Water Softeners and Air Filtration Systems - Needed: replacement for Franke Filter

I have a new Franke faucet with filtration unit and the replacement filters are REALLY expensive. The new filter clogged up right away, but probably because the kitchen was totally remodeled.
Does anyone know of a manufacturer that makes a filter that will fit for less than $58?? The Franke SKU is FRX 02.
Thanks!

I looked at a picture of this filter and it looks like one of a number of standard filter types. But from the picture, I can't tell how big it is. If the body of the filter is 9" long and it's a little bigger around than a cardboard paper towel tube, then that's likely a standard size. The only difference is that the standard ones have a nipple on the bottom (just for support, there's no hole in it).

If you're filtering just for taste, then you could probably get a filter cart from $10 to $20, but you might have to hacksaw off the bottom "nipple". If you want to experiment, go to Lowe's website and search for Whirlpool model #WHERF, Item number 67663 - Whirlpool Reverse Osmosis Replacement Filters. They're $23 for a two pack carbon and sediment filters. You can find these identical filters through Sears and I think GE, but they're about twice that price. Take your existing filter down to one of those retailers and compare the physical dimensions.

Go to a local or internet water treatment dealer and you'll pay much less and get better quality 'filters'. And I will suggest that next time you shouldn't buy proprietary housings or cartridges.... or fail to ask for replacement cartridge costs first.

As to clogging up so fast, that is usually due to the micron rating of the cartridge. Taste and odor carbon will plug up fairly fast if there's any sediment in the water and you might want to think of adding a 5 micron sediment prefilter.

Gary
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Doug Aleshire, Super Moderator 2

The main reason I suggested the Whirlpool filters is because they're shrinkwrapped on the shelf at local stores, and it's easy to compare the physical dimensions. There's better filters, but I wouldn't necessarily trust a guy behind the counter at just any water treatment dealer to give you a better filter at a better price. He may just yank out some filter in plastic shrinkwrap with arcane numbers on the label and SAY it's a lot better.

If all else fails, you would ultimately save a lot of cash and headaches just by leaving the cartridge out of the faucet filter and installing a standard filter housing, they're not that expensive and you'd have a huge variety of filters to choose from.

Incidently, my remark about water treatment dealers was about the dealers who will take a water softener worth $700, slap a whole house filter on it, then sell it for $3500 as a "system". If they're really good, they'll have the nerve to sell you an extended warranty for a few hundred bucks more. Unfortunately, there's far too many of those dealers around, and they wouldn't be high on my list of places to buy replacement filters from.

If you can figure out what filter style to specify, and you want a better filter than the ones available in the hardware stores, then ordering from the internet is definitely the way to go.

Sorry, I was speaking of the local independent dealers that you find in your yellow pages and the internet dealers that don't do such things. But you don't find them by looking for brand names that always cost more due to the heavy costs of marketing to unsuspecting consumers that rely/depend on brand names. And as in this case get taken.

Gary
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Doug Aleshire, Super Moderator 2