A Frigidaire refrigerator air filter replacement is a short, tool-free job on the models that have one: find the air filter housing in the fresh food section, release the old filter, fit the new one in the same orientation and reset the filter light if your model has it. Not every Frigidaire refrigerator has an air filter, and the location and the reset method differ by model, so your owner’s manual decides the exact steps. The filter is separate from the water filter, which has its own cartridge and its own schedule.
Does your Frigidaire refrigerator have an air filter?
Many do not. On the Frigidaire models listed on this site, the Gallery GRSS2652AF side-by-side lists a PureAir Ultra II air filter next to its PurePour water filter, while other models list only a water filter. If you are not sure, look in the fresh food section for a small housing with a vented cover, often near the top, and check the manual’s parts list for the words air filter. A model number lookup settles it: see our Frigidaire model number location guide if you need help finding the label.
The filter is named PureAir in Frigidaire’s materials. Do not confuse it with the PureSource water filter that feeds the dispenser; our PureSource filtration guide covers that side.
Order the replacement by model number, not by looks. Filters from different Frigidaire families can look alike and still differ in size and in how they lock, so a filter that is almost right will not seat and will not do its job. Buy from a source that lists your model, keep the packaging until the new one is in, and write the date on a sticky note inside the door so you remember when it was changed.
How do you replace the air filter in a Frigidaire refrigerator?
The exact steps differ by model, so the owner’s manual is the first stop. The general sequence is the same on the models that use a small replaceable cartridge:
- Take the new filter out of its packaging, and have it ready before you open the old housing.
- Open the housing cover in the fresh food section. Many covers swing open or lift out by hand without tools.
- Note which way the old filter faces, then lift it out. Take a photo first if the orientation is not obvious.
- Seat the new filter the same way, close the cover until it clicks and make sure it does not rub against a shelf.
- Reset the filter light if the model has one, using the method in the manual.
Never force a cover or pry a housing with a screwdriver. If it will not release, stop, close the door and check the manual rather than breaking a clip.
How do you reset the air filter light on a Frigidaire refrigerator?
Where the model has a filter light, the reset is done on the control panel, and the button combination differs by model. The exact steps differ by model, so check the owner’s manual for which pad to use and how long to hold it. If you are unsure which pad it is, the manual shows the control panel for your model. On the water filter, the same kind of reset applies, as our Frigidaire refrigerator water filter replacement guide explains.
A reset does nothing for the filter itself. It only restarts the counter, so do it after the change, not before. If the light stays on after a reset with a new filter in place, check that the filter is seated and the cover is fully closed, and then try the reset again. If a message or a code appears instead, see the Frigidaire refrigerator display codes guide.
How often should you change the air filter?
Follow the schedule in your manual, or change it when the status light comes on. We do not quote a number of months that we cannot verify for your model. A refrigerator that is opened often, holds strong-smelling food or sits in a warm kitchen will use up an air filter sooner than a lightly used one, and an old filter does little. If the odor is still there after a new filter, the filter was probably not the cause.
What if the refrigerator still smells after you change the filter?
A new filter is not a substitute for cleaning. Take the food out, throw away anything past its date, and wipe the shelves, the drawers and the door gaskets with warm water and a little mild soap. A clogged defrost drain or a spill under a drawer is a common source that no air filter can fix. Our CrispSeal produce drawer tips help with the drawers, which hold the most odor-prone food.
If the compartment is warm as well as smelly, treat that as a cooling problem first and read Frigidaire refrigerator not cooling. Food that has warmed past safe temperatures is a food safety issue, not an odor issue.
