Whole house water filter replacement: cartridges, media and timing

Advertised prices, verified

Replacing a whole house filter, step by step

1. Identify the exact cartridge or media. Match the replacement to the housing size and the model printed on the sump or tank label, not to a lookalike photo. Cartridge length, diameter and media type all have to match, and mixing a finer sediment rating into an old housing can choke household flow.
2. Depressurize and swap. Close the inlet valve or set the bypass, press the pressure relief button on the housing, and unscrew the sump with the housing wrench. Replace the cartridge, check the O-ring and lubricate it with food-grade silicone grease, then hand-tighten and restore flow slowly.
3. Flush and log the date. Run a nearby cold tap until the water clears of carbon fines or air. Write the replacement date on the housing with a marker. A logged date is the difference between changing filters on schedule and guessing from a pressure drop after the shower goes weak.

Cartridge swap or media rebed: which job you actually have

Cartridge systems use a clear or opaque housing with a replaceable element inside, and the element is a consumable: sediment cartridges when flow drops or on the maker's schedule, carbon cartridges on a calendar because their capacity exhausts invisibly. This is the job the table below prices as a part, and it is well within most homeowners' reach.

Tank-based systems, like backwashing carbon units or air-injection iron filters, do not take cartridges. Their media bed lasts for years and is then replaced in bulk, which involves emptying the tank, rebedding gravel and media in the correct layers, and rebuilding the control valve seals. Most owners hire this out, and vendors in the table quote it as a service.

If you are unsure which you own, look for a sump wrench notch on a housing versus a timer or electronic head on top of a tall tank. When flow or water quality has already degraded, our whole house water filter companies guide covers finding someone local to assess the system rather than replacing parts blind.

Common questions

How often should a whole house filter cartridge be replaced?

Follow the manufacturer's stated interval for your cartridge and water source. Sediment elements also announce themselves through falling pressure; carbon elements do not, so those go on the calendar.

Can I put any brand of cartridge in my housing?

If the length, diameter and gasket style match the housing standard, yes. Proprietary quick-change systems are the exception: those lock you to the maker's own replacement, which is worth checking before you buy the system.

What does replacement cost across vendors?

Cartridge prices and full service visits are both listed in the live table on this page. The median replacement figure across the vendors we track is $1,531, and it varies mainly with media type.

Browse by system type

• Compare Water softeners on advertised prices
• Compare Salt-free softeners on advertised prices
• Compare Whole-house filters on advertised prices
• Compare Reverse osmosis systems on advertised prices
• Compare Shower filters on advertised prices
• Compare Countertop filters on advertised prices
• Compare Refrigerator filters on advertised prices
• Compare Iron filters on advertised prices