If you haven’t replaced the water filter of your fridge in months or years, you may be asking yourself, “When should I change it?” You may even think twice about replacing it after you remove the old one. Why replace it when the water tastes fine? However, you have to understand that just because it seems fresh doesn’t mean it is. After all, a lot of bacteria and impurities don’t affect the taste of water. If you do notice the water taste change, using a water enhancer may help make it more palatable.
How does water filter for fridge work?
Many water filters are made to remove bad odor and taste by utilizing a carbon filtration system. This type of filter has a carbon block covered by polypropylene. This lets the water flow through the material that filtrates solids and debris in the water. Some particles get attached to the carbon block surface.
The water you drink and use in cooking goes through different pipes buried underground before it reaches your home. And since most of these pipes are old, the lead from the pipes and some hazardous compounds may contaminate the water. Most filters were made to remove these three most significant contaminants in water: chlorine, lead, and VOCs or volatile organic compounds.
What happens if you don’t change the water filter in your refrigerator?
Did you ever experience having a nice glass of cold water and notice that it tastes different than usual? That may be because of an unchanged water filter in your fridge. When you change your water filter every six months, you can make sure that the water and ice that comes from this piece of appliance tastes great.
As is mentioned above, the water filter for fridge removes sediments and other pollutants in the water. By merely making sure that your water filter is changed constantly, you can ensure that what you’re drinking every day is clean and free from contaminants that may harm you and your family.
Can you use your refrigerator without the water filter?
In some cases, you can still use your fridge without the said equipment. But how does it work when a filter isn’t installed? Without it, the water coming from your fridge skips the whole filtration process and goes directly to the water dispenser or the ice maker. Some refrigerators need a bypass plug which enables the water to bypass the filtration system. But, some models don’t require this.
The bypass plug takes the place of the filter in the water filter housing. It keeps the water from entering the filtering hole. Your fridge’s water system will not work when the bypass plug and even the water filter isn’t installed inside.
Conclusion
Although the water system can work even without the water filter, you should install one and replace it from time to time. Since this piece of equipment strains contaminants in the water that you and your family take, you’re making sure that the water you drink and use in your meals is fresh and clean.