Cartridge code · GE
XWFE: the GE cartridge with three listings
One genuine cartridge, two aftermarket. The number-naming goes the way you would not expect.
What the listing names
No standard number is named on the listing. Not named: 42, 53, 401.The chip above is the genuine listing, and it has three empty cells because that listing says "NSF/ANSI standards" without naming one. The two aftermarket listings each name NSF/ANSI 42, which fills one cell on their own chips.
Genuine listings
Sold as original parts by the appliance manufacturer or under its brand.
GE XWFE Refrigerator Filter
6 month life statedThe listing states certification to NSF/ANSI standards and reduction of lead, sulfur and 50+ impurities, 6-month replacement.
No standard number is named on the listing. Not named: 42, 53, 401.The listing names NSF/ANSI without naming a standard number, so no cell is filled here.
View the listing on AmazonA genuine GE cartridge whose listing says NSF/ANSI standards without saying which ones, and separately claims lead and sulfur reduction plus 50+ impurities. This site does not turn an unnumbered mention into a numbered one, so all three chip cells stay empty here.
Suits A GE fridge that takes the XWFE cartridge.
Aftermarket listings
The two aftermarket cartridges each name NSF/ANSI 42 and nothing beyond it. That is a narrower named scope than 42, 53 and 401 together, and it is a wider named scope than the genuine listing on this page, which names no number at all. Both sentences are true and neither is about brand loyalty.
Crystala XWFE Compatible Filter
The listing states NSF/ANSI 42 certification and replacement for GE XWFE and XWF, with a built-in chip.
Named on the listing: NSF/ANSI 42. Not named: 53, 401.The listing names NSF/ANSI 42 and no other number, so one cell is filled and two stay empty. Nothing here implies 53 or 401.
View the listing on AmazonAn aftermarket cartridge whose listing names NSF/ANSI 42 and states it replaces GE XWFE and XWF. Naming 42 is more than the genuine GE listing manages, and it is also narrower than 42, 53 and 401 together. Both of those things are true at once.
Suits A GE fridge owner who wants the standard number stated rather than implied.
GLACIER FRESH XWFE Compatible Filter
The listing states NSF/ANSI 42 certification and replacement for GE XWFE and XWF, with a built-in chip.
Named on the listing: NSF/ANSI 42. Not named: 53, 401.The listing names NSF/ANSI 42 and no other number, so one cell is filled and two stay empty. Nothing here implies 53 or 401.
View the listing on AmazonThe second aftermarket XWFE cartridge here, with the same stated NSF/ANSI 42 certification and the same built-in chip. Two sellers, the same standard number, the same stated cartridge codes: the comparison on the XWFE page is between these two and the genuine cartridge.
Suits A GE fridge owner comparing two aftermarket cartridges on the same stated standard.
Side by side
| Listing | Genuine or aftermarket | Standard numbers named | What else the listing states | Stated life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GE XWFE Refrigerator Filter | Genuine, sold as an original part | No number named | The listing states certification to NSF/ANSI standards and reduction of lead, sulfur and 50+ impurities, 6-month replacement. | 6 months |
| Crystala XWFE Compatible Filter | Aftermarket, compatibility stated by the seller | NSF/ANSI 42 | The listing states NSF/ANSI 42 certification and replacement for GE XWFE and XWF, with a built-in chip. | Not stated on the listing |
| GLACIER FRESH XWFE Compatible Filter | Aftermarket, compatibility stated by the seller | NSF/ANSI 42 | The listing states NSF/ANSI 42 certification and replacement for GE XWFE and XWF, with a built-in chip. | Not stated on the listing |
- Listing
- GE XWFE Refrigerator Filter
- Genuine or aftermarket
- Genuine, sold as an original part
- Standard numbers named
- No number named
- What else the listing states
- The listing states certification to NSF/ANSI standards and reduction of lead, sulfur and 50+ impurities, 6-month replacement.
- Stated life
- 6 months
- Listing
- Crystala XWFE Compatible Filter
- Genuine or aftermarket
- Aftermarket, compatibility stated by the seller
- Standard numbers named
- NSF/ANSI 42
- What else the listing states
- The listing states NSF/ANSI 42 certification and replacement for GE XWFE and XWF, with a built-in chip.
- Stated life
- Not stated on the listing
- Listing
- GLACIER FRESH XWFE Compatible Filter
- Genuine or aftermarket
- Aftermarket, compatibility stated by the seller
- Standard numbers named
- NSF/ANSI 42
- What else the listing states
- The listing states NSF/ANSI 42 certification and replacement for GE XWFE and XWF, with a built-in chip.
- Stated life
- Not stated on the listing
Claims beyond the certification
- Reduction of lead and sulfur, named as substances rather than as certified claims
- 50+ impurities, a count with no list and no standard behind it
- A six month replacement interval with no gallon capacity
- A built-in chip on both aftermarket listings, which is electronics rather than filtration
Codes the listings name
Both aftermarket listings state they replace the XWFE and XWF cartridge codes. Those are cartridge codes named on the listings, not refrigerator model numbers, and the statement belongs to each seller.
- XWFE
- XWF
How to check yours
- Pull the cartridge currently in the refrigerator and read the code molded or printed on its body, not the code on the box it came in.
- Find the same code in the refrigerator documentation, which lists the cartridge the appliance was designed for.
- Compare that code against the code on the listing you are about to buy, character for character, including any suffix.
- If a listing states it replaces your code, treat that as the seller's statement about their own product and check it against your documentation rather than instead of it.
- Keep the old cartridge until the new one is installed and running, so there is something to compare against if the fit is wrong.
Notes
This is the only model page on the site with three listings on it, which makes it the only one where a genuine-versus-aftermarket comparison table has more than one row on each side to look at.
If lead is the reason you are reading this page, none of these three listings resolves it. Two name 42, which is the aesthetic standard. One names no number. Look the model up in a certifier database and read the claim list.