Water filter indicators are there to alert you when your unit requires a replacement. If you have got a modern Brita filter, you will notice a red, yellow/amber, and green traffic light color system.
Besides your Brita filter needing a replacement, these lights have different meanings. They also tell you when the filter is intact.
Our guide explains more about these lights. We will tell you how your Brita filter indicator works and how to activate the filter’s electronic indicator.
Read and learn here how Brita knows when the filter is going bad.
Types Of Brita Filter Indicators
Brita filter indicators come in three categories;
1. Pitchers with the max fill line indicators for both Standard and Long Last filters
2. Pitchers without the max fill line indicators for both Standard and Long Last filters
3. Sticker filter indicator
Pitchers With Max Fill Line
These Brita filter indicators signal you when it is time for a filter replacement. They work by getting activated when you open the lid for five to eight seconds. The period depends on the size of the unit’s reservoir.
Pitchers with Max Fill Line measure the water usage by keeping track of the times you fill the reservoir. When the filter is fresh, a green light will continuously blink. When your Brita filter reaches its maximum filtration capacity, the red light will show for you to replace the filter.
Pitchers Without Max Fill Line
Like the Pitchers With Max Fill Line, this one also tells you when to change your filter. But, its activation process is quite different.
Each time you pour in water, it activates and measures the quantities, but this time on eight fl. oz. Pours. Equally, a green blink indicates a perfectly functioning filter. Red means a call for filter replacement.
Your Brita filter, whether it is the pitcher with or without the max fill line, comes in either the Standard (white) filter or the Long last (blue) filter. The Standard filters clean up to 40 gallons of water, while the Long Last filters take up to 120 gallons to wear off.
Sticker Filter Indicators
This Brita filter indicator allows you to gauge the right time to replace a worn-out filter. The sticker indicator works differently from the other two indicators. It functions by timing the average water usage. Mainly, it bases the timing estimates at 11 glasses per household daily.
How Does Your Brita Filter Indicator Work?
Now you can differentiate the various types of Brita filter indicators. You also have a slight idea of how each function. Your Brita water filtration system uses LED lights to tell you when to replace the filter. Depending on your filter, the replacement time differs.
As we said, Brita filters come in Standard or Long Last types. You will also hear about the stream models. But, both the standard and stream filters work for two months and filter up to 40 gallons.
A Long Last filter will last you up to six months before it is worn out; however, the frequency of use will determine its life.
Likewise, a pitcher filter will last you a month or two. That depends on the usage. If you have a Brita water filter in a high-traffic office or restaurant, that will last less than in a home setup.
If you have a Brita faucet, the indicator will measure the amount of water that passes through the device and the time the filter takes to filter this amount.
So far, you understand the types of filter indicators on your Brita filter unit. There are more details to how this system functions. You can note that the LED light is a single lights unit that changes the color depending on the usage.
But before we get into more details, let’s examine the LEDs color and their meaning.
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Where Is The Indicator On Your Brita Filter?
If you just acquired a Brita complete water filter system for your tap or faucet, locate the indicator light on the front. It is easy to see the light at the base of the filter.
For the Brita basic filter, the indicator light is on the upper section of the system. You may have to double-check the indicator color because it is not easy to see it through the glass casing. If you can’t still locate the lights, try to peep directly on the top of the filter to see the indicator.
Know Your Brita Color Indicators
To internalize better how your filter indicator works, here are the three colors and their meaning;
- Green: After changing your filter, the indicator will show green. That means the unit is sound and perfectly cleaning your water. At this point, you have no worries about any replacements as you still have many gallons to filter.
- Yellow/Amber: The yellow or amber color is a warning that your filter is almost full of impurities and not at its optimal performance. After working on a few more gallons, the unit will stop functioning effectively. Note that the filter will still pass clean water through. Later, the color will turn red.
- Red: A red indicator signals you to get a new filter. Your filter is simply not working. Note that the water will still pass through the filter, but it will not be clean for consumption. Drinking water from a filter that is blinking red indicator after several weeks of filtration is not safe. It is equivalent to drinking from the well or tap directly. That will be risking contracting waterborne diseases like Amebiasis, scabies, diarrhea, gastroenteritis, and typhoid, among others.
What if you still have the old model Brita pitcher filter? Brita’s older filter models have light indicators. These have labels from top to bottom as Change, Change Soon, and Good. These are straightforward as they warn you and indicate when to substitute the filter.
My Brita Filter Indicator Lights Are Not Working. Help!
The indicators on the Brita filter are fully automatic. Whenever you change your filter, there will be no manual reset or activation on whichever model you use. The red light should change to solid green immediately.
If you just replaced the filter, but the red light is not turning green, or simply there are no lights, something is wrong. Remove the new replacement and fit it back. Secure the new filter in place for the green light to work better. This easy process should work.
Unless it is a significant filter breakdown, you shouldn’t panic. A simple procedure to activate your Brita filter indicator light should get your lights up and functional.
Up next, we now teach you how to activate the various Brita filter indicator lights
How Do You Activate The Brita Electronic Filter Indicator
Sometimes, you need to reset the indicator lights when they become inactive. The inactive lights may be due to a worn-out battery or a new unit that you just acquired. In the case of battery wear, this may turn out to be a complicated process that requires expertise.
Indicator batteries usually wear off after two to three years. The Brita filter units’ distributors have the spare batteries and should sort you out once you reach out to them. After the battery replacement, things should work out perfectly for you.
The battery issue is a rare occurrence. Most probably, your filter indicator requires only activation. It’s simple! You can do it all by yourself.
Below the indicator labels, you will find the reset button. To reactivate the indicator, long press the button for about eight seconds. You will notice a simultaneous flash of all three lights.
After a few moments, while long pressing, the green light will flash three times. Release the reset button and continue to monitor the indicator lights.
Tip! Resetting the long last or the standard filter indicator will only require you to long-press the button for six and two minutes, respectively.
Let us now navigate through the process of activating a Standard (White) and Long last (blue) filters;
- Standard Filter (White)
To activate the indicator lights, long-press the Status button for two seconds and release. All indicator lights will blink twice simultaneously, and then the green light will blink three times. The blink indicates a selection of the standard filter mode of 40 gallons.
Suppose it is an incorrect mode; long-press the Status button again to choose the correct filter mode. Any time you fill the unit’s reservoir and close the lid, the green light will blink to show that the filter is functioning well.
You will need to check the filter life status often to be assured that it is intact. It is also simple; press the Status button for one moment and release. You should see a green light if your filter is still good, amber if it is almost expiring, and red if the bad.
The collating light will blink for a second. A red blink indicates 0% filter life. Replace and reset the filter by long-pressing for two seconds and release the button. The filter indicator should go back to the green color.
- Long Last Filter (Blue):
To activate the Long Last filter indicator light, press and hold down the STATUS button for six seconds. Wait until the green light blinks three times. The process means that you have selected Long Last Filter mode for 120 gallons.
For incorrect mode selection, repeat the process until you select the mode that matches your filter. A green blink indicates a good filter, while the red blink tells you to substitute your filtration unit with a new one.
Like the standard filter, remember to check your filter status by pressing and releasing the button for a second. The process will give you the correct status of your filter.
How Does Brita Know When Filter Is Bad?
Generally, a superior water filter unit has sensors that indicate the filter is bad. Brita is a leading brand. It comes with sensors that work perfectly to check your unit when it is in sound condition. The LED indicator is an external signal to reveal to you the status of your filter.
This LED signal works by measuring the frequency of filtration, and thus a timer. The function works by gauging how long your filter will last. And this is only an average figure.
When the filter is whole and cannot clean your water, you will get a reminder that your filter requires a replacement with a red light.
Interestingly, new expired filters past their shell life are as bad as the used, worn-out ones. Do not use filters past their shell life. They will not do a perfect job on your drinking water.
We recommend fresh orders from authorized Brita distributors for guaranteed clean and pure drinking water.
Tips For Tracking Your Brita Filter Indicator
The following tips will help you to track your filter’s indicator for utmost effectiveness accurately;
- Always open the filter’s fill cap fully and only.
- To ensure accuracy, fill the reservoir up to the Max Fill level and then close the lid.
- Be sure to open the fill cap for five seconds when filling the reservoir.
- Do not refill the reservoir unless it is empty.
- Leave the reservoir lid closed until it is empty and ready for a refill.
Final Thoughts
With a Brita water filter in your home, you have got one of the most effective filtration systems around. The model has undergone many tests to get safety certifications. These include the Water Safety Association and ANSI/NSF standards certification, among others.
An important thing that is required of you is to study how the system works for utmost effectiveness.
Most often, the filter indicators throw many users in mayhem, not knowing what they symbolize. We have expounded the various lights, their meaning, and how the indicator system works in a filter.
You can always refer to this guide whenever you get stuck. The guidelines will help you know the exact time to change the filter and activate the indicator.
