Can’t get your water filter housing open to change the filter? No matter how hard you try and how hard you push it will not open? Well, today you’ll learn 5 techniques to get that housing open so you can change your water filter, and 2 things you can do to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
It seems so easy, doesn't it? You just unscrew the filter housing, remove and replace the filter, and you’re good to go, right? Well sometimes you just can’t get it unscrewed.
Here are 5 great tips from the pros to help you out!
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Turn your water supply off. You probably have a shutoff on the supply line located before the filter. If you don't, then go to the hydro panel and turn the pump off.
- Relieve the water pressure on the lines before you attempt to unscrew the housing that holds the water filter. To do so, turn a faucet on inside the house to relieve the pressure and let the water run until it slows to a trickle. Then shut off the water after the filter housing to keep the water from the house from draining back.
- Place a bucket under the filter housing. If the housing has a relief button push that to make sure all the pressure is gone. Make sure that the filter housing is securely fastened. Brace the plumbing while unscrewing the housing and take it off. Remember, you will be turning the housing to the left...“Lefty loosey, righty tighty!”
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If it does not come loose, you will need to try the following:
a) Using a blow dryer to heat up and expand all of the outside of the housing until it becomes noticeably warm to the touch. Then knock it with a hammer and remove with the filter housing wrench.
b) Use two filter housing wrenches together, one for each hand and twist the housing with both wrenches. Find the filter housing wrenches we used most right here!
c) You can sandwich two filter housing wrenches together and add pipe to give you more leverage.
d) Use a metal filter wrench, which is stronger and longer than the typical plastic one. You can buy these on Amazon in a number of sizes. If that doesn’t work, you can always add on a piece of pipe to that wrench.
- The last alternative I'd recommend is a Lisle Strap wrench like the one in the video below. You just wrap it around your housing and with a ½” socket wrench, add some torque to release the filter housing. You can even add a piece of pipe to the socket wrench for more torque. Find it on Amazon, here.
Once you have the filter housing removed, clean out the housing and replace the filter. BUT FIRST...
HERE ARE 2 WAYS TO PREVENT A STUCK WATER FILTER HOUSING!
To lessen the possibility of your filter housing getting stuck again in the future, I highly recommend you do these two things before replacing and tightening it.
- Always make sure that you check the bottom of the filter housing for o rings left behind from the old filter before putting in the new filter.
- Use some plumber’s clear silicone grease and or replace the o ring so you don’t need to tighten it so much to begin with to keep it from leaking. We sell this on our website because it is used often - shop it here!
And there you have it, friends! Remember, if you follow these last two steps, you will have an easier time replacing your water filter housing the next time.
For more great videos on water filtration, troubleshooting and maintenance, click here.