It is the most common question in this business, and it sounds simpler than it is: what water filter do I need? Refrigerator filters hide behind dozens of part numbers, several brand names, and cartridges that look nearly identical while fitting completely different housings. Guess wrong and the new filter either will not lock in, or — worse — locks in loosely and leaks.
The good news: identifying your filter is a solved problem. There are three reliable ways to do it, and the first one takes ten seconds and never lies. Work through them in order and you will know your exact cartridge before you spend a dollar.
Check One: The Label on Your Old Cartridge (The Final Authority)
Pull your current filter out and read it. Every genuine cartridge carries its identity on the label: the EveryDrop filter number (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or A) and part number (EDR1RXD1 and its siblings), the Samsung HAF-CIN or HAF-QIN name, the Frigidaire part number, or a Kenmore 46- number. Whatever that label says is what you order. No chart, model list or compatibility database — including ours — outranks it, because the label describes the cartridge that is already working in your housing.
If the label is worn, photograph it anyway and check the numbers moulded into the plastic housing; manufacturers stamp the part number there too. This single check settles the question for most owners, and it is why every guide on this site repeats the same rule: the label is the final authority.
Check Two: Your Refrigerator’s Model Number and Manual
If the old filter is missing (new house, inherited fridge) or unreadable, use the fridge itself. The model number is on a sticker inside the fresh-food compartment, usually on a side wall. With it, your manual — or the manufacturer’s filter lookup — names the cartridge the fridge was built for. Manuals also use the older part numbers, so translate them: UKF8001 in a Maytag-flavoured manual means Filter 4 (EDR4RXD1) today; W10295370A means Filter 1 (EDR1RXD1); W10413645A means Filter 2 (EDR2RXD1); PWF-NL240V means Filter 5 (EDR5RXD1).
Check Three: The Housing — Shape and Location
Still unsure? The housing itself identifies the family. Where the filter lives and how it locks in narrows the field to one or two candidates:
| What you see in your fridge | Filter it takes | Part number |
|---|---|---|
| Interior twist-in cartridge, upper area of the fresh-food compartment | EveryDrop Filter 1 | EDR1RXD1 |
| Push-button cartridge in the upper-right interior compartment | EveryDrop Filter 2 | EDR2RXD1 |
| Base-grille cartridge with a reusable cap, push-button release | EveryDrop Filter 3 | EDR3RXD1 |
| Cartridge your manual or old label calls UKF8001 | EveryDrop Filter 4 | EDR4RXD1 |
| Interior twist-in cartridge; old label reads PWF-NL240V | EveryDrop Filter 5 | EDR5RXD1 |
| Twist-and-lock cartridge labelled Filter A | EveryDrop Filter A | EDRARXD1 |
| Round Samsung cartridge, twists a quarter-turn | Samsung HAF-CIN (genuine) | DA29-00020B |
| Square Samsung cartridge in newer French-door and Bespoke models | Samsung HAF-QIN | DA97-17376B |
| Frigidaire push-to-lock cartridge (PurePour) | Frigidaire PWF-1 (genuine) | FPPWFU01 |
Treat the housing check as a strong pointer, then confirm against Check One or Two before ordering — neighbouring filters are deliberately different shapes and do not interchange. Filter A, for example, will not lock into a Filter 1 or Filter 5 housing, as its product page states plainly.
Samsung Owners: Round or Square Decides It
Samsung uses two cartridge families, and the shape of the one you pull out tells you which you own. The round cartridge is the HAF-CIN, part DA29-00020B — the genuine Samsung filter we sell, with Samsung’s official authentication tag, NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401 certification, and a 6-month / 300-gallon rating, at $36.97–$110.46 by pack size. The square cartridge is the HAF-QIN, part DA97-17376B, for newer French-door, 4-Door Flex and Bespoke models. One honest note on our listing: our DA97-17376B is a premium certified compatible cartridge (NSF/ANSI 42 and 53, coconut-shell carbon, $33.99–$120.99), and its page says so openly — we label every cartridge exactly as it is, genuine or compatible.
Frigidaire Owners: Look for PWF-1
Most current Frigidaire (and many Electrolux) models take the PurePour PWF-1, part FPPWFU01 — a genuine OEM push-to-lock cartridge, NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 certified, rated 125 gallons with a change every 3 to 6 months, at $36.99–$139.99 by pack size. If your old cartridge says PWF-1, EPPWFU01 or FPPWFU01, that is your match. (Frigidaire fridges also carry a separate PureAir air filter, the FRGPAAF2 — a different part doing a different job; do not confuse the two.)
Kenmore Owners: The Builder Trap
Kenmore is the one brand where the badge actively misleads. Kenmore does not build refrigerators — Whirlpool, Samsung, LG and Frigidaire build them, and the filter follows the builder, not the badge. A Kenmore 46-9083 is really an EveryDrop Filter 3; a 46-9101 is really Samsung’s round HAF-CIN. Our dedicated Kenmore water filter guide maps the full 46-9xxx series and shows how to identify who built your fridge from the model number. And if yours turns out to be LG-built, we can now help directly: we stock the main LG LT cartridges, so match the number on the label to our LG range — never settle for a near-fit from any brand, including ours.
When Nothing Matches: Send Us the Number
Sometimes the label is gone, the manual is lost, and the housing is ambiguous — older models and mid-run production changes exist. Do not guess with a part that carries pressurised water. Send us the fridge’s model number (and a photo of the old cartridge if you have it) before ordering, and we will confirm the match. It costs nothing, takes a day at most, and beats a return. If a filter does arrive and proves wrong, unopened cartridges return within 30 days, free, with a prepaid label — but a two-minute message up front makes returns unnecessary.
Ordering Once You Know
Every genuine EveryDrop cartridge is $39.99 one-time here, with free US shipping on any order amount — versus $59.99 one-time (or $48 by subscription) at the official store, with Filters Fast’s free shipping starting at $99+ and Discount Filter’s at $70+. Orders are processed within 1–2 business days and delivered in 3–5 business days via USPS. Identify first, order once, and the filter that arrives is the filter that fits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What water filter does my refrigerator need? The one whose number is on your old cartridge’s label — that label is the final authority. Failing that, look up your fridge’s model number in its manual, or identify the housing: upper-right push-button means Filter 2, base grille with a cap means Filter 3, and so on (full table above).
My old filter has a number that is not sold anymore. What do I order? Old numbers map to current ones: UKF8001 → EDR4RXD1 (Filter 4), W10295370A → EDR1RXD1 (Filter 1), W10413645A → EDR2RXD1 (Filter 2), PWF-NL240V → EDR5RXD1 (Filter 5). These translations come from the cartridges’ own product pages.
Can I just use a filter that looks the same as mine? No. Look-alike cartridges are different shapes with different seals — Filter A will not lock into a Filter 1 or Filter 5 housing at all. Match the part number, not the silhouette.
How do I know if my Samsung takes the round or square filter? Pull the old cartridge out: round means HAF-CIN (DA29-00020B), square means HAF-QIN (DA97-17376B). The two housings accept only their own shape, so the cartridge in your hand settles it instantly.
The label on my Kenmore filter starts with 46-. What is it really? A builder’s cartridge in Kenmore clothing: 46-9081 through 46-9088 map to EveryDrop Filters 1–5 and A, and 46-9101 is Samsung’s DA29-00020B. Our Kenmore guide has the full map, and your model number’s prefix identifies the builder.
What if I cannot identify my filter at all? Send us the model number and, if possible, a photo of the old cartridge. We will confirm the right filter before you order — and if anything still arrives wrong, unopened filters return free within 30 days on a prepaid label.