Cold, clean water from your refrigerator is a wonderful luxury that many people appreciate. Even simple refrigerators that only produce ice are useful. The need for a water filter is something that all of these refrigerators have in common. Any refrigerator that dispenses ice or chilled water has an internal filter that ensures the water is truly clean and safe to drink.
Why Is My Fridge Water Cloudy After Changing Filter?
When a high-end water filter cartridge is changed, the water produced by the new filter normally appears cloudy, almost like a glass of skim milk.
The cloudy appearance is caused by extremely small air bubbles in the water. Filling a clear glass with cloudy water allows you to watch the tiny air bubbles slowly rise to the top of the glass over several minutes, leaving a clear, clean glass of water. The water is perfectly safe to consume. The air in the water is the same as the air you breathe.
An old filter will not effectively remove impurities from the water used to make your ice. While it is normal for ice to be cloudy on the inside, unusually cloudy ice could indicate a problem with the refrigerator water filter.
When does Your Fridge Water Filter need To Be Changed?
Water filters do not last forever. People frequently forget that their refrigerator has a filter, let alone that it needs to be changed.
Even if you are aware that your refrigerator water filter should be replaced, when is the appropriate time? You might not remember when the filter was last changed. You might not be aware of the proper interval between filter changes.
Today, we’re here to help you determine whether or not your water filter needs to be changed and how to do so.
1) Bad Taste of Dispensed Water
The water from your refrigerator should taste clean, like nothing, or very faintly like plastic. These are the only flavors you should get from your freshly filtered refrigerator water. Tap water flows through your water line, then through the filter, and into the ice maker and water dispenser.
If your water tastes bad, however, something has gone wrong. The water lines inside the refrigerator should be clean, indicating that the water filter is no longer effectively cleaning your drinking water. In fact, if a dirty filter is left unattended for an extended period of time, it can begin to spread the contaminants it once contained.
2) Ice Has An Unusual Odor
You put ice in your glass, then your beverage, and raise the glass to your face. But you smell it as the ice begins to melt and the glass is closest to your nose. A strange, sour, or metallic smell comes from the glass.
Unless you just dispensed fridge water, it’s not your beverage. This is your ice. Ice smelling bad can be caused by a number of factors, but if your freezer and ice bin are clean, the most likely cause is an old water filter.
An unaltered water filter can cause your ice to smell bad for the same reason that it causes water to taste bad. You may also notice that your iced drinks do not taste right.
3) A Slow Trickle of Water Dispensed
The water filter is directly connected to the fridge’s water system. This means that any water that enters your refrigerator must first pass through the water filter. If the water filter is clogged with filtered particles, water will have a difficult time passing through.
As a result of the clogged filter acting as a dam, there may be insufficient water pressure throughout the fridge.
This is most noticeable when you try to dispense water and only get a small trickle. This means that water is no longer flowing from the tap to the dispenser nozzle.
4) The Ice Is Getting Smaller
For the same reason that your water dispenser may be running at a trickle, your ice may be coming out smaller than it should. Small ice may be the clearest indication that your fridge’s water filter needs to be changed if you don’t have a water dispenser.
The ice is too small because the fill spout that fills the ice mold with water is too slow. It cannot fill the mold in the time allotted for open-valve operation. Each cube is too small because there isn’t enough water in the mold.
5) Black Spots in the Water or Ice
Most water filters are charcoal filters, which contain millions of tiny flecks of charcoal dust that remove contaminants from the water that flows through them. It’s normal for a few small black specks to escape from time to time.
It’s normal for a new water filter to emit a few black specks during the first clean run. However, if your ice or water has several black specks and the filter is not brand new, it is time to change the filter. It has begun to leak filter medium.
Is It Really Necessary To Replace The Water Filter In Your Refrigerator Every Six Months?
The recommended usage period for most water filter manufacturers is six months. This is because water filters typically begin to wear out and lose their filtering ability after six months.
If you drink more water than most people or have a large family, you should replace your water filter more frequently than the recommended six months.
Most refrigerators have indicator lights that tell you when it’s time to change the water filter. However, some refrigerators lack this indicator light, or the water filter is hidden away, making it easy to forget to change the refrigerator water filter.
Related Questions
Can you drink water from the refrigerator after changing the filter?
Although drinking it will not harm you, most people prefer to run water through a filter because carbon can leave a bitter taste in your mouth. It is simple to flush your newly installed refrigerator water filter!
Can refrigerator water filters cause illness?
Microorganisms such as salmonella and coliform have been found to frequently pass through water filters, and these contaminants can be extremely harmful to your health.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, any fault in the filter or an old, worn-out filter can result in cloudy water. Moreover, a new filter usually produces water with skimmed milk-like appearance. This issue sorts out with time.
