- Maximum Filtration
- 6 Month Filter
- Filters up to 750-Gallon/0.75-GPM flow rate
- Easy filter replacement
Since I''m not the mechanical one in the family, my husband installed this on the 1/4 inch copper water line that runs into our refrigerator. He was pretty happy with this filter and said that it was easy to install. As other Vine reviewers have stated, make sure you understand that this is an in-line filter.
The box directions state that you might need to have a tube cutter or file (for copper tubing) or a utility knife (to cut plastic tubing). You also need to follow the directions for restarting the water and getting the air out of the line before you turn the family loose on the filtered water.
Our city water does have a slight chemical taste to it, so I tend to favor the filered water out of the fridge door over plain tap water. This filter does seem to make a difference. Less chlorine taste and smell in the water.
Buy Filtrete Universal In-Line Refrigerator Filter Now
This is a Filtrete Universal filter for refrigerators that dispense water. It is easy to install in the line and only needs replacing every six months. The Filtrete name is a trusted one in water filtration. The water dispensed no longer has any type of "taste" to it. I recommend this product.
Read Best Reviews of Filtrete Universal In-Line Refrigerator Filter Here
This filter was approximately the same size as the filter it replaced. It installed easily and seems to be working well.
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Although some refrigerators with ice makers and water dispensers have built in filters, others do not. Yet they can benefit from one in many ways to enhance taste and remove odors and harmful content. There are cheaper filters out there, and many of them will get water to taste equally pure, but cheaper alternatives will not filter out Cryptosporidium and Giardia Cysts. Chances are that your municipal water supply is processed well enough to take out most harmful substances. But they don''t claim to remove everything, and they do so at the expense of adding a chlorine taste and smell. Once you start using this filter, you will notice a big difference going back to unfiltered tap water.
Among other things, this filter is easy to install. Many earlier filters on the market required adding compression fittings to your water line. Even if they had quick disconnects, the initial process wasn''t so easy and you were stuck with their brand for refills. This filter allows you to push each end of a plastic or copper tube into it for a leak-free seal.
I''ve used other filters such as the Culligan IC-EZ-3 EZ-Change Level 3 Icemaker and Refrigerator Drinking Water System that I''d also recommend. But there are a few differences. The Culligan is initially more work to install, but refilling it is a lot easier. The cartridges are similar in price, but the Culligan cost more up front. The 3M cartridge also lasts 50% longer, so it''s effectively cheaper. For each two you buy, you''d need to buy three if you used the Culligan instead.
Overall, this 3M filter does a lot, is more cost effective than the competition and is easy to replace. But you do need to know what you are doing, although the instructions are simple. You''d probably be able to change the Culligan filter without any instructions and it may save a little but of time in the long run, but those are the only advantages. Given the extra installation effort up front and the more frequent filter changes, the time savings may cancel out. So unless you are handy enough to install the Culligan so a person who is not handy at all can do the filter changes, you might be better off with this 3M filter that you''ll need to change only twice a year or less.
In my experience, since I don''t use enough water or ice in six months to hit the limit, I can go longer without changing a filter without having a change in taste. There are times I''ve forgotten, which is easy to do if you write the date down. This one comes with an indicator with a line that becomes increasingly red like an old fashioned thermometer with a rising temperature. You activate it when you get the filter, but mine was slightly crushed and therefore activated when I got it.
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Disclaimer: I am reviewing a unit I received for free through the Vine program.
Well unlike other Vine reviewers I knew exactly what this was when I ordered it. We''ve had an inline filter on the water line going to our refrigerator for years, so for us this was just a replacement.
It works OK, installed as easily as any other inline filter (once you cut the line for your first filter, you just slide the input and output segments of the water line into the 2 ends of the replacement filter). If this is the first time you''re installing an inline filter, then yes you do need to cut the water line so you can "splice" this filter into the middle of the line (also I recommend, if your line is copper, replacing the half coming from the wall to the filter, with plastic tubing instead, for more flexibility in positioning and securing the filter; we left the copper for the half going from the filter into the refrigerator).
A downside to this model is that it is smaller than other filters we''ve used in the past, and is only good for 6 months. I think the old filter I just replaced with it was not only twice as large, but also good for 5 years!
Maybe the size doesn''t matter too much, but presumably there''s more carbon etc. filtration material in a larger filter (the older filter listed more contaminants that it treated, compared to this one). I think this one is rated for 700 gallon flow while that older larger longer-lasting one was rated for 650 gallon flow, but I don''t notice any difference in the flow of cold water out of the actual tap on the refrigerator.
So this is a good filter if you are content with the 6-month lifetime and just the most basic list of contaminants that it treats.
