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How often should you change your fridge filter?

Every six months for nearly every fridge filter, or sooner if your household runs more water through it than its gallon rating allows. Each filter's numbers.

TapBuffUpdated 2 min read

The short answer

Every six months, for every original fridge filter TapBuff tracks with a published interval, or sooner if its gallon rating runs out first. Most are rated for 125 to 300 gallons, so a household drawing more than about a gallon a day from the fridge, ice included, runs a 170- or 200-gallon filter out before six months. EPA says a filter used past its life can be less effective at removing lead.

How often should you change your fridge filter?

Every original refrigerator filter TapBuff tracks that has a published replacement interval says the same thing: six months. Most also carry a gallon rating, from the maker or from the certifier's listing, and the filter is due at whichever comes first. The gallons are what catch people out, because several filters are rated for less water than a household can draw in six months.

Six months, or the gallons, whichever comes first

Divide a filter's gallon rating by the days in six months and you get the daily use at which the gallons run out first:

  • 125 gallons, Frigidaire's PurePour and PureSource Ultra II filters and two of Electrolux's: about two-thirds of a gallon a day.
  • 170 gallons, GE's MWF, XWFE, RPWFE and AFPWF: just under a gallon a day.
  • 200 gallons, most EveryDrop filters and LG's LT1000P, LT700P and LT800P: about 1.1 gallons a day.
  • 300 gallons, Samsung's HAF-CIN and HAFCU1, LG's LT600P and GE's MSWF: about 1.6 gallons a day.

Use more than that through the fridge and the filter is due before six months. Water for the ice maker counts if it runs through the filter.

How long each original filter lasts

How long each original filter lasts

FilterReplace everyRated forGallons run out first above
Electrolux PureAdvantage PWF-1 (EPPWFU01)Fits Electrolux6 months125 gallons0.7 gallons a day
Electrolux PureAdvantage Ultra (EWF02)Fits Electrolux6 months125 gallons0.7 gallons a day
Frigidaire PurePour Connect PWF-2 (FPPWFU02)Fits Frigidaire6 months125 gallons0.7 gallons a day
Frigidaire PurePour PWF-1 (FPPWFU01)Fits Frigidaire6 months125 gallons0.7 gallons a day
Frigidaire PureSource Ultra II (EPTWFU01)Fits Frigidaire6 months125 gallons0.7 gallons a day
GE AFPWF Auto Fill Pitcher Water FilterFits GE6 months170 gallons0.9 gallons a day
GE MWF SmartWater Refrigerator Water Filter (MWFP)Fits GE, GE Profile, Crosley, Monogram6 months170 gallons0.9 gallons a day
GE RPWFE Refrigerator Water FilterFits GE, GE Profile, Monogram, Café6 months170 gallons0.9 gallons a day
GE XWFE Refrigerator Water FilterFits GE, GE Profile, Crosley, Monogram, Café6 months170 gallons0.9 gallons a day
EveryDrop Refrigerator Ice & Water Filter 1 (EDR1RXD1)Fits Amana, JennAir, Kenmore, KitchenAid, Maytag, Whirlpool, Crosley6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
EveryDrop Refrigerator Ice & Water Filter 2 (EDR2RXD1)Fits Amana, JennAir, Kenmore, KitchenAid, Maytag, Whirlpool6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
EveryDrop Refrigerator Ice & Water Filter 3 (EDR3RXD1)Fits Amana, JennAir, Kenmore, KitchenAid, Maytag, Whirlpool6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
EveryDrop Refrigerator Ice & Water Filter 4 (EDR4RXD1)Fits Amana, JennAir, Kenmore, KitchenAid, Maytag, Whirlpool6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
EveryDrop Refrigerator Ice & Water Filter 6 (EDR6D1)Fits Amana, JennAir, Kenmore, KitchenAid, Maytag, Whirlpool6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
EveryDrop Refrigerator Ice & Water Filter A (EDRARXD1)Fits KitchenAid, Maytag, Whirlpool, Crosley6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
Frigidaire PureSource 3 (WF3CB)Fits Frigidaire6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
Frigidaire PureSource Ultra (ULTRAWF)Fits Frigidaire6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
Kenmore 9081 Refrigerator Water FilterFits Kenmore, Kenmore Elite6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
Kenmore 9082 Refrigerator Water FilterFits Kenmore6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
Kenmore 9083 Refrigerator Water FilterFits Kenmore6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
Kenmore 9690 Refrigerator Water FilterFits Kenmore, Kenmore Elite6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
Kenmore 9999 Refrigerator Water FilterFits Kenmore6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
Kenmore Elite 9490 Refrigerator Water FilterFits Kenmore, Kenmore Elite6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
LG LT1000P Refrigerator Water FilterFits LG6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
LG LT700P Refrigerator Water FilterFits LG6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
LG LT800P Refrigerator Water FilterFits LG6 months200 gallons1.1 gallons a day
EveryDrop Refrigerator Ice & Water Filter 5 (EDR5RXD1)Fits Amana, JennAir, Kenmore, KitchenAid, Maytag, Whirlpool6 months240 gallons1.3 gallons a day
GE MSWF Refrigerator Water FilterFits GE, GE Profile6 months300 gallons1.6 gallons a day
LG LT600P Refrigerator Water FilterFits LG6 months300 gallons1.6 gallons a day
Samsung HAF-CIN Refrigerator Water Filter (HAF-CIN/EXP, DA29-00020B)Fits Samsung6 months300 gallons1.6 gallons a day
Samsung HAFCU1 Refrigerator Water Filter (HAFCU1/XAA)Fits Samsung6 months300 gallons1.6 gallons a day
Samsung HAF-QIN Refrigerator Water Filter (HAF-QIN/EXP, DA97-17376B)Fits Samsung6 months316 gallons1.7 gallons a day
Electrolux PureAdvantage NGFC-2000 (EWF01)Fits Electrolux6 months400 gallons2.2 gallons a day
Frigidaire PureSource 2 NGFC-2000 (WF2CB)Fits Frigidaire6 months400 gallons2.2 gallons a day
Kenmore 9911 Refrigerator Water FilterFits Kenmore, Kenmore Elite6 months400 gallons2.2 gallons a day
LG LT500P Refrigerator Water FilterFits LG6 months500 gallons2.7 gallons a day
GE GSWF Refrigerator Water FilterFits GE, GE Profile, Monogram6 months750 gallons4.1 gallons a day
Bosch UltraClarity Pro Water Filter (11032531 / BORPLFTR50)Fits Bosch, Thermador, Gaggenau6 monthsNot published—
Bosch UltraClarity Water Filter (11034152 / BORPLFTR10)Fits Bosch, Thermador, Gaggenau6 monthsNot published—
Bosch Water Filter 00640565Fits Bosch6 monthsNot published—
Kenmore 9002 Refrigerator Water FilterFits Kenmore6 monthsNot published—
Kenmore 9980 Refrigerator Water FilterFits Kenmore, Kenmore Elite6 monthsNot published—
Thermador Water Filter UCTRFLTR10 (12023312)Fits Thermador6 monthsNot published—
Intervals and gallon ratings are each maker’s, or the certifier listing’s where it rates the filter. Above the daily use in the last column, the gallon rating runs out before the months do, so the filter is due sooner. Water for the ice maker counts if it runs through the filter.

GE rates its GSWF at 750 gallons on its store page, as does IAPMO's listing, but the data sheet in GE's own installation instructions says 300. A household that uses a lot of water through the fridge may want to replace it sooner than its rating suggests.

Copies have their own numbers

A copy's interval and gallon rating are its own maker's, not the original's. Most copies TapBuff tracks also say six months. Swift Green says four to six months, and ICEPURE and Mist's CWMF011 publish no interval at all. The rating to follow is the one for the filter in your fridge.

Why on time matters

EPA says a filter used past its life can be less effective at removing lead. Not every fridge filter is certified for lead in the first place; does a refrigerator filter remove lead? shows which are.

AHAM, the trade group for appliance makers, notes that many people forget to replace their filters or have no filter light to remind them. If your refrigerator has a filter light, its manual says what the light counts and how to reset it after a change.

What it costs to keep up

Most original filters cost $40 to $60 at list price, twice a year. Five years of GE's MWF on its six-month interval comes to $500, and EveryDrop's Filter 1 to $600. Certified copies cost less, though most are certified only to NSF/ANSI 42, for chlorine taste and odor. Are off-brand fridge filters as good as the originals? compares them.

Find your filter

TapBuff's refrigerator filter pages find the filter your fridge takes by its model number, with each filter's interval, gallon rating and five-year cost.

To see what EPA's records show for your water:

What’s in your water?

Matched to your utility using EPA records.

Questions people ask

What happens if I don't change my refrigerator water filter?
Its listing or its maker rates it for a set number of gallons, and its maker for a set number of months. EPA says a filter used past its life can be less effective at removing lead.
Can I go longer than six months if I barely use the dispenser?
Most makers TapBuff tracks rate their filters in months as well as gallons, and a filter is due at whichever comes first, so a light user still reaches the six months. A few give only one of the two, or neither; the tables below show which.
Does the ice maker count?
If your refrigerator sends the ice maker's water through the filter, yes: that water counts against the gallon rating too.
How much does it cost to change a fridge filter on schedule?
Most original filters cost $40 to $60 at list price, twice a year. Five years of GE's MWF on its six-month interval comes to about $500. Certified copies cost less, though most are certified for chlorine taste and odor only.

Sources

  1. Will my filter remove lead? (updated October 7, 2026), U.S. EPA. Checked Oct. 8, 2026.
  2. The Hidden Dangers of Counterfeit Water Filters (June 29, 2018), Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. Checked Oct. 10, 2026.
  3. GE MWF Refrigerator Water Filter (MWFP), GE Appliances. Checked Oct. 9, 2026.
  4. IAPMO certificate for GE refrigerator filters, NSF/ANSI 42 (rated capacities), IAPMO. Checked Oct. 9, 2026.
  5. everydrop Refrigerator Ice & Water Filter 1, Whirlpool. Checked Oct. 9, 2026.
  6. NSF listing for EveryDrop Filter 1 (EDR1RXD1), NSF. Checked Oct. 9, 2026.
  7. HAF-QIN Refrigerator Water Filter, Samsung. Checked Oct. 9, 2026.
  8. NSF listing for Samsung DA97-17376B (HAF-QIN), NSF/ANSI 42, NSF. Checked Oct. 9, 2026.
  9. LG LT1000P Refrigerator Water Filter, LG. Checked Oct. 9, 2026.
  10. PureSource Ultra II Refrigerator Water Filter (EPTWFU01), Frigidaire. Checked Oct. 9, 2026.
  11. IAPMO certificate for Frigidaire and Electrolux refrigerator filters, NSF/ANSI 42 (rated capacities), IAPMO. Checked Oct. 9, 2026.
  12. Swift Green Filter SGF-M9 VOC removal refrigerator water filter, Swift Green Filters. Checked Oct. 9, 2026.
  13. ICEPURE RWF0600A replacement for GE MWF, ICEPURE. Checked Oct. 9, 2026.

Published · Last reviewed . Where every figure comes from and how it is checked: the methodology.

Spotted something wrong or out of date? Write to info@tapbuff.com.

How TapBuff checks this

Limits come from EPA, standards from NSF’s own documents, and certifications from the certifier’s listing, never the box. Every source is dated.

Methodology

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