How to Use Cheap RPWFE Water Filter Replacement for GE Refrigerator

If you've ever replaced the water filter in your GE refrigerator, you know they don't come cheap. The GE RPWFE water filter can cost as much as $60, which means that if you follow directions and change your filter every six months, that can really add up.

So it's very common that we try to find better-priced filters online, as we do with printer ink replacements. The problem is that a lot of GE filters have an RFID Chip in it, which prevents us from replacing with cheap water filters. A generic RPWF water filter from other brands would not be recognized by the GE refrigerator.

It's quite troublesome and frustrating. Giving up? Of course not! This article will show you how to hack your refrigerator to use cheap water filters. Let's dive in!

The only difference between the RPWF and the RPWFE is a chip on the back of the E which tells when to change the filter and supposedly detect leaks. The newer GE refrigerators "use radio frequency identification (RFID) to "talk" to the fridge and let it know that it's a genuine factory product.

If your filter is either older than 6 months or not a genuine GE RPWFE filter, the display screen will show a message suggesting that the refrigerator could not be able to dispense any water at the moment.

Before we jump into the "hack" part, let's take a look at how to take the old filter out and install the new one. The RPWFE has two types of filter with two different installation methods.

Despite the high price of GE RPWFE filter, the company does provide you with a free bypass cartridge to access unfiltered water. This bypass also contains the RFID chip, and that is our breakpoint.

The idea is to take the RFID chip off from the bypass and place it onto either the generic filter or the cabinet where you place the filter. (If you choose to place the chip onto the generic filter, make sure you orient it correctly. There's an up and a down to the RFID chip.)

The first step is to mark the chip's position. Take the old GE filter and locate the chip. Then paint some pigment right at the chip's location and quickly place the filter back into the refrigerator filter cabinet to leave a mark there.

The second step is to take the chip off the bypass. Peel off the sticky paper on the bypass where it says "BACK" and you will see the chip glued inside. Then gently slip a flathead tool under the chip to take it off.

Final step. Install the generic RPWF filter. When you do this successfully, your fridge will detect that the bypass is installed and will tell you that you are drinking unfiltered water. Yet, the water is being filtered perfectly through the generic filter and you can rest assured that the water you drink is safe and clean.

Waterdrop provides you with two types of RPWF filters. The only difference is the NSF certificate that each has received. Learn how to choose the right refrigerator filter here.

The video below will walk you through each of the steps we have discussed above.

Some GE filter has been modified, instead of sitting within a square sunk, the chip is glued into the label, which makes it harder to take off than before. If your filter falls into this scenario, please refer to the below video and learn how to cut the label and place it right.

Well, you can also take a more barbaric approach by cutting off the plastic where the chip is glued on. This video below shows the detailed process. Just to be clear, this method is not suitable for everyone as you do have to be quite handy to cut the piece off, and there're risks that you might get hurt.

Cutting the chip off may be too much of a risk sometimes. In this case, you should go for the more secure option – replacing the system with an under sink water filtration system.

All you have to do is get the GE bypass cartridge installed within the refrigerator so that the refrigerator can dispense water as usual.

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