How to Change the Water Filter in a Samsung Twin-Door Refrigerator
How to Replace a Samsung Refrigerator Water Filter
Ah, the dreaded “dead filter” icon—a glaring red symbol disfiguring the elegant face of your Samsung refrigerator. You could ignore it; it won’t hurt the appliance. But who knows what could be swimming around inside that kludged filter?
Besides, the thing is like a chipped tooth; you just can’t ignore it. If you are like me, you might feel a little intimidated by the prospect of changing the filter. Fear not. I’ll show you how.
These directions are for the Samsung RS265TDRS specifically; if you have another model, the details may differ a bit. However, some things, like the advisability of shutting off the water to the unit first, are universal.
Steps for Easy Replacement
- Have a replacement filter handy.
- Shut off the water source to your refrigerator, most likely under your kitchen sink.
- Locate the filter compartment in the bottom right-hand section of the door’s interior.
- Remove the vegetable bin if necessary for access.
- To remove old filter, grasp the ridge on the outward surface. It should be vertical or locked.
- Turn one-quarter turn counter-clockwise and pull out.
- Insert new filter and turn one-quarter turn clockwise to lock in place.
- Run water dispenser for at least 30 seconds to purge air and impurities.
- Reset the filter light by holding down the water selector switch for three seconds.
1. Have a Replacement Filter Handy
First, the replacement filter. You may find one as nearby as your local home-improvement store. But you won’t find the best deal there. It may take a few days to get the replacements in your hot little hands if you follow my option, but ordering online saved me about 40%. I think that the absolute best prices are at specialty sites, but I went with Amazon.com, which was easy to deal with and very nearly as inexpensive. I saved more by buying a three-pack.
You need to know the part number. It’s in your manual, but if your refrigerator is the RS265TDRS, then you need filter DA29-00020B.
You are looking at the bottom of the right-hand (refrigerator) section of the unit, with the door open. The vegetable bin at the very bottom has been removed and you are looking at the top of the filter facing you on the lower right. That’s where they hide the thing.
2. Shut Off the Water Source to Your Refrigerator
Remember to shut off the water. That blurry, blobby thing in the middle of the photo above is a shut-off valve. Look for yours. This one is under my kitchen sink, and that’s a popular location. But look for likely candidates, turn them off, and check whether the water dispenser is still doing its thing. If not, you are clear for take-off.
If worse comes to worst, you can always turn the water off at the meter. This is easy but may require a special tool.
3. Remove and Replace the Filter
Removing the filter is—as the kids say—crazy simple. Just grasp the ridge on the outward surface. It should be vertical, which is the ‘locked’ position. Turn one-quarter turn counter-clockwise (so the top moves to the left), and pull it out.
The instructions note that hard water may leave deposits that make the filter hard to turn or remove. The recommended remedy: Use more force. Really! To install the new filter, simply reverse the steps.
Note!
Note that your filter icon will still be red after you have finished, as shown in the photo above. To reset it, press and hold the water selector switch for three seconds.
4. Run the Water Before Use
Once you’ve installed the new filter (and replaced the vegetable bin), there’s just one major step. Run the water dispenser for 30 seconds or more (the official video below says five minutes) to purge any air or impurities that may have gotten into the system. In my case, quite a lot of air got in there, spraying me with water when I first ran the dispenser. Better you than your dinner guest!
