Which Water Filter Fits My Whirlpool or Maytag Refrigerator?

The short answer: a Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, or Amana refrigerator almost always takes an EveryDrop filter, and the model is identified by a single number or letter – Filter 1 through 8, or the newer Filter A. The right whirlpool refrigerator water filter is the one printed on the cartridge you are pulling out right now. Confirm that model first. One fridge line can use different filters across model years, so the number on your old cartridge – or in your owner’s manual – beats any chart on the internet, including this one.

Here is how to read that number, what the legacy part codes (W10295370A, 4396841, UKF8001) mean, and how to check whether a “removes lead” claim is real before you trust it.

Start With the Cartridge to Find Your Whirlpool Refrigerator Water Filter

The fastest path is the filter you already have. EveryDrop prints the filter number large on the cartridge body – a “1”, “2”, “3”, “4”, “5”, “6”, “8”, or an “A”. That single character is the whole answer. A Filter 1 is replaced by a Filter 1.

Every whirlpool refrigerator water filter in the current lineup prints its number this way, so the cartridge is your single most reliable source. If the old cartridge is gone, two backups work:

• The owner’s manual. Whirlpool lists the correct EveryDrop number for your exact model in the manual and on the Whirlpool product support site, where you enter your full model number.
• The model/serial sticker. Find your refrigerator’s model number (usually on a sticker inside the fresh-food compartment, on a side wall or the ceiling) and run it through the official EveryDrop Filter Finder. That tool is the manufacturer’s own lookup and is the authority for ambiguous cases.

Do not guess from the brand alone. Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Amana, and JennAir are all Whirlpool-family brands and they share the EveryDrop system – but they spread several different filter numbers across their model lines.

The EveryDrop System: One Number, One Filter

EveryDrop is the current factory brand for the Whirlpool-family refrigerator filter – every whirlpool refrigerator water filter sold today carries an EveryDrop number. The numbered lineup maps to the part you actually buy like this:

• Filter 1 – EDR1RXD1, replaces legacy W10295370A / W10295370 and Kenmore 46-9081. The most common push-in cartridge on French-door and side-by-side units.
• Filter 2 – EDR2RXD1, replaces legacy W10413645A and the old “9082” code.
• Filter 3 – EDR3RXD1, replaces legacy 4396841 / 4396710. Common on grille-mounted (kick-plate) systems.
• Filter 4 – EDR4RXD1, replaces Maytag UKF8001. The classic round Maytag/Amana bottom-freezer cartridge.
• Filter 5 – EDR5RXD1, replaces legacy 4396508 / 4396510. A widely used side-by-side push-in.
• Filter A – EDRARXD1. The newest design, a twist-in cartridge appearing on recently built Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Amana, and JennAir refrigerators.

The pattern is consistent across every whirlpool refrigerator water filter: EDR + the filter number + RXD1. If you see that code on a box, the digit between EDR and RXD1 is your filter number. The legacy W10... and bare-numeric codes are the same physical part under older Whirlpool part numbering – a box labeled W10295370A and a box labeled EveryDrop Filter 1 fit the identical slot.

One honest caveat: that legacy-to-EveryDrop mapping is reliable, but it is still a cross-reference. Where the manual and the cross-reference disagree, the manual wins. Verify the model printed on your current filter or in the manual first.

If you would rather not hold the chart in your head, our refrigerator filter finder walks the same logic – enter what you can read off the cartridge or the fridge and it routes you to the matching EveryDrop number and its part codes.

Maytag, KitchenAid, and Amana Are the Same System

Because these are sibling brands, the rules above apply unchanged – the badge on the door does not change the filter logic.

• Maytag bottom-freezer and French-door units historically used the round UKF8001 cartridge, now sold as EveryDrop Filter 4 (EDR4RXD1). Newer Maytag builds have moved to Filter A.
• KitchenAid and Amana spread across Filters 1, 2, 3, and 5 depending on the year and the dispenser style, and newer models use Filter A.
• Kenmore refrigerators are frequently rebadged Whirlpool builds, which is why a Kenmore code like 46-9081 cross-references straight to EveryDrop Filter 1.

The takeaway is the same for every brand in the family: identify your whirlpool refrigerator water filter by the number off the cartridge or by looking up the model. The brand name narrows nothing on its own.

How to Find the Filter Number on the Fridge Itself

If the cartridge is gone and you cannot find the manual, the filter housing location tells you the style, and the style narrows the candidates:

• Top-right interior, fresh-food compartment – a push-in cartridge here is usually Filter 1, 2, or 5.
• Base grille / kick plate at the very bottom front – a horizontal cartridge here points to Filter 3 (or older grille designs).
• Inside, behind a flip-down door, twist-in – the newer Filter A design on recently built units.

Open the housing and look at the cartridge end; the molded number on your whirlpool refrigerator water filter is often visible even on a spent cartridge. Still, treat the location as a hint, not proof. The only confirmation that closes the case is the printed model on the old filter, the manual, or the manufacturer finder.

Genuine vs. Aftermarket – and the NSF Claim That Actually Matters

Once you know which whirlpool refrigerator water filter number you need, you have three buying options, and the trade-offs are worth naming out loud.

Genuine EveryDrop is the OEM part. It carries the manufacturer’s own certification testing, and the numbered lineup is certified under NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, and 401 for a defined contaminant list. It is the most expensive option, typically replaced every 6 months or about 200 gallons.

Aftermarket compatibles (Waterdrop, Mist, GlacierFresh, EcoAqua, and others) fit the same slot for a fraction of the price. Many are independently certified – but here is the rule that matters: aftermarket certification is SKU-specific. A brand can sell one model certified to NSF/ANSI 42 only (taste and odor) right next to a model certified to NSF/ANSI 53 (health claims like lead and cysts), in nearly identical packaging.

That distinction is the whole ballgame on a health claim:

• NSF/ANSI 42 is aesthetic – chlorine taste and odor. It says nothing about lead.
• NSF/ANSI 53 is health – lead, cysts (like Cryptosporidium), mercury, and certain VOCs.

A box can say “reduces lead” in marketing copy without holding an active NSF/ANSI 53 listing for lead. So before you trust a lead or cyst claim on any cartridge – genuine or aftermarket – look the exact model up in the official NSF certified products database and confirm the specific contaminant is listed under Standard 53 for that SKU. The U.S. EPA’s drinking water health guidance explains why the lead distinction is not a marketing detail: there is no known safe level of lead in drinking water, so a real, listed NSF 53 lead reduction is the claim worth paying for.

If your home water comes from a private well or you already know you have hard water or lead-service-line risk, a fridge filter is a last-stage polish, not a treatment plan. Size the bigger picture with our water softener sizing calculator for hardness, or weigh a dedicated system with the reverse osmosis cost calculator before you decide the fridge cartridge is doing the heavy lifting.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know which EveryDrop number my Whirlpool refrigerator takes?

Read the number printed on your whirlpool refrigerator water filter cartridge when you replace it – EveryDrop prints “1” through “8” or “A” on the filter body. If the old cartridge is gone, check your owner’s manual or run your full refrigerator model number through the official EveryDrop Filter Finder. The brand name alone does not tell you the number, because Whirlpool spreads several filters across its model years.

Is W10295370A the same as EveryDrop Filter 1?

Yes. W10295370A (and the older W10295370) is the legacy Whirlpool part number for the cartridge now sold as EveryDrop Filter 1 (EDR1RXD1). A box labeled either way fits the same slot. As always, confirm the number on your current filter or in the manual first, since one fridge line can use different filters across model years.

Do Maytag and KitchenAid use the same filters as Whirlpool?

They use the same EveryDrop system. Maytag’s classic round UKF8001 is now EveryDrop Filter 4 (EDR4RXD1); KitchenAid and Amana spread across Filters 1, 2, 3, and 5, and newer models in every brand use Filter A. The rule is identical: match the number on the cartridge or look up the model.

Are aftermarket filters safe to use instead of genuine EveryDrop?

A properly certified aftermarket filter can be a legitimate, cheaper choice – but certification is SKU-specific. Confirm the exact model holds an active listing for the contaminants you care about in the NSF certified products database at info.nsf.org before trusting any lead or cyst claim. A filter certified only to NSF/ANSI 42 handles taste and odor, not lead.

How often should I replace my refrigerator filter?

EveryDrop recommends replacing your whirlpool refrigerator water filter roughly every 6 months or 200 gallons, whichever comes first. Heavy use or sediment-heavy water shortens that interval. A noticeable drop in flow or a return of off-taste is your cue to change it sooner.

The Bottom Line

Your whirlpool refrigerator water filter is identified by one character – an EveryDrop number 1 through 8, or an A – and the surest source for that character is the cartridge in your hand or the model in your manual. The legacy codes (W10295370A, 4396841, UKF8001) all cross-reference cleanly to a numbered EveryDrop part. Pick genuine or a properly certified aftermarket equivalent, and if a lead or cyst claim is the reason you are buying, verify that exact SKU’s NSF/ANSI 53 listing at info.nsf.org before you trust it. When in doubt, start at our filter finder and let it walk the number for you.