When Whirlpool introduced it’s bottom front grill water filtration system (a little close to the floor in my mind… I know, it’s just me) it was an immediate success. Refrigerators bearing this filter started showing up all over the place. And people started looking for replacement filters– only to find that they had to go through Whirlpool and end up spending as much on the filters as they did on the refrigerator!

Patent laws kept other companies at bay for a long time. It couldn’t last forever though. Brita (still fighting through the legal issues I think) has released a very nice replacement filter for the Whirlpool 4396508 at a reduced price. It’s part # WPRF-100 and when you consider it needs changing once or twice a year, the savings you’ll see with the Brita filter add up.

Brita isn’t the only company taking a swing at this filter though… Supco (Sealed Unit Products) just announced that they have begun production on yet another alternative here and their 4396508 replacement filters will be ready by January 2008. The Supco part # will be WF285. Supco’s filter will cost even less than the Brita filter!

It seems Whirlpool is already feeling some price pressure on this item. The Brita filter is just as good as the original 4396508 and Brita is a trusted name. I bet you can’t even name the company currently making the filter for Whirlpool! Um, it’s a great company too (I don’t mean to imply otherwise)… still, you get what I mean about name recognition and trust. I think Whirlpool is in for an aftermarket dogfight. And in the end that’s good for customers.