A Frigidaire water filter is easy to order wrong for one reason. Frigidaire kept the same cabinet housing across several product generations and changed the cartridge inside it. Three of those cartridges are cylinders of a similar size. None of the three substitutes for either of the others.
WF3CB, ULTRAWF and EPTWFU01 are the three. They sit next to each other in the same catalogue at $44.99, $49.99 and $47.99. A shopper choosing on price picks a cartridge that will not seat, and the shipping label is already printed before anybody notices.
This guide sorts every Frigidaire cartridge by its PureSource generation. Each entry names the housing that generation uses and quotes what the product listing publishes about rated life and certification.
The PureSource generations at a glance
Every figure below comes from the listing named in its row. Current stock and prices sit in the Frigidaire refrigerator water filters collection.
| Generation | Cartridge | Price | Rated life on the listing |
|---|---|---|---|
| PureSourcePlus | Frigidaire WFCB and WF1CB PureSourcePlus Refrigerator Water Filter | $29.99 | 6 months or 400 gallons |
| PureSource2 | Frigidaire WF2CB PureSource2 Refrigerator Water Filter | $38.99 | 9 months or 400 gallons |
| PureSource3 | Frigidaire WF3CB PureSource3 Refrigerator Water Filter | $44.99 | About 200 gallons or 6 months |
| PureSource Ultra | Frigidaire ULTRAWF Puresource Ultra Ice and Water Filtration System Water Filter | $49.99 | Not published |
| PureSource Ultra II | Frigidaire EPTWFU01 Puresource Ice & Water Filtration System Water Filter | $47.99 | Typically up to 6 months |
| PurePour PWF-1 | Frigidaire PurePour Water and Ice Refrigerator Filter PWF-1 | $53.99 | 3 to 6 months or 200 gallons |
| PurePour Connect PWF-2 | Frigidaire PurePour Connect Pwf-2 Water and Ice Refrigerator Filter | $54.99 | 3 to 6 months or 125 gallons |
Seven cartridges, one appliance brand, and the generation makes the whole purchase decision. Everything else follows from it.
PureSource 3, and where its housing hides
The Frigidaire WF3CB PureSource3 Refrigerator Water Filter at $44.99 is the cartridge behind most Frigidaire filter searches. Its listing describes a slide-in cylinder that fits the PureSource 3 housing on the top right side of the refrigerator's inner compartment. That position is the fastest way to identify the generation without any part number at all.
The listing states the WF3CB filters the water leaving the dispenser and the water that makes the ice. It publishes a flow rate of 0.5 gallons per minute, a pressure range of 30 to 100 PSIG and an operating temperature range of 33 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Rated life is about 200 gallons or 6 months, whichever arrives first.
On certification the WF3CB listing states that NSF International tested and certified this genuine Frigidaire cartridge to NSF/ANSI Standards 42 and 53 for the reduction of the claims specified. The same listing notes the cartridge also fits certain Electrolux refrigerators built on the PureSource 3 system.
Those two standard numbers carry real meaning at the tap. Standard 42 covers taste and odor, which is the chlorine a household tastes in a glass of water. Standard 53 covers health effects, and lead and cysts sit under it. The Ultra II and PurePour Connect cartridges add Standard 401 on top of both, which covers the trace pharmaceuticals and pesticides that municipal treatment was never built to remove. A household choosing between generations should read that line on the page before it reads the price.
PureSource Ultra and Ultra II
Frigidaire moved to the PureSource Ultra system and then revised it. The two cartridges carry different part numbers and different prices, and neither one drops into the other's housing.
The Frigidaire ULTRAWF Puresource Ultra Ice and Water Filtration System Water Filter at $49.99 covers every PureSource Ultra model Frigidaire built. Its listing publishes no rated life and no certification line. It does carry one line worth acting on: a refrigerator using the ULTRAWF cartridge also uses the PAULTRA air filter.
The Frigidaire EPTWFU01 Puresource Ice & Water Filtration System Water Filter at $47.99 is the Ultra II cartridge. Its listing narrows the fit to certain Frigidaire models beginning mid-2015 and states the cartridge typically lasts up to 6 months. Its certification line reads NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53 and 401.
A 2015 build date sits right at the boundary between the two. A household with a refrigerator from that year should read the old cartridge instead of guessing, because the two part numbers share a shape and share nothing else.
The air filter the water filter listing points at
Frigidaire pairs the PureSource Ultra water cartridge with an air cartridge inside the fresh food compartment. Poseidon Filters stocks the Frigidaire PAULTRA PureAir Ultra Refrigerator Air Filter at $14.75 for that position. Newer cabinets take the PAULTRA2 at $14.99.
The air cartridge does a job the water cartridge cannot. The Frigidaire EAF1CB PureAdvantage listing, which covers the same function on other Frigidaire and Electrolux cabinets, describes it plainly. It removes odors from onions, garlic, fish and overripe produce. A household ordering a water filter for an Ultra cabinet can put both cartridges in one order and stop opening the compartment twice.
PurePour, the newest naming
Frigidaire renamed the line again for its most recent cabinets. The Frigidaire PurePour Water and Ice Refrigerator Filter PWF-1 at $53.99 carries the part number FPPWFU01. Its listing describes a push to lock and release action, publishes a flow rate of 0.65 gallons per minute, and rates the cartridge at 3 to 6 months or 200 gallons. The certification line reads NSF 42 and 53.
The Frigidaire PurePour Connect Pwf-2 Water and Ice Refrigerator Filter at $54.99 carries the part number FPPWFU02. Its listing adds a certification against NSF/ANSI 401 and cuts the rated capacity to 125 gallons at the same 0.65 gallons per minute. The listing describes Connect technology that confirms the cartridge is genuine, confirms the install seated correctly, and sends a notification when the replacement is due.
The capacity drop between the two is the number to watch. PWF-1 carries a 200 gallon rating at $53.99. PWF-2 carries 125 gallons at $54.99. A heavy dispenser household on the newer cabinet reaches its limit sooner and pays a dollar more to get there.
The two older generations, and why they are easy
Frigidaire's first two generations are the only ones nobody confuses. Their shapes settle it in a second.
The Frigidaire WFCB and WF1CB PureSourcePlus Refrigerator Water Filter at $29.99 is a small cylinder, 4 1/8 inches long by 1 7/8 inches across. Its listing dates the cabinets it serves to Frigidaire and Kenmore refrigerators made before April 2001 with the filter inside a round plastic housing. Rated life is 6 months or 400 gallons, and the listing says Frigidaire builds the cartridge in the USA.
The Frigidaire WF2CB PureSource2 Refrigerator Water Filter at $38.99 is a flat rectangular cassette, 6 3/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 1/4 inches. It slides out of the front of the refrigerator compartment on Frigidaire, Electrolux and Kenmore cabinets. Its listing publishes the longest rated life in the whole Frigidaire line: 9 months or 400 gallons, whichever comes first.
That nine month figure is a genuine outlier. Every other Frigidaire cartridge in this catalogue publishes six months or less. A household on a PureSource2 cabinet buys fewer cartridges per decade than a household on any newer generation.
Compatible cartridges for the older positions
Two compatible cartridges cover the earlier Frigidaire generations at a lower price.
- The Water Sentinel WSF-7 Refrigerator Filter at $26.99 replaces the WF2CB. Its listing rates it at 6 months or 300 gallons at 0.5 gallons per minute, and states the manufacturer tested it against ANSI/NSF Standard 42 for the reduction of chlorine, tastes and odors.
- The Gold Series GS-F2 Refrigerator Replacement Filter Fits Fridgidaire WF1CB at $11.99 covers the WFCB and WF1CB position. Its listing states NSF International tested and certified the cartridge against NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for the reduction of chlorine taste and odor. Rated life is 6 months or 300 gallons.
Both compatible cartridges trade rated capacity for price. The WSF-7 gives up 100 gallons against the genuine WF2CB and saves $12.00. The GS-F2 gives up 100 gallons against the genuine PureSourcePlus cartridge and saves $18.00.
The three modern cylinders have no compatible counterpart in this catalogue. A household on a PureSource 3, an Ultra, or an Ultra II cabinet buys the genuine Frigidaire cartridge, and that is the straight answer for those positions.
Fridgeaire, Fridgidaire, and every other spelling
Shoppers type this brand wrong more often than any other in the category. Fridgeaire and Fridgidaire both send real shoppers to real cartridges every month, and the correct spelling is Frigidaire.
Poseidon Filters carries one of those spellings in a product title. Its Gold Series cartridge for the WF1CB position carries the title Gold Series GS-F2 Refrigerator Replacement Filter Fits Fridgidaire WF1CB. That title is the one printed on the page, and the cartridge fits Frigidaire cabinets however the shopper spelled the search that found it.
Spelling changes nothing about the match. The generation does all the work. Read the housing position or the old cartridge, then find that generation in the table above and order the cartridge its row names.
An office manager stocking a break room runs the same check. Poseidon Filters covers home and office refrigerators from one catalogue, and a single order can carry a WF3CB for one cabinet and an EPTWFU01 for another.
Rated life, and why it varies so much here
Frigidaire publishes a wider spread of replacement windows than any other brand in this catalogue. The WF2CB runs 9 months and the WF3CB runs about 6, while the PWF-2 can come due after 3.
The gallon figures spread just as far. WFCB and WF2CB carry 400 gallon ratings against 200 on the WF3CB and PWF-1, and the PWF-2 stops at 125.
Capacity is the honest way to compare cost across those generations. A cartridge rated for 400 gallons at $38.99 works out to about 10 cents a gallon. A cartridge rated for 125 gallons at $54.99 works out to about 44 cents. The cabinet decides which arithmetic applies and no shopper gets to pick.
The Subscribe and Save page states the rule that makes a schedule work. Set the interval to the manufacturer's rated replacement window for the cartridge in the appliance. Frigidaire publishes that window on each product listing, and the plan holds to it. The page also publishes a standing 5 percent discount on every recurring shipment, which puts the $44.99 WF3CB at $42.74 per cartridge.
Frequently asked questions
Will a Frigidaire ULTRAWF fit a PureSource 3 refrigerator?
No. The WF3CB serves the PureSource 3 housing on the top right side of the inner compartment, and the ULTRAWF serves PureSource Ultra cabinets. The two cartridges look similar and share no fit. Read the old cartridge before ordering either one.
What is the difference between EPTWFU01 and ULTRAWF?
Generation. The EPTWFU01 listing describes PureSource Ultra II and narrows the fit to certain Frigidaire models beginning mid-2015. The ULTRAWF listing covers the earlier PureSource Ultra models. The Ultra II cartridge publishes certification to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53 and 401.
How often should a Frigidaire water filter be replaced?
Each listing publishes its own window. Frigidaire rates the WF2CB at 9 months or 400 gallons, the WF3CB at about 200 gallons or 6 months, and the PurePour cartridges at 3 to 6 months. Match the interval to the cartridge in the appliance.
Is there a cheaper cartridge that fits a Frigidaire WF3CB housing?
Not in this catalogue. The compatible cartridges here cover the two earlier generations: Water Sentinel WSF-7 at $26.99 for the WF2CB position and Gold Series GS-F2 at $11.99 for the WFCB and WF1CB position.
Do I need the PAULTRA air filter with my water filter?
The ULTRAWF listing states that refrigerators using that water cartridge also use the PAULTRA air filter. Poseidon Filters stocks the PAULTRA at $14.75 and the newer PAULTRA2 at $14.99. Both handle odor inside the fresh food compartment.
Find the generation, then the cartridge follows
Frigidaire reused one housing across seven cartridge generations and gave each generation its own part number. That single decision produced every wrong order in this category. Reading the generation off the housing position or off the spent cartridge takes about a minute and it ends the guessing.
Every current price sits in the Frigidaire refrigerator water filters collection, with the WF3CB at $44.99 and the EPTWFU01 at $47.99 covering the two most common Frigidaire cabinets in American kitchens. A Subscribe and Save plan then carries the reorder at 5 percent off every shipment, and the guide to how the subscription plan works walks through the setup.
A household running more than one brand can run the same generation check elsewhere. The Whirlpool part number guide maps the legacy 4396xxx codes to their EveryDrop names, and the LG LT1000P guide settles the two LG cartridges that differ by two inches of length. An office manager restocking break-room appliances and return-air filters on one order will find the air-side sizing rules in the MERV 8 sizing guide. Anyone starting fresh across several systems can begin with the Poseidon Filters buying guide.
Unsure which generation a cabinet takes? The Poseidon Filters team at 855-789-3278 matches the appliance model to the part.
Reviewed by the filtration specialists at Poseidon Filters who match residential and office refrigerators to the correct cartridge every day.
Our newer guide covers the Electrolux EWF2CBPA PureAdvantage slide out cartridge.