Fridge water filter

Pincher

Bought a Panasonic American style fridge/freezer, with ice maker and water dispenser, about a year ago. It has a small water filter cartridge, which is supposed to be changed every six months.

I actually have a bigger external water filter, with two different cartridges, for feeding the fridge, as well as the Insinkerator hot water heater, with cold water dispenser, so the fridge gets pre-filtered water. I hardly ever use the fridge's cold water and ice any way, so the Panasonic's filter isn't used much.

The change filter reminder light came on in six months, which I ignored, but the ice started tasting funny, so eventually I was forced to replace the cartridge. The ice now tastes normal again.

The kitchen cold water dispenser which gets the filtered water from the external filter had no taste issue throughout.

This implies that the official Panasonic filter cartridge has a deliberate time bomb, which dissolves in six months, and ruins the water.

I bought a cheap compatible cartridge, instead of the official ~£70 Panasonic cartridge, Part No. CNRAH-257760 . The compatible seems to be a simple carbon filter, needing flushing out initially, just like the external water filter I have. The water and ice from the compatible now taste normal.

It is my suspicion that the compatible will last a lot longer than six months, because I don't use the ice and cold water much.

It is also my suspicion that if I had bought another official Panasonic cartridge, I will get the bad taste again in six month, right on schedule, because they have a sabotage mechanism built-in.

Just sharing my experience, so other people can avoid wasting money.

Cardew

On my NEFF American freezer the water filter light comes on 6 months after the light is reset,(button pressed for a few seconds) even if the filter isn't changed, and I can taste no difference in the water even after a year. i.e. there is no quality 'sensing device' in the freezer - the filter warning light comes on automatically after 6 months.

My freezer was supplied with a 'blanking plate' which fits in place of the internal filter and can be used if you have an external filter or are happy to drink tap water. My son's American Fridge freezer has the same.

Incidentally NEFF charge a fortune(approx £70) for a filter. I got a compatible filter for approx £20 and they were both exactly the same. Both manufactured by 3M with the identical part number.

I can't see that Panasonic would dare to have a 'deliberate time bomb'!

Pincher

Just airing my suspicion, no positive proof.

The taste difference is very obvious.

The Insinkerator water heater came with its own cartridge as well. I think it wants to be replaced every THREE months.

They say the filter takes out mineral, but I find I have to take out the Insinkerator every two years or so, and flush it out. The lime scale looks like golden sand.

coffeehound

Pincher wrote: »

The taste difference is very obvious.

What was the taste like?

Downstream of the filter there will be no chlorine left to kill bacteria so it is possible for bacteria to thrive if you are not running much water through the system. Perhaps best to remove the charcoal filter altogether and get the benefit of the chlorine in the tap water.

Pincher

coffeehound wrote: »

What was the taste like?

The bad taste was like iodine/bromine.
It was more noticeable in ice.
I put the ice in fizzy drinks, and it is distinctly unpleasant.

After replacing the fridge cartridge, the bad taste is now gone.

matelodave

Never been a great beliver in filters unless it's just to get crud out of the water or you are using water from a doubtful source like a well or stream.

If I want filtered water I use a Brita filter jug - my delicate body and clothes or dishes dont really need to be washed in filtered water

The stuff that come out of the taps in the UK is clean but can be a bit chloriny at times. A lot of filters will strip out the chlorine so any water that sits in the pipes down stream of the filter can get pretty manky fairly quickly. It usually tastes a bit brackish or mouldy.

Others might have some silver in them which is supposed to kill any bacteria but again they all need a reasonable flow through them to keep them functioning properly and stop bacteria building up in them. All of them should be changed regularly otherwise they can introduce more problems than they solve.

Another problem is that if you've got flexible platic piping it can sometimes react with the chlorine in the water and the water then tastes a bit like TCP which is what your's sounds like, so it's actually relying on the filter to strip the chlorine before it gets to the plastic parts in the pipework.

Perhaps you'll have to start changing the filter a bit more often or stop using the ice maker

Cardew

matelodave wrote: »

Another problem is that if you've got flexible platic piping it can sometimes react with the chlorine in the water and the water then tastes a bit like TCP which is what your's sounds like, so it's actually relying on the filter to strip the chlorine before it gets to the plastic parts in the pipework.

Surely all fridge freezers with an internal filter will have plastic tubing both from the main water source to the fridge casing, and internally from the casing to the filter, and then from the filter to the ice maker and water dispenser.

Even if you have an external filter it will still use plastic tubing to the fridge and internally in the fridge - what else could be used?

Pincher

It's all logical until some clever clogs decides to do something totally unexpected. My first guess is a slow dissolve fouling capsule. Now that I have musing time, what about an environmentally friendly filter that rots as it decomposes?

Anyway, the compatible cartridge is behaving just like my main external active carbon filter, with initial soot that needs flushing through. Very re-assuring. I fully expect not needing to replace it for years, because I rarely use the fridge dispenser. It's mainly for the ice in summer.

kwikbreaks

Can't you just bypass the fridge filter entirely? It must be possible to find some compatible connectors and a short length of tubing.

I use carbon based plug in filters filters on a separate small tap for tea making etc. and they need replacing every 6 months. They cost < £10 for 2 delivered on eBay.

Cardew

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Can't you just bypass the fridge filter entirely? It must be possible to find some compatible connectors and a short length of tubing.

As I said in post#2 all American freezers that I have used have a 'blanking plate' or 'filter bypass' that is specifically intended for those using an external filter(or no filter) See:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE3qpAizZ1s

kwikbreaks

Ah - I see that is a different filter type from the one I use which just has push in connectors at each end.

With anything proprietary there is a price premium but I doubt that the innards are anything special.

I wouldn't expect to leave a filter with organic materials in it to be able to remain in place indefinitely - especially if the flow was only sporadic.