Ultrafiltration (UF) systems

Replace your water cooler filters.

Watch the tutorial or follow the quick-reference steps below.

Have an RO system? Go to the RO guide →

How to Replace UF Filters in a Bottleless Water Cooler

Step-by-step instructions for replacing UF filters in a bottleless water cooler, including shutting off the water, changing the sediment, pre-carbon and UF membrane filters, and flushing the new filters.

Read the video transcript

How to change the filters in your bottleless water cooler. Hopefully, this tutorial will help you to change the filters in most bottleless water coolers that use specifically these type of filters. Okay, before we get started, you're going to need a few supplies. You'll need a bucket. You'll need a towel or paper towels to put into the bottom of your cooler just to keep everything clean and dry. You'll need your new filters, of course.

You'll need service tubing, which we will use later to flush the filters, a marker to put a date on your filters, and if you have these standard fittings, you will need something like a screwdriver or a dull knife, something that you can use to pry these fittings off of the filters. If you have these no tool fittings, you do not need this. All right, before we get started, you should just make note that the filters all have arrows on them designating the direction of water flow.

When you change the filters, just make sure you put the new filters in with the arrows pointing in the same direction that your old filters were pointing in. Right. First, we will turn off the water to your water cooler. Next, we will drain about a cup of water out of the faucet of the water cooler. This will release the pressure off of the fittings, off of the filters, so that you will be able to remove these fittings.

I like to start with the top fittings first. I do this so that I can put a cap on them and while I'm removing the filter, I don't have water come out of the bottom of the filter. It's just a little bit cleaner. So, let's start with this first fitting here. To remove this, you'll see there's a little ring here. You want to get your tool below that little ring and push up. You might have to go around a little bit if it's tight.

But that will eventually pop off of the filter. I like to take my new filter and there are these little caps on the new filters. I like to put the cap on top, push it down. This, like I said, is going to hold the water into the filter while you remove the bottom fitting. Once you've done that, remove the bottom fitting. Remove this filter and put this in your sink, your bucket, wherever you're going to keep it. Put your new filter in.

And remember, put the arrows facing the same direction as the filter that came out. Reattach this fitting. Reattach this fitting. Do exactly the same with the next filter. In this case, the arrows are pointing upward. So, the arrows of the new filter are going to be pointing upward. Reattach your fitting here. Attach your fitting here. Move on to the next and so on. this water cooler happens to have four filters. You may have five.

Just follow the same exact procedure for all the filters. Once you have all of the new filters in place, all of the new fittings in place, we're going to flush the filters. So, get your service tubing, get your bucket ready, and we are going to flush the first two filters together. Which are the sediment and pre-carbon filters. So yours may be here, yours may be here. but you're going to hook your service tubing to the outlet of the pre-carbon filter.

So the arrows of the pre-carbon filter, in this case pointing up, you want to put the service tubing on the outlet. So the arrows are pointing toward the outlet of the filter. So in this case, we're going to remove this fitting, which is the outlet. Attach your service tubing. Put that in your bucket. Then we're going to go and turn our water to the cooler back on. This will be running water through the sediment and pre-carbon filters into your bucket.

Run about a gallon of water. Turn your water off. Remove the service tubing. Reattach your fitting. You will then do exactly the same thing with the very last filter in your setup. And you will easily be able to tell the outlet of the last filter because it will be the one that is leading to the tank. So it will be going up. That will be the outlet of your last filter. So if you can't see these filters back here, which direction the arrows went, that's okay.

Just follow this line and that will be the outlet. So you would take this off, reconnect your service tubing. Same process. Reconnect that. Make sure all your fittings are nice and tight. That one was a little loose. And now you are finished.

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Supplies needed

  • Replacement filters
  • Towel
  • Bucket
  • Filter flushing kit (included)
  • Marker to date filters

Only if needed

  • Phillips screwdriver (if your cabinet cover has screws)
  • Flat screwdriver or flat tool (if No-Tool fittings aren’t already installed)

At a glance

  • Estimated timeFilter change: 25–35 min
    Filter flush: 10–15 min
  • DifficultyEasy
  • Tools neededNone or screwdriver(s)*Depending on cooler model and fittings installed

Step by step

Prepare

  • Place towel inside cabinet
  • Have bucket and filter flushing kit ready

If your cooler has a leak detector in the bottom of the cabinet, cover it to keep its absorbent pad from getting wet. A wet pad prevents water from flowing into the cooler, even after you turn the valve back on. If the pad gets wet, replace it.Replacement pads →

Towel and bucket ready for a filter change

Turn off water

  • Turn shut-off valve clockwise
  • Dispense cold water to relieve pressure on the systemPressure in the line makes fittings difficult to remove.
Turning the shut-off valve, then dispensing cold water

Remove old filters One at a time

  • Note flow arrow direction of installed filter
  • Remove top fitting first

    Only disconnect fittings from the filter ports. Leave the tubing connected to the fittings (unless you are installing new fittings).

  • Remove bottom fitting

    Cover top port with finger while removing bottom fitting to keep water from spilling out of the bottom port

  • Remove filter and discard
Top of the installed filters, showing the top fittings and tubing

Install new filters One at a time

  • Unwrap new filter
  • Match arrow direction to previously installed filter

    Filter orientation varies by system, so your filters may all be pointing one direction, or they may be alternating directions.

  • Insert filter into bracket
  • Reattach fitting
  • Push fitting on firmly

Repeat for remaining filters.

New filters installed with arrows matching the old ones

Flush filters

  • Attach flushing kit* to outlet of Pre Carbon (#2 filter)*(elbow and tube that arrived with your order)
  • Run water 3-5 minutes into bucket(black water at first is normal)
  • Remove flushing kit
  • Repeat steps for outlet of final filter (#4 or #5 filter)
Flushing kit tubing running into a bucket

Final check

  • Confirm fittings are secure
  • Write today’s date on filters
  • Turn water supply back on
  • Check for leaks
Our silver bottleless water cooler, ready for use

Your system is ready for normal use.

Install new filters with arrows matching the direction of your old filters

Find yours and install the new filters the same way.

INOUT
If your arrows alternate
INOUT
If all arrows point up
INOUT
If all arrows point down
Orange No-Tool fitting

Orange fittingfilter inlet (water in)

If you have our No-Tool fittings

Blue No-Tool fitting

Blue fittingfilter outlet (water out)

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