Refrigerator water filter — photo the model and install date

The next refrigerator water filter swap is easier when you already have a photo of the fridge filter model and the install month. Guessing from memory is how people buy the wrong cartridge.

Photo the fridge filter model and install date

1. Before you throw the old cartridge away, photograph the model number printed on the filter body or the label inside the compartment — not just the fridge series name on the door.
2. Write the install month/year on the new filter with a marker (or keep the photo in a phone album named “fridge filter”).
3. Set a calendar reminder from that date using the interval your manual suggests (often about six months, or sooner if taste/ice quality drops).
4. When shopping, match the photo’s fridge filter model — bypass plugs and “universal” fits still need the exact code for your refrigerator.

If water or ice taste is off right after a change, purge and flush per your other fridge-filter guides before assuming the refrigerator water filter is the wrong SKU.

More help

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• Related fixes elsewhere: Write the install date on a furnace filter · Read furnace filter size before you buy