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Is changing icemaker water filters a scam? (1 Viewer)

Steve Schaffer

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The 7500 mile recommendation was for "normal driving" which is considered to be about 75% highway with relatively few short trips--in other words traveling salesman use. In reality most cars are driven primarily short distances and rarely does the oil get hot enough to burn off moisture condensation. In addition few owners take maintenance requirements seriously enough to actually do them at 7500 miles, usually stretching to 10 or 15k if at all. The result has been class action suits against automakers when engines sludge up.

The temp guage on cars indicates coolant temp, oil takes a lot longer to reach optimum temperatures.
So just because your temp guage gets to normal within a few blocks of driving doesn't mean the oil is hot enough to burn off the moisture that accumulates in the oil. The presence of ethanol in so many fuels means even more moisture in the engine.

Anyone interested in actually keeping a car longer than the typical 2 or 3 year lease contract would be better served by following the "severe service" maintenance schedule which usually does recommend oil changes every 3-4k miles.
 

Bryan X

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I always used to follow the 3,000 mile "rule." No more since I got my Honda Odyssey. It tells me when to change the oil based on data the computer gathers about my driving. I've got 26,000 miles on it and have only changed the oil 3 times (I'm about halfway to my 4th change which will probably come around 29k). So at about 30k I'll have 4 changes in versus normally I'd have done 10 changes.

Full disclosure-- I live in a rural area so my driving probably is 75% highway.
 

BrianW

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I can tell you that there are no flow-restriction sensors used. Such a device would be completely unreliable due to varying and fluctuating water pressure. Even with a pressure transducer (an expensive device) to maintain a specific pressure baseline, a flow-restriction sensor would be useless since the pressure on the output side of the valve is essentially zero.

More likely, if it's not simply timer based, there is a usage meter that measures the volume of water passing through the filter, and the change light is triggered after a set amount of water passes through the filter. Cheap units are strictly schedule-based, but the higher-end refrigerators have a combination of both, where the change-light is triggered on either time in service, or threshold water usage, which ever comes first. You may think that they should make it which ever comes last so you get the most usage out of your filter, but, as joe said, there are good reasons to change filters based solely on time in service.

On our fridge, the filter can be simply removed if you want to bypass its use. Removing it wont filter the water, but it won't stop the flow, either. If your city water is, in your estimation, plenty good enough, or if you're already feeding filtered water to your fridge, then this is the option to use.
 

Philip Hamm

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This happened to a friend of mine. Completely trashed his finished basement. Massive damages to the house. I'd recommend changing the filter when it calls for it.
 

VicB

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Sort of depends on the quality of the water coming from the tap
 

Dennis Nicholls

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I think I have my answer. My refer puts on the red light exactly at 6 months intervals.

I've taken to writing the installation date with a sharpie pen on the filter cartridge at the time of installation. Today I changed out the filter since the red light came on last night.

The old cartridge was labeled "11 August 2008". :rolleyes
 

Jim_F

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The filter for my fridge is in the basement. It's rated at at 1500 gallons. Recommended usage is 6 months. Since I use less than a gallon per day, I've been changing mine every 2-3 years w/no problems. The fridge came with the house 10 years ago and water flow is still excellent. BTW, though, thanks for the reminder. It's time! (Found low price and free shipping just now)
 

Todd Hochard

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Most any filter will grab dirt/sediment. Many of the filters are charcoal-activated, so they actually do improve taste of the water, mainly by taking out the chlorine. Mine (Kenmore- rebadged Frigidaire) lasts about 9-10 months before the flow starts to drop off, but I usually change it before that, since the water gets less "tasty." Our city water isn't too bad, either.

The 6-month light is pretty clever. A smart system for monitoring filter life would be more money, of course. Perhaps there's a $5000 fridge out there that can save you money on $25 filters?:laugh:
 

John Gido

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LG is probably the worst company when it comes to water/ice filters. Mine cost $50 every time I have to replace it and LG doesn't even have them! :angry: They seem to be on indefinite backorder.

I went through about 4 or 5 places on-line before I found one that actually HAD a filter. So, I need to look about 3 months into the current filter in order to even find one at 6 month intervals. :eek:
 

Dennis Nicholls

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John Gido

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Thanks for the link, Dennis. Not sure where my wife ordered the last one from, but these seem cheaper.
 

mylan

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Thanks for the link Dennis, i'll have to try them next time unless I can get the deal I got at Home Depot last week.
I went to pay for my filter and some air conditioning filters and used the self check line. I scanned the water filter first, expecting it to come up $39.95 but it wouldn't scan and customer service couldn't get anyone to price check so she said "here, my gift to you",
htf_images_smilies_smiley_jawdrop.gif
I walked out quickly,needless to say!
 

mylan

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Yep, thats what they get for laying off 7,000 people recently, no one to help! That worked out well for the Depot now didn't it?
 

Alf S

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Our Whirlppol side by side warning light is for sure on a timer...we started putting filters in in January several years ago and like clockwork, the light to change the filter changes in June...then January...then June again...

I found that Wal Mart now sells the Pur filters for these fridges a few dollars cheaper than Sears etc.
 

Lew Crippen

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Just wondering why one needs a filter at all—assuming that your water is potable out of the tap, why is a filter necessary in the fridge?
 

Jim_F

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I use filters where scale could ruin an expensive appliance, such as a refigerator or expresso machine.
 

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