A lot of online research and chat lines revealed a big problem with Samsung's water filters associated with their refrigerators prior to 2016. FYI. Sometime around 2016...the powers to be at Samsung decided to contract their filters to another company. This new company redesigned the old filter by adding a new small plastic notch to the new filter...still calling it a DA29-00003G which was just ridiculous. The original filter had two notches in a U type fitting. As such...even the Samsung filters (sold as Samsung replacement filters) do not work in their refrigerators made prior to 2016. Two remedies. One is to replace the Filter Housing assembly with a new one that will accommodate the new filter (estimated at $200), or go through various online companies and try to find the filter with the original U notches. I was lucky to find a source (Filter Outlet) and they have filters with the correct notches to fit my unit. Some other online companies also have the original configuration. So...if you have have a problem like this...here are your fixes. Shame on Samsung corporate for creating such a problem with NO fix...nor admitting they even have a problem...

So samsung refuses to acknowledge the water filter issue. Your on your own to try and replace the housing at $168 cost to you, plus install. No more samsung for me.. Buh bye.

Yeah, I agree, 100% BS IMO. I just went ahead and had it replaced. A little not too happy about the whole thing, but it is what it is.

Did you get new housing? Do you have part # and what's new filter part? Thanks for any help

I went through an appliance store here in town, I can gather the part number when I get home. I honestly could have done it my self it seemed pretty easy watching the guy.

Thanks.. I would appreciate that.. Ttyl..

It might be impossible for the warranty company to find them from their suppliers, but they are available from somewhere because if you get service directly from Samsung, they will find them and install the new housings for a price.

@Jaxo - the appliance company said they can't get the parts so they recommended it being replaced. The warranty company is giving us $2200 to buy a new one. This fridge still works (w/o the filter features) so we'll donate it to Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Wow!!!!!!!!!!! That's awesome news!!!!!

I have also had 2 water filters EXPLODE in my Samsung French Door Fridge. Luckily, we were home when it happened so I have only had to deal with a minor clean up and no other damage. I am concerned with installing a new filter since this could happen when no one is at home, leading to massive flooding and considerable damage to my house. I am also scared that it could explode as the fridge is being opened and cause serious injury to whomever opens that door. I have been using ONLY the genuine Samsung Aqua Pure filters which I have been able to find on Ebay. I also turn off the water supply to the fridge before installing the new filter. I need to know if this is a defect in the fridge or a defect in the filter and how to prevent this from recurring. Samsung Customer Service is a joke. All they keep saying is that I am no longer under warranty. THIS IS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE: THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE!!!!

I am especially interested in what happened with Serendipity 123 since the concerns were exactly the same as mine. Was it ever determined if it was the fridge or the filter that was the cause???

Update:

We had the Samsung extended warranty on the fridge and contacted them for service in March 2017. The appliance repair technician that came out to diagnose the problem determined that the issue was that the original filter housing no longer fit the Samsung OEM filters for that fridge. He changed the filter housing and we have not had any more problems, to-date.

Thank you. Since we are still using only the genuine filters, I don't think that's our problem. I am checking now to see if the water pressure might be too high.

That's because no one in Samsung Customer Service has a "clue" as to what the issue is. Even appliance repair shops I called had no clue. You would think that given the 1,000's of refrigerators they made prior to 2016...that the "Einstein" at Samsung in charge of filters...would think that a significant filter design change would affect this group. Nope... Leave your customers that purchased a Samsung in the dark when they purchase a replacement filter that doesn't work...and actually one that says "Samsung" on it. They even kept the same filter model number which further complicates the situation. Amazing. I also can't imagine that a warranty company would replace the whole refrigerator with a new one due to this issue as mentioned on this site. As mentioned...after much research...finally found the old style filters on a website (Filter Outlet). They are the same model number as the Samsung and work fine...but with the old plastic groove arrangement. I still plan to write the Attorney General for the state that Samsung is headquartered in. This situation is unacceptable...and a bit of hot water...or in this case filtered watered should be poured over the jerks that caused all this frustration...

"I also can't imagine that a warranty company would replace the whole refrigerator with a new one due to this issue as mentioned on this site" it was explained that it was a filter housing situation. That's what the appliance guy said to me; that's what he communicated to the warranty service. And their final determination: replace with their suggested Kenmore comparable product, choose another product and pay the difference once they purchase it through their buying program, or $2,200 to replace the entire thing.

We paid $100 to upgrade the program offered to us through the home purchase and this alone repays that back. For once, despite home warranty service horror stories, this worked out for us.

I am really ready to pursue a class-action suit (obviously, I've gone through the same experience as most of you). Who will join me?

we are having the same issue so went to look at Home Depot HDX filters, Nope, all the same as the new samsung that don't work. Opened a few of the new samsung frigs. took out the filter, new style so took a picture of the new housing set up, that is why the new filters won't work on the older style. Old filter was like a nipple, new one is a flat top. Guess I will try the hot glue trick. If it works it will buy me time to fight with samsung.

new filter type and new housing

I too had an issue replacing my filter with a Samsung filter DA29-0003G. But I went back to Home Depot, returned the Samsung and bought their HDX filter and it worked for me. The SKU on the HDX filter that worked

is 601 365. Hope this helps someone. It is worth a shot.

The new filter does not fit the old housing on my 2016 Samsung French Door Fridge.

I had to replace the filter housing with the new housing that is now a available. Part is around $215.00 plus labor. My model number is RFG298HDRS/XAA and the replacement Housing is Part # DA97-114454. Make sure you have the right one for your Fridge because suppliers will not let you return it since it is an electrical part.

Samsung customer service still does not admit they changed the design. New housing comes with the new designed filter.

I have a Samsung French Door Refrigerator was manufactured in 2012. Had not experienced problems with the water filter until recently. There are only 2 filters. Mine was the DA29-00020B.

I was convinced that there was a change to the filter assembly, because none of the new ones fit!

They all had what appeared to be a little disk at the top, and mine was just a straight thin tube.

like the pictures above. It was then I realized that the top of my filter had broken off and stuck in the assembly. I couldn't think of any way to get in there to pull the broken piece out.

I tried the super glue trick, ( on the end of the filter. That didn't work) I tried a wire hanger. (No luck) I went to Lowe's hoping for a tool or something. I showed the pictures of the problem to one of the associates, Paul, (Lowe's Langhorne,Pa) He had the great idea! to use a small threaded rod, just slightly larger than the diameter of the hole. I screwed it in and the piece popped right out! Voila! The new filter went in perfectly!

My water cap also was stuck inside. here are some pics. With cap and without cap. I seen the cap inside of here but did not know that was the cap I was looking at I thought it was a part of the filter part so this is why I posted some pics. This is the filter I use all the time for the last 3yrs and never had any problems and never remembered seeing this cap.

Bottom line: Samsung makes junk appliances and its service/parts department is filled with incompetents. We had a Samsung washer that bounced all over and was recalled (45 days after we purchased it) because it was exploding for other purchasers. We should have learned a lesson then, but didn't. Bought a Samsung dishwasher last November that had to be returned and another one sent out and installed. After a month, the rollers on the upper rack broke. Called Samsung. They sent a toe kick. Called them again. They sent rollers for the lower rack which were much larger. Called the yet again and explained that, after looking at the parts online, the rollers for the upper rack were part and parcel of a wire holder, called a basket, into which the plastic upper rack was inserted so needed an $80 wire "basket" Before another part arrived, something else broke and we said "that's it," returned it and got a refund. No more Samsung for us. Then the box containing the basket arrived. Upon opening, it was not the basket but the third upper rack for silverware, knives, etc. I would NEVER, ever even consider another Samsung appliance.

OK, as so many others have described here, the new filters do not fit my 2012 refrigerator. Samsung customer service admits the filters have been changed & the filter housing has to be replaced to use the new filters. They originally insisted they "could not " cover the cost because my unit is out of warranty. I insisted there was nothing wrong with my refrigerator, so the warranty issue was irrelevant. I told them I was a long time, supportive customer, who bragged about how much I love my Samsung fridge. I mentioned this is why people file class action law suits & listed cases where other manufactures (Vitamix & Cuisinart) had notified me of problems with appliances & offered a credit or replacement part. Since this was a known problem they created with the new filters (probably manufactured at a lower price by a new supplier), they should have sent notices to owners warning of the problem, proposing a fix & made arrangements to send service personnel to install the new housing. Samsung could have contracted with a company to have these repairs done at a fraction of the cost that I'll have to pay for labor. After 2 phone calls & the addition of a 3rd person to "assist with the problem," they finally agreed to cover the cost of the parts using a 1 time warranty extension & assigned a ticket number with a local repair company.

Call Samsung (800-726-7864) & insist on a satisfactory outcome!!!

Oh wow!!!! Awesome job! I am going to call them immediately. Moving forward, we will never buy another Samsung appliance again.

Hello,

Same issue - old filter and new filter wont go into the fridge. Used quite a lot of force.

Any usefull tips?

Didnt manage with a hanger to do anything.

I opened the water a bit but nothing happened as well.

is this plastic in the picture in the house of the fridge disturbing? If so how do i get iot out?

It looks like the problem isn't a redesign of the fridge, but filter tips coming off and lodging in the housing.

We had a water leak after I popped the filter out, and reinserted it. Normally, no water leaks out when you remove the filter, but we were getting a spray of water. Screwing the filter back in seemed to stop it, but I noticed shortly after that water was pooling at the front corners of the fridge. I turned off the water supply, mopped up the mess, and it stayed dry. Googling the problem led me here.

I checked the filter I had just removed, and compared it to the new filters still in their boxes. One model was from the same manufacturer - Royal (and ordered at the same time). The other was from a different manufacturer (Denali). The Royal filter that came out of the fridge looked just like the photo on the box, but was missing the center bit with the "O" ring. In fact it looked like the problem filter in J Kohler's posting from July 30, 2018. It was a different design from the Denali filter, where the "O" ring was on a one-piece stem. No photo of this, as I've installed it in the fridge, and don't want to pull it out again.

I used the long screw method, and taped a 4" screw to a driver, and got it set into the nipple that was stuck in the filter housing in the fridge, then pulled it out with needle-nosed pliers. Interesting that when I pushed it back on the leaky filter, it seemed to set in quite tightly. But I will not put it back in the fridge, nor will I ever use the other Royal filter!

One thing I noticed after I pulled out the broken nipple, was there there is a small valve button that the filter presses against that causes the water to flow to the filter. When the nipple became detached in my fridge, the valve was pushed in, and that's why the water was spraying out when the filter was removed. After I got the nipple out, I could turn the water supply back on, and no more leaks!

I'd be really nervous using the crazy glue method to remove the nipple. You may end up gluing your filter to the housing, and that's a much bigger problem.

Bad Nipple:

Good Nipple:

Note that both filters have the same part number. Good luck.

We had the same problem ... the newer filters did not work. As someone mentioned earlier (sorry I don't remember your name and there are too many comments to re-read), we used a coat hanger with a small hook on the end to take this little piece out of the housing that was in the fridge. I think this little piece doesn't come off the new filters but if you have an old filter this little piece could be stuck in the fridge. We got it out and the new filters fit! Thanks everyone (and Google) for the comments! It saved us from buying a new water filter housing. Here is a picture of the old filter and the piece we got out of the fridge with a coat hangar.

Problem with your DA29-0003G filter not fitting? There is a small tab up inside the filter housing that has to be moved in the slot all the way to the end (you can see this with a mirror). Then the new style filter will fit. It took a month, and with no help from Samsung a repairman from Sears figured it out!

ended up going with an in-line filter instead, but still getting some leaks from the filter housing.

trying to put the OEM filter back in, but can't decipher all of the methods listed here. pics please!

Here's a pic from an earlier post that may help. The filter has a nipple on the end that is supposed to have a ring pushed on to it. The pic shows the nipple and the ring. They should be attached, and should never come apart!

The ring holds an O-ring, and seats into the fridge. On the crappy filters, the ring comes off the end of the filter, and stays in the fridge, holding the water line open so it will leak all over.

If you remove the filter, and the ring does not come out with it, you have to first, turn off the water supply to the fridge, as it will be leaking (or spraying) out of the filter socket.

To remove the ring, I found a long (4") screw and taped it to the end of a screwdriver. I pushed the screw into the opening of the ring, and screwed it in a bit. Once it caught, I tried pulling out the screwdriver. One time, the tape held, and I was able to pull out the screw with the ring attached. The next time (same cheap filter brand), I had to use needle-nosed pliers to reach in and pull out the screw when the tape failed to hold the screw to the driver.

In both cases, the ring popped out (attached to the screw), and I was able to insert the new filter. Water turned on, no leaks, all good until the next filter replacement.

Need to replace my current filter and after reading others comments, I am starting to worry. Samsung after service is usually good I found but their products in overall can be less practical and reliable comparing with other reputable companies. Not impressed with Samsung French door fridge as I had a few issues with it within the first few years. So far Samsung tv seems ok but not so much with fridge, washing machine, oven. Not keen to buy much Samsung appliances if I can avoid it.

My French door fridge had the same problem ... I was using WSS-1 WaterSentinel for some time ... my most recent order however ... supplied filters that no longer fit ... the "key" has changed ... I discovered Clear Choice filters... they fit perfectly ... DA29-00003G ... no shaving required ... appears they still have the "old key" ... I've already ordered a supply as back up ... frustrating ... stuff ... and now I'm stuck with four WSS-1 Filters ...

HU-20234943

6 months ago

last modified: 6 months ago

Problem with your DA29-0003G filter not fitting? There is a small tab up inside the filter housing that has to be moved in the slot all the way to the end (you can see this with a mirror). Then the new style filter will fit. It took a month, and with no help from Samsung a repairman from Sears figured it out!

Replying to the above comment, I have the DA29-0003G. I have always used the genuine filters. When I installed a replacement it seemed to loosely engage. It must have done this last time and I did not notice. I don't have a known correct filter or it may be I need to move the tab in the slot. I may take the housing out to be able to examine. Thanks HU-20234943

Thank you worked perfect. 45 degree angle on both bottom right tabs.

I am beyond frustrated. I thought I was going crazy. I bought the side by side fridge in 2015 so of course it is out of warranty. I havent been able to change the filter in over a year. I have bought over 4 different brands of water filters and to no avail did they fit. I then thought something was stuck where the water filter goes and tried to figure out if something was stuck. Only until 2 weeks ago did I decide to google this issue and I found this chat. I'm so glad to know that I'm not the only person with this problem. I contacted samsung and I havent gotten anywhere. I asked to talk to a manager today and of course no one called me back. I shouldn't have to pay to get this issue fixed nor should I have to waddle down a water filter for it to fit. I want a permanent fix. I told samsung if they do not fix this that I will file a class action lawsuit against them. I bought this fridge because of the samsung name and now they wont back up their product. Out of pure principal i will file a lawsuit. Depending on Samsung's answer i will let you know if they resolve this problem or not. I'm mad.

Kristin, I share your pain and frustration. It is beyond understanding why a company would change something like a water filter mechanism that requires a different part and yet keepthe same part number. After much frustration, I found a filter that works. The Ecofresca, model number EFDA2903.

A class action suit for an unresolved defective issue in a re-design is perfectly appropriate. Part of the purpose of a CA is for a company to more deeply consider future re-designs. If you do this, count me in. In the meantime, thank you @philnelson33 for the Ecofresca lead!

Isn't the problem due to defective aftermarket filters?? There are quite a few posts that clearly lay out the problem with filter nipples coming off and getting stuck in the housing. That’s not a Samsung problem.

If people are having a different problem, then they need to explain it better!

Jen- the main reason I bought the fridge was because of the water feature. So it is not a waste of time considering I spent good money on this fridge and samsung should fix this issue. They make billions of dollars so why wouldn't they fix this fridge problem they created? I have a life but it doesnt take much more time out of my life telling my story to an attorney considering I've spent quite a few hours on the phone arguing with samsung.

A class action lawsuit for a safety issue is one thing but for your filter not fitting into the refrigerator is frivolity. There are many ways one can filter their water. And there are ample potential fixes listed among these comments. LG refused a Kenmore refrigerator recall for a faulty compressors - that's worth a pursuit of legal action because the whole refrigerator is defective. This is not a problem it is an inconvenience. Be mad but maintain perspective. The doors open, the fridge still chills, the freezer freezes and all you can't do is stick your cup in the door and get filtered water. It's a diabolical life.

Rob McAuley, The problem was/is Samsung chose to change the water filtration system. In doing so, the water filters were changed to fit the new system The new filters were given the same part number as the filters used before the change. Like many others, I tried to talk to Samsung without success. They won’t listen and I want purchase another Samsung product.

Phil when I type in that water filter in Google I cant bring that model up. What website do you buy that filter from?

After about 6 phone calls Samsung finally fixed my fridge for free. They put new housing so now the normal water filter will fit.

Allfilters.com sells the spiropuresp-sa003 which fits the old style samsung da29-00003g receiver perfectly. no need to get a new fixture for the refrigerator. they are based in las vegas nv, they are reliable.

All… you’re not alone. Driving us crazy! This worked for us…https://www.samsung.com/us/support/troubleshooting/TSG01109722/

We’re surprised but new style filters fit our 2012 refrigerator!

Always use Samsung brand filters. Filters from other manufacturers, even if they indicate compatibility, may damage your fridge and water filter housing, or break off and leave pieces of the filter inside (like the cap), preventing a new filter from being inserted.

A few years ago, the HAF-CU1 model's design was changed from a 2-rib lock to a 3-rib lock in order to provide a tighter fit and better seal. However, the new filter design will still fit in older models of refrigerators, which is why the model and part number was not changed. The first time you switch to the 3-rib type, you may need to perform the "fully unlock the housing" procedure described here, even though the old 2-rib type was also a genuine filter.

If the old filter inserts easily but the new filter does not, it is because the old filter is not opening the locking mechanism all the way to make room for the correct Samsung brand filter. It only opens the lock enough for itself to get out.

To fix this, hold the old filter in the locking mechanism and turn it all the way open before letting it come out. This is sort of like using the old filter as a screwdriver to open the lock all the way. The steps are:

1. Temporarily reinstall the old filter.
2. While pressing the filter into the housing, turn it to the left as far as it will go, even past the point where the filter could be removed, until the filter can no longer be turned left while held into the housing.
3. Remove the old filter, and install the new filter.

If this method does not work, or the old filter is no longer available to use, visit our Support Center to request service.

This is EXACTLY the problem we are having!

I had someone come fix ours from Samsung. And they said everyone is having the same pro. It should be recalled. The expensive frig is junk. The ice maker is junk, cubed ice comes out like crushed. The filter light is constantly on. We have a seamless steel dishwasher from Samsung too. $250 to have someone fix it, well the fix didn’t last long and then they wanted another $250 to fix it. I went online and fixed it myself. I would never buy Samsung appliances again. Issue after issue. For $500 to have someone come out to fix the dishwasher I’d rather buy a new one. It’s ridiculous. And they both were bought brand new and only 4 years old!