Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.
Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.
The filter cartridge behind the grille or inside the fridge is a consumable, and it is the one piece of maintenance on a refrigerator that has a direct effect on what you drink. The EPA puts it plainly: a filter is only effective if it is maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions for how long it lasts before it needs replacing. The physical job is about fifteen minutes, needs no tools on most models, and the fiddly part is not the fitting but the flushing.
This page will not tell you which filter to buy, and that is deliberate. Filter parts are bound to the model, not to the brand: LG alone lists six different filter parts for its own refrigerators, and GE's own replacement instructions apply to a named list of model prefixes rather than to all of its fridges. So the page sends you to your model number instead of guessing a part number, which is the failure that ends with a filter that does not seat and a puddle under the fridge. The flush volume gets the same treatment for the same reason: Whirlpool, GE and LG each give a different figure, and all three are printed below with their names against them rather than averaged into one.
| Item | Note |
|---|---|
| Towel | Water stays in the filter housing after you remove the filter. |
| Container of 4 litres or more | A large container decreases the number of times that you empty it. |
| Flashlight optional | A filter housing behind the base grille is in a dark space. |
| New water filter cartridge material | The part number must be the part number for your refrigerator model. |
Estimated 8 min
No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.
USE A FILTER THAT THE MANUFACTURER APPROVES FOR YOUR MODEL.
A different filter can leak. Its performance for your refrigerator is unknown.
Estimated 4 min
Estimated 4 min
PUT A TOWEL BELOW THE FILTER HOUSING BEFORE YOU RELEASE THE FILTER.
Water in the housing falls onto the floor.
DO NOT USE FORCE ON THE FILTER.
A filter that does not turn is usually a filter that turns in the other direction.
MAKE SURE THAT THE NEW FILTER LOCKS IN ITS POSITION.
A filter that is not fully in position causes a leak.
Estimated 6 min to 11 min
No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.
FLUSH THE WATER SYSTEM BEFORE YOU DRINK THE WATER.
Air and carbon particles are in the water from a new filter.
Estimated 4 min
No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.
This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.
Stop if the new filter does not go into position. LG says that a filter that will not seat, or that starts to leak, needs a service diagnosis. Do not use force on the filter housing.
Stop if water continues to flow from the filter housing after you fit the new filter. A leak inside a cabinet can cause damage that you do not see for weeks. Speak to a certified appliance technician.
Stop if you must cut, join or move the water supply pipe behind the refrigerator. That work is not part of this procedure. Speak to a licensed plumber.
A refrigerator filter is not a treatment for water that is not safe. If you have a notice about your water supply, follow the instruction from your water supplier.
Every six months is what all four manufacturers checked for this page say, so this is one of the rare cases where they agree. Whirlpool says every 6 months, when the indicator light comes on, or as needed. LG and Samsung both say every six months. GE Appliances is the one that adds a second condition: every six months or after roughly 170 to 200 gallons of dispensed water, which will come sooner in a busy household. Your own manual is still the one that governs, and heavy use or poor incoming water quality shortens all of these.
The one your model number calls for, and nothing on this page can tell you which that is. Filter parts are tied to groups of models rather than to a brand: LG lists six different filter parts for LG refrigerators alone, and GE's own replacement instructions apply to a specific list of model prefixes rather than to every GE fridge. Find the model number on the label inside the fridge, usually on a side wall or under the crisper drawer, and look the filter up from that. If you still have the old filter, its part number is usually printed on the body.
That is your call, but check two things before you do. The first is fit: a cartridge that does not seat properly in the housing is the most common cause of a leak under a fridge. The second is certification. The EPA points out that filters certified by an accredited third-party body have had their contaminant reduction claims independently verified, and that a filter is only effective if it is replaced on the manufacturer's schedule. An uncertified filter is an unknown quantity, not a cheaper known one.
There is no single answer, and the manufacturers do not pretend there is. Whirlpool says the amount varies by filter and that some of theirs need 1, 2 or 4 gallons. GE says approximately 1 to 2 gallons. LG says 2.5 gallons, or about five minutes of dispensing. We print all three rather than averaging them, because an average is a number nobody published. Read the insert that came with your filter.
On most modern refrigerators, no. The filter head has a valve that closes when the cartridge comes out, which is why only a small amount of water escapes. Neither Whirlpool's flush guidance nor GE's replacement instructions ask you to shut off the supply. If your documentation does ask for it, follow your documentation.
Air, and it is normal for a short while. Whirlpool describes exactly this: if the system is not flushed after a filter change, air in it can cause dripping at the dispenser, small or hollow ice cubes, and a cloudy look to the water. The cure is to keep flushing until it clears. Throw out the first batch of ice for the same reason.
Flow drops first, usually showing up as a slow dispenser or small ice cubes. The filtration itself stops being what it claims to be well before that, which is the part you cannot see: the EPA's position is that filters are only effective if maintained to the manufacturer's stated life. A clogged filter does not become a better filter.
Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.
Current version 1 · updated 2026-07-29 · next review due 2027-07-29
Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.
Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.
Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.