Hey everybody, Hemang here with today's Water 101 by 3M. Whether you have a 3M Foodservice Water Filtration System or you're considering getting one, there's one critical question that almost always comes up: how often do you change the cartridge? And how do you change it? Depending on the type of water filter, replacement water filters should be changed every 6-12 months, when the rated capacity is exceeded, or when the water-delivery flow rate is reduced- whichever comes first. As for changing the filter, your first instinct may be to simply crouch down and start looking for something to unscrew, but that would be a mistake. That's because there are actually 3 different 3M Foodservice water filter head styles that all work a little differently. Section 1: Types of Filtration Cartridge Head Styles. First, there are non-valved heads, which have the filter cartridge locked into the head. These require you to turn the water off by closing a valve upstream of the filter, then open the flush or sample valve downstream to relieve pressure from the filter, and press the yellow locking tab to release the cartridge. Now, you can twist the cartridge to the left and it will remove from the head. Failure to follow this non-valve head procedure properly could mean that you'll be cleaning up a water mess. Not fun. On the other hand, valved heads have a built-in shut-off valve, which substantially simplifies the process of cartridge replacement by not requiring an external shut-off valve being plumbed. Just the action of slowly turning the filter cartridge to the left will shut off the incoming water, depressurize the filter, and disengage the filter from the head. Just be sure to turn the filter *slowly* to the left. And finally, we have the manifold multi-heads, which looks different but works similarly to the non-valved head as far as the filter-change is concerned. Turn off the water by closing the valve upstream of the filter, open the flush valve or the sample valve downstream to relieve the pressure from the filter, press the yellow locking tab to release the filter cartridge, and twist the cartridge to the left to remove it from the head. Knowing which filter-head style you're dealing with can help you determine where you need to shut off the water. Section 2: How to Change the Cartridge. The replacement process is pretty simple. Now, with your new cartridge, remove the red cap and moisten the O-rings with water. Insert the new cartridge into the filter head, and turn it a quarter turn to the right slowly. For valved heads, this action automatically opens the built-in valve, but for non-valved heads or manifold multi-heads, you will need to manually open the inlet valve so you can check for leaks. Finally, don't forget to flush! Your user manual or performance data sheet will have a flush table, telling you approximately how much and how long you need to flush water through the cartridge to remove any air before it's ready to use. You will want to use the flush valve kit that is available from 3M to do so. That's it! Now that you've got the know-how, "WATER" you waiting for? Okay, sorry, the marketing team put that in the script. If you want to know your 3M Foodservice Water Filtration system better, consult your user manual or check out 3Mfoodservice.com.
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Watch this video to learn how to change your 3M Water Filter replacement cartridge (and how often you should do it).
