Changing a shower filter cartridge – step by step

The shower flow is getting weaker, and "change filter" has been in your calendar for weeks. The good news: the change takes hardly longer than brushing your teeth and needs no tools.

Which cartridge fits?

• Universal shower filter DF-002 and the empty housing DFT-DFG: replacement cartridge DFT-EK01
• Anti-chlorine shower filter DF-004: replacement filter DFT-04
• Anti-limescale shower filter DF-007: its own cartridge DF007-EK01 – it does not fit the other housings

When to change is shown in our overview "How often to change filters?".

Changing in five steps (DF-002, DF-004 and DFT-DFG)

1. Turn off the water and hold the hand shower downwards briefly so the pressure escapes.
2. Unscrew the lower part of the housing by hand. A towel underneath catches any remaining water.
3. Pull out the old cartridge and rinse the inside of the housing with clean water.
4. Insert the new cartridge. Make sure the O-ring sits cleanly and is not twisted.
5. Screw the housing back on straight and only hand-tight, turn the water on slowly and check for drips.

Tip against drips: grease the seals and the O-ring very thinly with food-grade silicone grease. They seal better and come apart more easily next time.

And the DF-007?

The DF-007 anti-limescale filter has its own design. Here too you change the cartridge without tools; the exact order is shown in the fitting instructions supplied with the cartridge and on the product page of the DF007-EK01 replacement cartridge.

The most common mistakes

• Tightening the housing with pliers. Plastic threads can crack and the seal gets squashed. Hand-tight is enough.
• O-ring twisted or forgotten. The most common cause of drips at the housing.
• Housing screwed on at an angle. If it catches: unscrew and start again straight.
• Leaving the cartridge in too long. An exhausted cartridge slows the flow.

In short: water off, unscrew the housing by hand, swap the cartridge, check the O-ring, screw back hand-tight. Five minutes, no tools – and note the date straight away.

Still dripping? Send us a photo at kontakt@smarald.com – we are happy to help.