Refrigerator care / Model identification
Find your refrigerator model number.
Then choose the right water filter.
Prepare two details before buying: your complete refrigerator model and the filter number specified for it. The model leads you to the right manual and parts; the filter number helps you select the product.
Already have the model? Find your filterWhat to record
- Find the labelStart inside the refrigerator.
- Save the full modelPhotograph it and copy the model field.
- Look up the filterUse your brand’s official instructions.
Page reviewed . The examples and lookup routes focus on Samsung, LG, Whirlpool and GE refrigerators in the US market. For a refrigerator bought elsewhere, use the brand’s website for that market.
01 / Open the door
Find the model label
Start with the fresh-food compartment’s side walls and ceiling, then use the brand or refrigerator layout below. Take a clear phone photo so you can close the door while you read it.
These are common locations listed by the manufacturers. Look for a label with a Model, Model No. or Model Code field.
| Brand or layout | Start here | If it is not there |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung | Inside the fresh-food compartment, on a side wall above the top shelf. | The lower-left exterior near the front. Official label locations |
| LG | On the right-hand side of the refrigerator liner. | Newer models may have the label on the left-hand side. Check both sides. Official label locations |
| Whirlpool | The top-left side or top-front area of the food compartment. | The food liner at the upper-right side of the crisper pan. Official label locations |
| GE · bottom freezer | Near the top of the left or right fresh-food wall. | The left or right wall of the freezer. Official label locations |
| GE · side-by-side | Near the top of either fresh-food wall, or on its ceiling. | Around or behind the crisper drawers, or on the fresh-food floor beneath them. Official label locations |
| GE · top freezer | The upper-left fresh-food wall or near the temperature controls. | The freezer ceiling near the front, or around or behind the crisper drawers. Official label locations |
If a drawer must come out to reveal the label, follow its removal instructions. Check accessible locations first. For a built-in installation or a hard-to-reach label, use the model’s manual or ask the brand’s support team for location guidance.
02 / Keep a reusable record
Copy the model field in full
A label may show both a model and a serial number. For parts, start with the text after Model, Model No. or Model Code.
| Number | What you may see | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator model | Example: RF22K9381SR/AA | Identifies the refrigerator model. Use it to find the manual and suitable filter. |
| Serial No. or S/N | An individual unit’s serial number | Used for registration, warranty and identification help from official support. |
| Filter part number | Example: HAF-CIN/EXP | Identifies a replacement filter product. Compare it with the filter specified for your refrigerator. |
Save all printed letters, numbers, slashes and suffixes. Check similar-looking characters such as 0 and O, or 1 and I. This gives you one reliable record for future lookups and support requests.
A four-field note for your phone
| Record | What to save |
|---|---|
| Brand and purchase market | For example: Samsung, United States. |
| Complete printed refrigerator model | Copy it as printed and keep a clear photo of the label. |
| Existing water-filter number | Record it if readable. You can continue the lookup without it. |
| Officially specified replacement filter | Fill this in after the next step. Save the result or manual link with it. |
03 / Turn the model into a filter number
Use your brand’s official filter lookup
With the refrigerator model, you can keep going even if the old filter has already been discarded. Each official route works a little differently.
| Brand | Official starting point | What to do there |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung | Refrigerator product support | Find your model and manual. Look in its Water Filter section and save the specified filter number. The number on the existing cartridge is another useful clue; Samsung’s filter-identification guide explains that route. |
| LG | Water & Air Filter Finder | Enter the refrigerator model and select the matching model from the suggestions. Type more characters to narrow the list. Choose the Water Filter result for drinking water; Air Filter is a different part. |
| Whirlpool | Find My Filter | Enter the model from the refrigerator label, choose Find My Filter, and save the filter number returned. |
| GE | Find Your Water Filter | This tool asks for the first 8 characters of the refrigerator model number, or lets you continue by refrigerator brand. Keep the full label photo for checking the manual or contacting support. |
LG’s page shows up to 10 suggestions and recommends entering more characters to narrow them. GE’s linked filter tool asks for the first eight characters. Follow the current instructions displayed by the tool you use.
How to use the old filter’s number
If its exposed label is readable, photograph it. If removal is needed, follow your model’s replacement instructions. Samsung and LG both include the existing filter’s label as an identification route.
For a first replacement, a secondhand refrigerator or a suspected wrong cartridge, cross-check with the refrigerator model too. You can then keep that confirmed information for the next purchase.
If you get stuck, take the next step here
| Your situation | Next step | Ready to shop when |
|---|---|---|
| You have the refrigerator model, but the old filter is missing | Use the brand’s filter lookup or the water-filter section of that model’s manual. | You have found the specified filter number. |
| You only have the old filter number | Save it, locate the refrigerator label using step 1, then cross-check with the model’s official information. | The filter you plan to buy matches the refrigerator’s official guidance. |
| The website does not return your model | Compare the entry with your label photo and check the purchase market. Enter more characters for LG, or follow GE’s first-eight-character instruction. | The model’s manual or official support confirms the filter number. |
| The old filter and official result show different numbers | Check for an official replacement or supersession notice. If unclear, ask support to compare both numbers. | The relationship between the numbers has been confirmed. |
| The label is worn or only partly readable | Check your original order, registered-product details or purchase documents for a candidate model. Ask official support to confirm it using the label photo. | Both the refrigerator model and suitable filter have been confirmed. |
For support, prepare your label photo, the readable model details, purchase market and old-filter photo. Supply a serial number through the official support channel if requested; cover it in photos you post publicly.
Check three things before ordering
- Filter number. Match the selected product variant to the filter you just identified. If the manufacturer replaces an old part number with a new one, keep the official replacement notice.
- Product and pack. Select a water filter, then check single versus multipack and one-time purchase versus subscription options.
- Installation instructions. Find the model’s removal, fitting, flushing and indicator-reset steps before the new filter arrives.
This process mainly identifies the manufacturer-specified filter. If considering a third-party replacement, check its listed refrigerator models, replacement part numbers and after-sales terms, then assess its filtration-performance and certification information.
Common questions
Should the refrigerator and filter numbers look alike?
They use different numbering systems. Use the refrigerator model to find the appliance’s parts information, and the filter number to select the product. The official manual or lookup connects the two.
Should I save the ending letters and slashes?
Save everything printed in the model field. When using a brand’s lookup, follow that page’s input format, such as the first-eight-character instruction in GE’s linked tool.
Does no search result mean there is no filter to buy?
Try the water-filter section of your model’s manual or ask the brand’s support team. The lookup, manual and support team provide complementary routes.
Can I use a filter recommendation for the same series bought in another country?
Check using your full model and the website for its actual purchase market. The buying-lookup links in this guide primarily serve the US.