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.

write month on refrigerator water filter — related household tip photo
Photo: J.smith / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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

  1. After you seat the new filter (model matched — Find your fridge water filter model), dry the plastic collar or end cap.
  2. Use a permanent marker to write the month (and year if you like) where you can read it without fully unscrewing the filter.
  3. Optional: snap a phone photo of the fridge filter model and the date together for the next order.
  4. 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.

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