as they may cause leaks and potentially damage your refrigerator."
• Whirlpool: "Any damages caused by counterfeit filters may not be covered by your refrigerator warranty."
• GE Appliances: counterfeit filters "do not always meet the NSF/ANSI Drinking Water Treatment standards and can damage the Refrigerator's filtration system." GE also says it does not sell filters through individuals or internet auction sites.
• Frigidaire: "Compatible or look-alike filters aren't guaranteed to offer the same water quality."

The safest buy is the maker's own part number, sold by the maker or a retailer it lists. If you consider a compatible filter, look for the specific NSF/ANSI certification the filter claims, and check that claim on NSF's own listings rather than the box.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I don't change my refrigerator water filter?

It keeps passing water, but it does less. The EPA says a filter used past its expiration can be less effective at removing lead, and LG says slow dispensing is a sign to check the filter sooner. Change it at six months, or at the gallon rating if you reach that first.

Why is there black stuff in the water after I changed the filter?

Those are carbon particles from the new filter. LG says, "These particles are harmless," and flushing the amount in the table above clears them.

Do I need a filter if I don't use the dispenser?

If the fridge has an ice maker on the same water line, the ice is made from that filtered water too, so the same schedule applies. If the water line is shut off and the fridge makes no ice, check your manual for what the maker says about leaving the filter in place.

The light came on, but I just changed the filter. What now?

Most indicators are timers, so reset it by hand with the steps above. If yours is a GE with an RFID filter, the reminder resets itself once the new filter is recognized, and it can't be reset manually.

The Bottom Line

Every six months, or sooner at the gallon rating or when the light comes on: read the part number off the old filter, put the same number back in, run the water the maker calls for, and reset the light. Buy the maker's own filter, and put the next change on your calendar the day you install this one.

Sources

• Samsung — replacing the refrigerator water filter (every six months; six-month indicator timer; reset steps; dispense several gallons; avoid third-party filters), HAF-QIN, and HAF-CIN.
• LG — how to replace the water filter (about every 6 months; filter models and locations; reset; flush about 2.5 gallons; carbon particles are harmless), LT1000P, LT800P2, and LT700P2.
• Whirlpool — purchasing replacement water filters (every 6 months; the number on the side of the filter; the manual's Accessories section), resetting the filter status light, flushing the water system (1 to 4 gallons; 24 hours to chill), and avoiding counterfeit filters; KitchenAid's replacement filter page gives the same interval.
• GE Appliances — water filter replacement (every six months or 170 to 200 gallons; dispense 1 to 2 gallons), replacement filters and filter finder, XWFE replaces XWF, filter indicator lights and RFID filters, counterfeit filters, and genuine parts.
• Frigidaire — how often to change the water filter, which water filter you need (compatible filters aren't guaranteed to offer the same water quality), model and serial number location, prime and purge guide, and the EPTWFU01, WF3CB, ULTRAWF, and FPPWFU01 product pages on Frigidaire Canada, where the WF3CB and ULTRAWF are listed as WF3CBC and ULTRAWFC (intervals, gallon ratings, location, flushing).
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Will my filter remove lead? (follow the manufacturer's replacement schedule; an expired filter can be less effective at removing lead).

Last reviewed October 23, 2026. General information, not professional advice — a leak at the filter housing or water line that a reseated filter doesn't stop belongs to an appliance repair technician or plumber.

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