Whirlpool Refrigerator Water Filters: Every Style, Every Filter, Mapped

Whirlpool is the home brand of refrigerator filtration. Whirlpool created EveryDrop — its own genuine filter line — and every water-filtered refrigerator Whirlpool sells takes an EveryDrop cartridge. That sounds simple, and it is, right up until you face the six different cartridges (Filters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and Filter A), a drawer full of old part numbers, and a fridge that will not tell you which one it wants.

This is the definitive mapping: every Whirlpool fridge style matched to its filter by housing location, the old part numbers translated into their current EveryDrop replacements, how changing and resetting works for each housing, and the honest answer to the genuine-versus-generic question for the brand’s own filters.

Every Whirlpool Fridge Style, Mapped to Its Filter

Forget fridge style for a second — what actually decides your filter is where the housing is and how the cartridge locks in. Use this table, then confirm with the label test below:

In style terms: Whirlpool side-by-side models commonly use the base grille cartridges (Filters 3 and 4) or interior Filter 1; French door and bottom-freezer models spread across Filters 1, 2, 4 and 5 depending on generation; and Filter A serves its own set of models across the family. The styles overlap too much for style alone to be the answer — which is why every product page on this store repeats the same rule: the label on the cartridge you remove is the final authority.

Old Whirlpool Part Numbers — and What Replaced Them

Whirlpool has sold these cartridges under many numbers over the years. If your old filter, manual or a faded sticker shows one of the left-hand numbers, the right-hand column is your current genuine replacement:

Two warnings from the product pages themselves. First, look-alike numbers are not interchangeable: the Filter A page states plainly that Filter A does not fit Filter 1 or Filter 5 housings, because the cartridges are different shapes. Second, a suffix is not a new filter — the EDR1RXD1 page explains that EDR1RXD1B is the same Filter 1 with bulk/updated packaging, no functional difference.

Changing and Resetting, Housing by Housing

Every EveryDrop change follows the same four beats — remove, seat, flush, reset — with the details set by your housing:

• Filter 1 (interior twist-in): open the filter cover (top-right or bottom area, per the Filter 1 page’s FAQ), pull the old filter out, push the new one in until it clicks, and flush about 4 gallons. The page notes the install is tool-free. Full walkthrough: how to replace the EDR1RXD1.
• Filter 2 (upper-right push-button): press the release, slide the old cartridge out, insert the new one and lock it in place.
• Filter 3 (base grille): push the release button, remove the old filter, transfer the reusable cap if your model uses one, and slide the new filter in until it clicks.
• Filter 4: remove the old cartridge from its grille or interior housing, seat the new one fully, and flush for a few minutes.
• Filter 5 and Filter A: twist to release, twist the new cartridge until it locks firmly, then flush and discard the first batch of ice.

Then reset the indicator on the control panel using your model’s method, and note the date: the range runs on a roughly 6-month cycle — Filter 1 is rated 200 gallons and 6 months per its page, Filter A about 6 months or 200–250 gallons per its page.

Genuine vs Generic: The Brand’s Own Filters

Because these are Whirlpool’s own filters, the genuine case is unusually clear-cut. The EDR1RXD1 page calls the genuine cartridge “the only filter authorized by Whirlpool for use in their refrigerators,” and the store’s brand text is equally direct: every EveryDrop filter sold here is a genuine OEM cartridge, never an aftermarket copy. The certifications are printed on the product pages — Filters 1, 2, 3, 5 and A list NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53 and 401 (with CSA B483.1) in their specifications, and Filter 1 is certified to reduce up to 70 contaminants, including lead, pesticides and pharmaceuticals, and 99% of microplastics.

A generic cartridge copies the shape, not the specification. It may click into the housing while carrying unverified carbon, no checkable certification, and a seal that lets water bypass the media — the fridge runs, the water looks fine, and the filtration you paid for is not happening. With the brand’s own cartridge at the price below, that gamble buys very little.

What a Genuine Whirlpool Filter Should Cost

Every genuine EveryDrop cartridge — Filters 1 through 5 and Filter A — is $39.99 one-time at Discounted Filter Store, with free US shipping on any order size (multi-packs run to $147.99, and Filter A to $153.99, bringing the per-filter price down). The honest comparison:

Orders are processed within 1–2 business days and delivered in 3–5 business days via USPS, and unopened filters return within 30 days, free, with a prepaid label. For the complete range view — all six cartridges side by side — see the EveryDrop refrigerator water filter guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which filter does my Whirlpool refrigerator take? Find the housing first: upper-right push-button means Filter 2, base grille with a cap means Filter 3, interior twist-in means Filter 1 or 5, UKF8001 in the manual means Filter 4, and a cartridge labelled Filter A means Filter A. Then confirm with the label on your old cartridge — it always has the final say.

Are old Whirlpool part numbers still usable to order? Yes, as a cross-reference. W10295370A is replaced by EDR1RXD1, W10413645A by EDR2RXD1, UKF8001 by EDR4RXD1 and PWF-NL240V by EDR5RXD1 — all confirmed on the respective product pages.

How often do Whirlpool filters need changing? About every 6 months. Filter 1 is rated 6 months/200 gallons on its page and Filter A about 6 months or 200–250 gallons; the rest of the range runs on the same cycle. Slow flow or returning taste means change now, whatever the calendar says.

Is EveryDrop really made by Whirlpool? Yes. The product pages state it directly: EveryDrop is the official filter brand for Whirlpool refrigerators, and every cartridge sold on this store is a genuine OEM part.

Can I use a bypass plug instead of a filter? The EDR1RXD1 page confirms a bypass plug exists for Filter 1 models and keeps water flowing unfiltered — a reasonable option only if your home already has whole-house filtration.

What if I order the wrong filter? Do not force it into the housing — cartridges are not interchangeable across numbers. Unopened filters return within 30 days, free, with a prepaid label, and if you send us your model number first we will confirm the right filter before you order.