# Frigidaire water filter: models and buying guide > Frigidaire filters span fridge cartridges and the PureSource family. See how the models differ, what certification covers, and how to buy without overpaying. Canonical: https://watertreatmentpro.com/frigidaire-water-filter/ Last updated: 2026-11-09 Frigidaire water filters are, in practice, refrigerator cartridges. The brand sells several families, each with its own housing: PureSource, PureSource 2, PureSource Ultra, and WF3CB. They cost $25 to $55, last about six months, and are not interchangeable. ## The Model Families The naming is a source of confusion because it mixes marketing names with part numbers. | Family | Fits | Notes | |---|---|---| | PureSource | Older side-by-side and top-freezer | Common in older homes | | PureSource 2 | Mid-generation models | Different housing | | PureSource Ultra | Newer French-door | Also labelled ULTRA | | WF3CB | Many current models | Widely stocked | Two fridges from the same product line in different years can take different cartridges. That is why the model plate inside the fresh food compartment is worth more than the brand name on the door. Frigidaire has also been applied to appliances built by several manufacturers over the decades, so two fridges with the same badge can share nothing but the logo. The plate resolves it; the brand cannot. ## Identifying the Right Cartridge 1. **Pull the old cartridge** and read the number on the label. 2. **Check the fridge label**, usually inside the door or on the frame. 3. **Use the model plate** with the manufacturer's filter finder. Photograph the old cartridge before discarding it. It is the fastest reference if a replacement does not fit. If the fridge came without a cartridge, look for a bypass plug in its place. That plug is often labelled with the model number it replaces. A second check is the shape of the housing opening. Round openings with a quarter-turn lock and rectangular slots with a push latch take different cartridge families, and the shape is visible without tools. ## What the Filters Do All of these are carbon block cartridges aimed at chlorine, taste, odour, and particulate. | Contaminant | Standard | Certified models | |---|---|---| | Chlorine | Yes | Yes | | Taste and odour | Yes | Yes | | Particulate | Yes | Yes | | Lead | No | Some | | Cysts | No | Some | | Nitrate | No | No | | Hardness | No | No | The bottom two rows never change. A fridge filter is not a softener and not a reverse osmosis system, and no cartridge in this family removes nitrate or hardness. That limit is the one to remember when a sales page implies otherwise. A cartridge that improves taste does not make hard water soft, and it does not make high-nitrate water safe. The practical test is the water report. If it lists hardness above 7 GPG or nitrate near 10 mg/L, the fridge cartridge is not the treatment. Fix the water at the entry or at the sink, then let the fridge handle taste. ## OEM vs Compatible OEM cartridges run $30 to $55. Certified compatible cartridges run $18 to $35. The difference is the brand on the box and, sometimes, the fit quality. | Option | Price | Risk | |---|---|---| | OEM | $30 - $55 | Lowest | | Certified compatible | $18 - $35 | Low if listed for your model | | Uncertified compatible | $10 - $20 | Fit and bypass | A compatible cartridge is a legitimate purchase if the listing names your fridge model and an NSF standard. Without those, the cartridge may fit loosely and let water bypass the media while still dispensing normally. ## What It Costs to Run At $30 to $50 per cartridge and two changes a year, the annual cost is $60 to $100. At 250 gallons per cartridge, cost per gallon is $0.12 to $0.20. | Source | Cost per gallon | |---|---| | Frigidaire OEM | $0.12 - $0.20 | | Certified compatible | $0.08 - $0.15 | | Under-sink carbon | $0.02 - $0.08 | | Bottled water | $0.50 - $2.00 | The fridge cartridge is the most expensive per-gallon format in most homes. It buys convenience, and for water at the door that is a fair trade. There is a volume assumption behind the annual figure. A household that fills bottles from the dispenser for four people can pass 250 gallons in three months, which doubles the cost and shortens the interval. Track it for a month if you suspect heavy use. ## When to Bypass If the house has a whole-house carbon filter or an under-sink RO feeding the fridge, the cartridge is treating water that is already treated. A bypass plug saves $60 to $100 a year. The condition is that the upstream treatment removes chlorine. A sediment-only whole-house filter does not, so the cartridge is still doing work in that case. ## Care and Replacement Before buying, confirm the part number from the old cartridge, check the fridge model plate if the cartridge is missing, verify the certification for any health claim, compare cost per gallon across OEM and compatible options, and buy from a seller with a return window. Change every six months or when flow slows. Flush two to three gallons after a change to clear air and carbon fines. Wipe the housing area when you change the cartridge; condensation and spills encourage mould in a closed fridge interior. Replace a damaged O-ring rather than the whole cartridge. It costs a few dollars and prevents the slow drip that warps a shelf. ## The Honest Summary Frigidaire filters are competent carbon cartridges with a proprietary connector. The right one depends on the part number, not the brand name, and the only performance claim worth trusting is the certification listing. Buy it because the fridge needs it, or bypass it because the water is treated elsewhere. Do not buy it expecting soft water or nitrate removal. For the replacement procedure, see [Frigidaire water filter replacement](https://watertreatmentpro.com/frigidaire-water-filter-replacement/). For the cartridge family detail, [Frigidaire refrigerator water filter](https://watertreatmentpro.com/frigidaire-refrigerator-water-filter/) covers identification, and [filter refrigerator water filter](https://watertreatmentpro.com/filter-refrigerator-water-filter/) covers the economics.