Samsung Side-by-Side Refrigerator Water Filters: Which Cartridge, Where It Sits, How to Change It

Samsung’s side-by-side refrigerators — the RS line — split cleanly into two filter generations, and ordering the wrong one is the most common Samsung filter mistake there is. Newer RS models take the square HAF-QIN cartridge (DA97-17376B). Older RS models take the round HAF-CIN cartridge (DA29-00020B).

This guide is side-by-side specific: where the filter sits in each layout, a model table, the install steps for both housings, the RS filter-light reset, and what to do when the door dispenser or ice maker slows down.

Where the Filter Sits on a Samsung Side-by-Side

There is no base-grille filter on Samsung side-by-side models — both generations keep the cartridge inside the fresh food compartment.

• Newer RS models (square HAF-QIN): the cartridge slides into a square internal slot, usually at the top of the fresh food compartment behind a small cover. You push it in and twist it 90 degrees clockwise to lock it.
• Older RS models (round HAF-CIN): the cartridge sits in a round internal housing inside the fridge. It releases with a quarter turn counterclockwise and locks back in with a quarter turn clockwise.

If you open the fridge and cannot find either, check behind the cover at the top of the compartment first — on side-by-side models the housing hides behind trim more often than owners expect.

Which Cartridge Your Side-by-Side Takes

The HAF-QIN product page lists the RS models it fits. If your model is on it, you need the square cartridge:

Two cautions. First, model families span years and mid-run changes happen, so the table is a strong pointer, not the verdict. Second, the verdict is free and takes ten seconds: pull your current cartridge and look at it. Square means DA97-17376B; round means DA29-00020B. The part number printed on the label settles any remaining doubt.

How to Change the Filter in a Side-by-Side

Square HAF-QIN (DA97-17376B)

1. Open the filter cover at the top of the fresh food compartment.
2. Slide or twist the old cartridge out.
3. Push the new cartridge into the slot and twist 90 degrees clockwise until it locks — you will feel it seat.
4. Run 2–3 gallons through the door dispenser and discard them, and throw away the first batch of ice.
5. Reset the filter light (next section).

The product page puts the swap itself at under a minute — the flushing takes longer than the fitting.

Round HAF-CIN (DA29-00020B)

The product page’s steps for this cartridge:

1. Turn off the main water supply line to the refrigerator.
2. Find the filter housing inside the fridge.
3. Twist the old filter a quarter turn counterclockwise and pull it straight out.
4. Take the plastic cap off the new filter; a tiny drop of vegetable oil on the rubber O-rings helps it seal smoothly.
5. Push the new filter straight into the housing and turn it a quarter turn clockwise until it locks firmly.
6. Turn the water supply back on, then flush the system — a few gallons through the dispenser, discarded, plus the first batch of ice.
7. Reset the filter light.

Resetting the Filter Light on RS Models

A fresh cartridge does not reset the indicator on its own. On Samsung side-by-side models, press and hold the Water Filter button for about 3 seconds until the indicator light changes back. If your RS model uses a different combination, the manual’s reset procedure is the one to follow — but Water Filter held for 3 seconds covers the RS line in most cases.

Slow Ice or Weak Water Flow? Read This Before Blaming the Fridge

Side-by-side models show a dying filter through the door first: the dispenser stream thins out, ice cubes shrink or go hollow, and water picks up a taste. Work through the cheap causes in order:

1. The filter is overdue. Both cartridges here are rated for 6 months or 300 gallons. A side-by-side with a door ice maker works its filter hard, and a saturated carbon block restricts flow exactly like this.
2. The cartridge is not fully locked. A square HAF-QIN that stopped short of its full 90-degree twist, or a round HAF-CIN short of its quarter turn, can partially block the line. Take it out and re-seat it until it locks.
3. Air after a fresh install. Sputtering and cloudy water right after a change is trapped air and loose carbon leaving the cartridge. Keep flushing — it clears within a few gallons.
4. A leak at the housing. Check the O-rings are clean and undamaged, and confirm the cartridge shape matches the housing. Forcing a wrong-shape cartridge is the one sure way to create a leak that was not there before.

If flow is still weak with a new, correctly seated filter, the problem is the water line or the fridge, not the cartridge — but in practice, the first three cover the overwhelming majority of side-by-side complaints.

What Each Cartridge Costs — and What You Are Actually Buying

Stated as plainly as the product pages state it:

• HAF-QIN (DA97-17376B) — $33.99–$120.99 by pack size. The listing here is a premium compatible replacement, not the OEM Samsung product — its product page says so in its own FAQ. It is certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42 and 53, and its page describes premium coconut shell activated carbon that removes lead, chlorine, mercury, cysts and bad odor.
• HAF-CIN (DA29-00020B) — $36.97–$110.46 by pack size. This listing is the genuine Samsung cartridge, and its page notes it comes with Samsung’s official authentication tag. The page states it is tested and approved by NSF International against NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53 and 401 and removes 40+ contaminants, with a 0.5-micron rating.

Both are rated for 6 months or 300 gallons. Both ship free anywhere in the US on any order size; orders are processed within 1–2 business days and delivered in 3–5 business days via USPS, and unopened filters can be returned within 30 days, free, with a prepaid label.

For the full background on the square cartridge — its complete model list and the authentication check — see our dedicated Samsung HAF-QIN guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the water filter on a Samsung side-by-side? Inside the fresh food compartment. Newer RS models have a square slot, usually at the top behind a small cover, for the HAF-QIN. Older RS models have a round internal housing for the HAF-CIN.

My RS model is not in your table. Which filter do I order? Pull the current cartridge. Square is the DA97-17376B (HAF-QIN); round is the DA29-00020B (HAF-CIN). The label’s part number is the final answer — or send us your model number and we will confirm before you order.

How do I reset the filter light on my Samsung side-by-side? Press and hold the Water Filter button for about 3 seconds, until the indicator changes back. A new filter does not reset the light by itself.

Why is my ice maker slow after I changed the filter? Most often the cartridge is not fully locked, or air is still working through the line. Re-seat the filter until it locks, flush a few gallons, and give the ice maker 24 hours to recover.

Is the cheaper HAF-QIN here a genuine Samsung filter? No. The DA97-17376B listing on this site is a premium compatible replacement, certified to NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 — its product page states that openly. The DA29-00020B listing is the genuine Samsung cartridge and carries Samsung’s authentication tag.

How often should a side-by-side filter be changed? Every 6 months or 300 gallons, whichever comes first. Households that use the door ice and water heavily may hit the gallon limit sooner — slowing flow and shrinking ice are the early warnings.