• Real Estate Professionals
  • Service Providers
First American Home Warranty
  • Request Service
  • Sign In
  • 888.875.0533
  • Get a Quote
  • Menu
Request Service Sign In

Homeowner

  • Overview
  • Why Buy a Home Warranty
  • What's Covered
  • How to Request Service
  • Home Warranty Reviews
  • Get a Quote
  • Home Appliance Warranty Coverage
  • Budget Protection
  • What is a Home Warranty?

Service Provider

  • Overview
  • Why Join Our Team
  • Home Warranty Network 101
  • Service Provider Testimonials
  • Service Provider Application

Real Estate Professional

  • Overview
  • Why Choose First American
  • Sample Coverage
  • Locate Your Area Manager
  • CRES Home Warranty
  • Real Estate Testimonials
  • Marketing Materials

Resources

  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Case Studies and Testimonials
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Home Maintenance Tips
Menu

Sign In / Register

  • Email Address is required.
  • Password is required.
Register Forgot Password
Request Service Sign In
  • Blog Home
  • Budget Smart
  • Home Care
  • Home Maintenance
  • Home Warranty
  • Homeowner Tips
  • Lifestyle
  • Real Estate
  • Archives
How Often Should You Change Water Filters?
Homeowner Tips

How Often Should You Change Water Filters?

Many home systems and appliances rely on the quality of water to help ensure their performance. A faucet water filter, for example, can help remove unwanted impurities, giving you a better-tasting glass of water. Learn how these five appliances or systems in your home can benefit from a water filter and when you should replace each one.

1. Refrigerator Water Filters

Does your refrigerator have a water dispenser or an icemaker? If it does, it will have a water filter to remove contaminants. Impurities in water can leave an odor or unpleasant taste. You should change your refrigerator’s water filter cartridge twice per year or as the manufacturer recommends keeping the quality and taste first-rate. Check the manufacturer’s manual for the kind of cartridge your refrigerator needs and how often it should be replaced.

Replacing water filter in refrigerator

2. Faucet-Mounted Water Filters

You should replace your faucet-mounted filter every two to three months, or as recommended by the manufacturer. Keep in mind that busier households and your home’s water quality can decrease the life of a filter.

Pros

  • Convenient
  • Low-cost
  • Easy to install
  • Easy to maintain

Cons

  • Cold water only
  • May leak or crack
  • Only delivers purified water where the filter is mounted

Here are some tips to keep in mind when choosing a faucet-mounted filter:

  • Make sure it filters out the pollutants you are most concerned about
  • Look for a system with a long-lasting filter to reduce how often you need to replace it

3. Pitcher Cartridge

Water pitchers are as convenient as they are cheap to maintain. They filter impurities in tap water by removing chlorine, zinc, copper, cadmium, mercury, and sometimes the metallic taste you just cannot seem to shake. The only downside to these water filters is that you must change them frequently. Your water pitcher should signal when its filter should be replaced. A change in taste or odor is also a good indicator that a new filter is needed.

Filtered water pitcher

4. Shower Filters

Shower filters reduce the amount of chlorine, heavy metals, and harsh sediment that come into contact with our skin. If you or anyone in your family has sensitive skin, one way to reduce irritation is to purchase a shower head with an integrated filter or attach a shower filter to your current one.

How often you should replace a shower filter depends on how much water you use. On average, it should last six months or about every 10,000 gallons of water usage. However, this varies because the amount of water used differs from household to household. This article includes helpful information on average shower water use.

5. Whole House Water Filter

A whole house water filter provides clean water throughout your home. It is installed on the main supply line, delivering clean water to every faucet. Though it costs more to install a whole house water filter, you won’t have to think twice about the water quality throughout your home.

A whole house water filter should be changed every three to six months. Learn more about when to change your whole house water filter.

Faucet water filter

This article is about...
  • Appliances
  • Home systems
  • Refrigerators
4 Steps to Remove Air in Water Lines
Homeowner Tips

4 Steps to Remove Air in Water Lines

What Is a Heat Pump and Should You Make the Switch?
Homeowner Tips

What Is a Heat Pump and Should You Make the Switch?

Oven Not Heating Up? 7 Oven Repair Tips You Can Try
Homeowner Tips

Oven Not Heating Up? 7 Oven Repair Tips You Can Try

Couple shopping online

Get a personalized home warranty quote

It only takes a few minutes

View home warranty plans that could save you hundreds to thousands of dollars each year.

Get Started Today

Popular Articles

water heater temperature
What's the Best Temperature for Your Water Heater?
Finding a home's shutoffs
Where to Find Your Home's Shutoff Valves
Ceiling fan direction
Which Way Should Your Ceiling Fan Turn?
When to change water filter
How Often Should You Change Water Filters?
Home warranty repair
What is a Home Warranty?
Change dishwasher filter
Does Your Dishwasher Have a Filter?
garbage disposal tips
What Can Safely Go in the Garbage Disposal?
Grout cleaning guidance
Guide to Care, Cleaning, and Maintenance of Grout
Changing air filter
How to Change the Air Filter in Your HVAC System
Converting your garage
Garage Conversion Ideas

This website uses cookies and similar technologies to manage your sessions, manage content, and improve your website experience. To learn more about these technologies, your options, and about other categories of personal information we collect through this website and how we may use it, please see our privacy policy. This notice is effective for your use of this website for the next 14 days.

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Accessibility
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
© 2023 First American Home Warranty Corporation and its licensed subsidiaries. All rights reserved.