Changing Your Big Blue Water Filter Cartridge: A Quick and Easy Guide

Okay, so, I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about my water filter setup, specifically about the big blue filter cartridges. People wanna know how often I swap those bad boys out. Well, let me tell you, it’s been a bit of a journey figuring this whole thing out. I am not a plumber, just a regular guy who likes to drink clean water, it’s my personal experience.

First off, I did some digging online when I first got my whole-house filter system installed. I watched a bunch of videos and read a few articles. Some of them were helpful, some not so much. A lot of the information I found was pretty generic, like “change your filter every 3-6 months” or “change it when you notice a drop in water pressure.” That’s all well and good, but I wanted something a bit more concrete.

Gathered my tools: I needed a filter wrench (came with the housing), a bucket, and some old towels.
Shut off the water: This is super important. I turned off the main water supply valve to my house.
Relieved the pressure: I opened a faucet downstream of the filter to release any built-up pressure in the system.
Unscrewed the housing: I placed the bucket under the filter housing and used the wrench to unscrew it. It was a bit tough at first, but it eventually came loose.
Removed the old cartridge: It was pretty grimy, so I was glad I was replacing it. I tossed the old cartridge in the trash.
Cleaned the housing: I rinsed out the inside of the housing with some clean water.
Inserted the new cartridge: I made sure it was properly seated in the housing.
Screwed the housing back on: I hand-tightened it at first, then gave it a final snug with the wrench.
Turned the water back on: I slowly opened the main water supply valve, checking for leaks around the filter housing.
Flushed the system: I ran the water for a few minutes to clear out any air or loose sediment.

I started by keeping a close eye on my water pressure. I have a pressure gauge installed right after the filter, so I could see exactly what was going on. When the system was new, the pressure was around 60 PSI. I figured I’d let it drop to around 50 PSI before changing the filter. And you know what? That took about 4 months.

But here’s the thing: after that first change, the time between changes started getting shorter. The second cartridge only lasted about 3 months, and the third one was even less. It was a little frustrating, to be honest. I was starting to feel like I was constantly changing these filters.

Then I had a bit of an “aha!” moment. I realized that the sediment level in my water wasn’t constant. There were times when it was higher, like after heavy rain or when the city was doing work on the water lines. During those times, the filter was getting clogged up faster.

So, I started paying more attention to what was going on with my water. I’d check the pressure gauge more often, and I’d also take a look at the pre-filter, which is a smaller filter that catches the big stuff before it gets to the big blue filter. If the pre-filter was looking dirty, I knew it was probably time to change the big blue cartridge too.

Now, I’ve got a pretty good system down. I change the big blue filter every 2-4 months, depending on what’s going on with my water. It’s not an exact science, but it works for me. It’s way better than just guessing or waiting until the water pressure drops to a trickle.

I also keep a couple of spare cartridges on hand so I’m always prepared. Nothing worse than having your water pressure drop and realizing you’re out of filters. Trust me, I’ve been there.

My Personal Tips

Keep Notes: Write down the date you changed the filter, pressure reading, etc. Helps to track what happened before.
Check the pre-filter: This guy will tell you a lot about what’s going on with your water.
Don’t wait too long: Better to change it a little early than to let it get completely clogged.

Anyway, that’s my story about changing big blue water filter cartridges. It’s been a learning process, but I feel like I’ve finally got a handle on it. Hope this helps some of you out there who are also trying to keep your water clean and your pressure up!