Discover the 4 unpleasant consequences of living with an expired water filter.
Having a built-in water and ice dispenser in your refrigerator can be very handy. No more refilling ice trays or running out of cold water! Instead, the only chore you have to complete to guarantee yourself an endless supply of cold, fresh water and ice on demand is remember to change your refrigerator water filters.
Refrigerator water filters can only clean a certain number of gallons of water before wearing out. But since it is all but impossible for a fridge owner to track how many gallons’ worth of water and ice that have been dispensed, most manufacturers recommend simply replacing your filters every 6 months instead. If you shirk your duty and don’t replace your filters on time, you may begin to encounter these 4 unpleasant consequences.
Taste and Odor Changes
As your water filter begins to wear out, it will become less effective at filtering out the various chemicals, minerals, and microbes that may be present in the water supply. This may soon become apparent to you in the form of changes in the taste and odor of the water coming from your refrigerator.
Cloudy Ice
Water with higher mineral content or other dissolved solids tends to be cloudy rather than clear when it freezes. If you are using the crushed ice feature on your fridge this may be hard to recognize, but it will be apparent when using cubes.
Slow Flow
The more minerals and solids build up on the filter media, the more difficult it will be for water to pass through the filter and the slower your water will run. So if it is taking longer and longer to fill a glass from your refrigerator water dispenser, this is a key indicator that your filter has worn out.
Health & Safety Concerns
Most importantly, when your water filter wears out, this means that you are no longer receiving adequate protection from chemicals, heavy metals, or microbes. This may put you at risk for exposure to:
- Arsenic
- Asbestos
- Barium
- Cadmium
- Excessive Chlorine
- Chromium
- Cysts (microbes)
- Excessive Fluoride
- Lead
- Nitrates & Nitrites
- Radium
- Pesticides
Before you assume that your water is safe without filtration, take a moment to realize that city water authorities sometimes do make mistakes. For example, according to data from California’s Water Resources Control Board, the average monthly concentration of fluoride (a cavity-preventing chemical added purposefully to municipal water) in some parts of LA County was 0.96 mg/L, much higher than the Health Department’s recommended 0.7 mg/L. Why take chances with your health and safety by relying on the city waterworks alone to treat your drinking water when you can easily and affordably get a second layer of protection from your refrigerator water filter?
At American Appliance Repair, we can assist you in finding replacement water filters for just about any brand and model of refrigerator, including GE, Whirlpool, Amana, KitchenAid, Maytag, and Frigidaire units. We can even install your refrigerator water filters for you. Please contact us today to schedule your service.
