Not too much wondering, but again a good talk on one of the best innovations by technology. Yes, I am talking about that refrigerator which has a water dispenser and you take a lot of sips of pure and clean water from it every day. But what makes it do so? Of course, a water filter. However, are refrigerator water filters necessary? What happens if a refrigerator doesn’t have it or it gets defective?
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Are refrigerator water filters necessary?
How does it work and for what purpose is it used inside that refrigerator? And a lot more questions that might be disturbing you because that’s why you are here. Pretty right, isn’t it?
Therefore, all I would say is not to worry at all. Because in this guide we’ll cover up pretty much everything on refrigerator water filters and their purpose of usage. So, without talking through the bushes, let’s get this conversation started.
Are refrigerator water filters really necessary?
According to NRDC, 77 percent of native Americans don’t have water systems to provide clean water that must meet the desired purity standards. That’s why most people rely on a refrigerator with a water dispenser. The thing is, that water which you take from the dispenser tap has to travel a long distance before it reaches this destination. It will pass through the pipes, get contacted with wastes and other chemicals, and will get polluted. This type of water is not drinkable and If you do, you will definitely suffer a lot.
Therefore, when it comes to the supply of pure, clean, and natural drinking water, a water filter is the topmost needed factor, appliance, or gadget inside a refrigerator that is designed for providing that pure water. Its function is to contain that polluted water, clean it from impurities by using different cleaning agents and methods and make sure that every time you drink, you drink something worth drinking. Otherwise, your water will be the same as it is coming from those pipes or passing through turbines.
In this case, what do we get? A big yes;
that water filters are very much necessary inside refrigerators and so do their replacement regularly. It makes that bacterial or contaminated water clean and drinkable. But one should also keep in mind its replacement which is mostly recommended by many refrigerator manufacturers that you should change a water filter within up to 3 to 6 months. But usually, 6 months are recommended. However, if you do not keep clean the refrigerator water filter or replace it on exact dates, you will end up drinking water that will contain a lot of harmful chemicals and bacteria. Ultimately, you’ll get sick with many diseases.
What if there is no water filter inside the refrigerator or the old one stopped working?
You should also know that If there is no water filter inside your refrigerator or say if it gets defective now and not working properly, there are many chemicals to whom you might expose yourself and you will get several diseases.
The contaminated water might contain some or all of these harmful chemicals given below but If you will have a properly working water filter, you don’t need to worry at all.
These chemicals contain Cadmium, Arsenic, Chlorine. Herbicides and pesticides, Toxaphene, Benzene, Fluoride, Water cysts (microbes), Barium, Nitrates and nitrites, Particulates, Turbidity, Mercury, Chromium, Radium, Asbestos, and Lead, etc.
Your water without having a good refrigerator water filter will be containing all or some of these chemicals and you will be like, yeah that’s okay, the water looks so clean so I can drink it. No, that’s not gonna happen. Because even the water coming from the water filtration plant is not granted as safe water if the water filter doesn’t clean it. That’s why, having a water filter inside a refrigerator is such a blessing and also, always keep in mind to change it whenever you feel odor in the water, change in its taste, or some other bad signs. It will be good for you and your family’s health. Moreover, you can also read our guide on the dangers of not changing refrigerator water filters if you want to know what it might cause you if you drink water from a faulty water filter or the one that has not been changed for a while.
What are the purposes of a water filter in a refrigerator?
After explaining the necessity of water filters inside the refrigerator, you might have known that it is one of the most effective tools for removing pollutants, germs, chemicals, wastes, and other harmful bacteria from the water. This means you shouldn’t worry at all if you are drinking water cleaned by a good quality and perfectly working refrigerator water filter. The basic purpose of its being there is that it will never let you down on your thirsts. It will be the one that will provide purified, clean, and natural water even if the water is coming from bad resources.
Moreover, a water filter keeps you safe from many dangerous diseases that you might get by drinking unclean water.
How does a water filter work for making water clean and drinkable?
Well, the process is so simple as there is no rocket science behind it which might be crucial to discuss or difficult to understand. The thing is that a water filter is equipped with activated carbon filters through which the water is forced directly so that it may pass from here before it reaches the tap. This carbon works as a magnet for many types of bacteria and VOCs. When the polluted water passes from there, it will react and catch all the harmful contaminants from the water so that the water you and your family get to drink must be clean, natural, and good for their as well as your health.
But due to long working or say after working for a longer period and meeting the needs of clean water for a large family, even the carbon filter gets clogged by these contaminants or germs. When this happens, the carbon filter stops working efficiently and will start providing you unfiltered and unclean water. Through this, those contaminants mix up into your drinkable water and you will end up drinking the same water coming from the filters.
How to know that it is time for a new water filter?
According to many manufacturing companies, as I have said before, they say that the recommended period for changing your refrigerator water filter is after 6 months. And that’s true because within or after 6 months it will start wearing out, contaminating water, and causing trouble for you.
Moreover, some pretty good signs will let you decide that it is time to replace your water filter. These are given as:
- Water taste will not be the same as it used to be and you will feel odor or bad smell from it
- Your refrigerated water dispenser will slow down the supply of water from normal to sluggish
- You may experience cloudy ice and poor working conditions of water filter
- You might also observe a slight change in the color of the water as it might be yellowish or black
- Moreover, when your refrigerator itself will start losing its efficiency and you will come to know that it’s time to change the water filter. There are no other options, otherwise, you might end up losing your refrigerator.
Are refrigerator water filters recyclable?
Now, since you have known all the signs of bad working conditions of your refrigerator water filter, you’ll definitely go for changing it. But after making the replacements, does this question ever bothers you, like are refrigerator water filters recyclable? If yes, then don’t worry because most of them are made by many well-known companies that offer you the chance to completely get rid of your old water filter by recycling It. In this case, here are some methods of recycling refrigerator water filters that might be helpful if you really wanna do a favor to my most favorite planet named Earth. Sure, you will do that! Find out the Best Inline-Water Filter for Fridge here.
Recycling your old refrigerator water filter through the brand:
The best option is to recycle a water filter that is recommended by many famous manufacturers even like Samsung, which currently recommends you to throw your water filter inside the garbage and get rid of it. They claim that these water filters are not really harmful to the environment and they can be recycled through this way. And yes, they are right somehow, because there are no harmful chemicals inside a water filter that might be worrisome for the environment, even not that activated charcoal inside it.
However, in some aspects, it’s not pretty right. Maybe some of the water filter’s interior parts will remain in a landfill for the next 50 years, who knows? But how to get rid of them in this regard? Well, don’t worry because many companies like GE or Whirlpool feature many options for recycling. Therefore, you should also look into their recycling methods and apply the same as this will help the companies as well as government to keep the environment clean and safe from pollution.
Recycling your old refrigerator water filter through the third-party programs:
The thing is, not all refrigerator manufacturers are offering recycling programs for recycling water filters. But still don’t worry as there are many third-party programs that can give you a little boost to see your water filter completely disposed of.
A good example is given with the name of such a type of program which is G2Rev that will send you a kit that can be used for recycling your old water filter with all of the required instructions. They will let you know how to disassemble that filter, completely clean it, and dry it for at least three days thoroughly before sending it or mailing it. Another program is Gimme 5 that is a partner of Whole Food and asks you to either mail your water filter or drop it right there at Whole Food. This program is completely free. This is how many third-party programs take part in decomposing old water filters so that your environment must stay clean.
Recycling your old refrigerator water filter through the Local programs:
That’s the obvious thing that If you have recycling services in your area, you should use it as it is best for you. However, it’s the human intention that you might still wanna break that filter open and remove its charcoal from the inside. Otherwise, you can get rid of it by throwing it into the recycle bin.
But to use the other methods might give you several benefits such as a discount when you go for buying a new water filter with giving your old water filter to these service providers. Because most of the time, they are working directly with the refrigerator water filter manufacturing companies and it is the company which asks them to give small discounts on new water filters whenever that customer also brings its old unit. This makes the company ready new filters at lesser costs by just recycling the old ones instead of making the new ones.
Final thoughts:
I hope that after reading this blog post, you have completely understood that are refrigerator water filters necessary or not? And yes, they are necessary to keep your water clean and make sure the availability of pure water for every next sip that you take. Moreover, you also have to know about are these water filters recyclable and how to recycle them. Well, I have added many things in this small article just for your benefit and safety. Please do give it a read and share it with your fellows. Also, keep your water filter cleaned, changed, up to date, and stay hydrated.
So, this was all for today, hoping to see you soon on another great topic. Until then, take much care of yourself, drink safe and clean, live clean, and stay clean. Have a nice day.
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