I have a Kenmore refrigerator form Sears that I bought about a year and a half ago. Kenmore is actually made by Whirlpool and although the filter this replaced was labeled Kenmore, this is the exact same filter but labeled Whirlpool instead. I looked it up on the Sears site and they wanted $50 for the same filter. The price is a steal and even though it says 6 months I used it for over a year since I have soft water in my house and only one person. My fridge has a 6 month built in timer that goes from green to orange to red when the 6 months is up. I thought it might be based on actual usage, but it's not, because it went red at exactly 6 months and I use far less water than most other households. I have no idea why more time would harm a filter, as far as I'm concerned it's just a marketing tactic to get you to buy them more often then needed, like oil changes every 3,000 miles. Whirlpool 4396710P KitchenAid PUR Push Button Cyst-Reducing, Side-by-Side Refrigerator Water Filter, 2-Pack
This filter fits my Kenmore Elite side by side which takes the Sears 9030 filter and at almost half the price. The only difference in this filter is it does not say Stage II or Kenmore. The water tastes exactly the same to me as when I used the Sears brand and I am very aware of the water taste since we have hard, extremely chlorinated water in my area. I wish I had found these filters - 4 Sears brand filters ago ... serious $$$ savings!
This is a good filter at a substantial savings compared to Sears. It will fit into your Kenmore Frige that takes a PUR filter.
Some interesting Facts not all know: Why to change your filter...
Eventually the AC filter (Active Carbon) loses its ability to remove contaminants, because it becomes clogged with material. In the case of taste and odor, the time to change the filter is easy to detect. However, in the case of other contaminants, it is more difficult to determine when the filter is no longer performing at an adequate level. Most manufacturers recommend a filter change after a certain volume of water has passed through the filter. Some AC units actually meter the water and automatically shut down after a specific quantity of water has passed through the filter. A general rule of thumb for high-volume AC filters is to change the filter after six months of use or 1000 gallons of filtered water. Tests done by Rodale Press Product Testing Department indicated that filtering performance was reduced dramatically after 75 percent of the manufacturer's recommended life time. These results suggest that filters should be changed more often than suggested by the manufacturer. Some AC filters are claimed to last for five years, because they are rechargeable with hot water (145 degrees F). The heat is supposed to release adsorbed organic chemicals. Little information is available on the prolonged effectiveness of rechargeable AC units. General recommendations are somewhat useful quidelines, but there is no guarantee that they apply to any specific situation. Remember, the only certain way of knowing whether contaminant levels are acceptable or not is by having your water tested.
A sediment filter installed ahead of any AC filter will prolong the life of the AC unit. Sediment can easily clog the pores of an AC filter within a short period of time. A good sediment filter can be purchased for only a fraction of the price of most high volume AC filters.
The Bacteria Issue
AC filters can be a breeding ground for microorganisms. The organic chemicals that are adsorbed to the AC are a source of food for various types of bacteria. Pathogenic bacteria are those that cause human diseases such as typhoid, cholera, and dysentery. Public water systems must treat for disease causing bacteria; therefore, the likelihood of disease causing bacteria being introduced to an AC filter from public drinking water is remote. AC filtration should only be used on water that has been tested and found to be bacteria free or effectively treated for pathogenic bacteria.
Other types of non-pathogenic bacteria that do not cause diseases have been regularly found in AC filters. There are times when high amounts of bacteria (non-pathogenic) are found in water filtered through an AC unit. Research by R. L. Caldron and E. W. Mood (1987) shows little risk to healthy people that consume high amounts of non-pathogenic bacteria. We regularly take in millions of bacteria every day from other sources. However, there is some concern for certain segments of the population, such as the very young or old and people weakened by illness. Some types of non-pathogenic bacteria can cause illness in those whose natural defenses are weak. Flushing out bacteria that have built up in the filter can be accomplished by running water through an AC filter for about 30 seconds prior to use. Water filtered after the initial flushing will have much lower levels of bacteria and ingestion of a high concentration of bacteria will have been avoided. The flushing procedure is most important in the morning or any other time of the day when the filter has not been used for several hours.
Some compounds of silver have been used as disinfectants. Silver has been added to certain AC filters as a solution to the bacteria problem. Unfortunately, product testing has not shown silver impregnated AC to be much more effective in controlling bacteria than normal AC filters. Only in the first month of operation did there appear to be any advantage to using an AC filter that contained silver.
EPA requires registration of all types of water treatment equipment that contain an active ingredient for the purpose of inhibiting the growth of microorganisms. Registration does not guarantee that the product is effective. It only guarantees that the active ingredient will not leach from the filter at levels that would be a health hazard.
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