Write the month on your refrigerator water filter
Fridge filter
Mark the install month on the refrigerator water filter collar with a marker so the next change is a peek, not a guess.

A refrigerator water filter that looks clean can still be months past its useful life. Writing the install month on the collar or head turns the next peek into a calendar check.
Mark the refrigerator water filter collar
- After you seat the new filter (model matched — Find your fridge water filter model), dry the plastic collar or end cap.
- Use a permanent marker to write the month (and year if you like) where you can read it without fully unscrewing the filter.
- Optional: snap a phone photo of the fridge filter model and the date together for the next order.
- Still reset the change light if your fridge has one — Reset fridge filter change light.
Many homes change about every six months, sooner with heavy ice use or noticeable taste. Gray or slow water still beats the calendar.
Honest stop
Do not run long-term with a bypass plug unless you accept unfiltered water — Bypass plug means unfiltered water. Taste or odor right after a change is often air or flush volume, not a missing date mark — Fridge water tastes bad after filter change.
More help
- Same niche: Refrigerator water filter — wrap the old filter before the trash · Refrigerator water filter — bag the old filter before the trash · Refrigerator water filter — remove the bypass plug before the new cartridge · Refrigerator water filter — check a stored spare before you install it · Refrigerator water filter — cloudy ice needs another harvest · Refrigerator water filter — dispenser taste vs ice-only timeline · Find your fridge water filter model · Refrigerator water filter — purge the first glasses to the sink · Refrigerator water filter — run a few glasses after a trip · Flush the ice bin after a fridge filter change · Refrigerator water filter — write a bypass-plug reminder sticker · Fridge filter bypass plug means unfiltered water · Refrigerator water filter — wet the O-ring before you seat it · Refrigerator water filter — finish the quarter-turn after the first click · Fridge water tastes bad after a filter change · Refrigerator water filter — shut off ice maker during purge · No water after a fridge filter change — purge air · Refrigerator water filter — photo the model and install date · Reset the fridge filter change light · Refrigerator water filter — discard a second ice harvest if taste is off · Refrigerator water filter — slow dispenser? check the water line · Refrigerator water filter — wipe the housing before the new one · All fridge filter guides
- Related fixes elsewhere: When to replace a humidifier wick · Rinse humidifier wick housing weekly