GE RPWFE Refrigerator Water Filter: Which Refrigerators Take It, the 170 Gallon Interval, the RFID Chip, and Which Cross-Fits Carry One
GE RPWFE: 170 gallons or 6 months, NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 per GE's data sheet, plus the RFID chip the RPWF lacks. Which cross-fits carry a chip.
- Verified
- Updated
- 7 min read
- 9 sources
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OwnerSpec compares published manufacturer specifications, certification listings and sourced technical documents. Unless a page explicitly states otherwise, OwnerSpec has not laboratory-tested or used the products it compares. Editorial policy
Short answer
The GE RPWFE is the current genuine cartridge for GE, GE Profile, Café and Monogram French-door refrigerators, and GE’s Performance Data Sheet rates it at 170 gallons (643.5 L) or 6 months, whichever comes first, at a 0.5 gpm service flow, 25 to 120 psi and 33 to 100 F. The same sheet lists it as tested and certified by NSF International to NSF/ANSI 42 and 53; GE’s current product page adds 401 and P473. The E is a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip that GE’s own PDF says detects leaks and monitors filter status, and that chip is what separates the RPWFE from the RPWF, which GE’s parts page marks superseded. A cross-fit has two routes: carry the chip over from the used cartridge, which is how the chip-free AquaCrest AQF-RPWF goes into an RPWFE refrigerator, or buy one with its own chip, which GlacierFresh claims for the GFRPWFE. The spec that must match is the chip, not the 9.75 by 1.625 in body.
Fact sheet
- Answer
- The GE RPWFE is the current genuine cartridge for GE’s chip-reading French-door refrigerators, rated 170 gallons or 6 months and listed to NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 on GE’s Performance Data Sheet, with 401 added on GE’s current product page. Its RFID chip is what separates it from the superseded RPWF, so a chip-free cross-fit such as the AquaCrest AQF-RPWF needs the old chip carried over.
- Applies to
- RPWFE
- Letter on the old cartridge: RPWF (no chip) or RPWFE (chip)
- Compatibility basis
- GE RPWFE Performance Data Sheet (capacity, flow, pressure, temperature, NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 reduction table) and GE’s ‘About the RPWFE’ PDF (6 month interval, RFID function)
- Assumptions
- Every certification on this page is as stated on the maker’s own document; none was confirmed against an NSF or IAPMO listing, since no working listing URL was found this session.
- GE publishes no list of refrigerator model numbers for the RPWFE and routes buyers to a filter-finder tool; the model list on this page is GlacierFresh’s cross-fit list, not GE’s.
- NSF/ANSI 401 and P473 appear on GE’s current product page but not on the 2016 Performance Data Sheet, which lists 42 and 53 only.
- Method
- Capacity, interval, flow, operating limits, reduction figures and standards read from GE’s Performance Data Sheet, GE’s ‘About the RPWFE’ PDF, GE’s parts and product pages and GE’s counterfeit support page; cross-fit figures read from each maker’s own product page. Every figure is the maker’s published spec; nothing was tested.
- Primary source
- GE, RPWFE Performance Data Sheet (170 gallon capacity, 0.5 gpm, 25-120 psi, 33-100 F, NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 reduction table) (PDF) (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Facts verified
- Last updated
- Cite as
- OwnerSpec, "GE RPWFE Refrigerator Water Filter: Which Refrigerators Take It, the 170 Gallon Interval, the RFID Chip, and Which Cross-Fits Carry One", https://ownerspec.com/water/parts/ge-rpwfe-refrigerator-filter/, facts verified 12 September 2026.
Every figure above also appears, with its source, in the page below. All sources · How OwnerSpec verifies numbers
What fits
The only cartridge GE lists to NSF/ANSI 53, with the chip
GE RPWFE genuine (2-pack)
170 gallons or 6 months, 0.5 gpm, 25-120 psi per GE's data sheet; NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 on the sheet, 401 and P473 on GE's page; sold as a pack of 2
The number people get wrong is not the 170 gallons, it is the letter E: a chip-free cartridge fits the socket and leaves the refrigerator nothing to read.
Which GE refrigerators take the RPWFE, and what is the E for?
GE’s product page says the RPWFE fits select French-door GE, GE Profile, Café and Monogram refrigerators and sends the reader to a filter-finder tool instead of a printed list. The model numbers below are GlacierFresh’s cross-fit list, not GE’s; the number to trust is the one on the old cartridge.
| Number or name | Where it appears | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| RPWFE | GE Performance Data Sheet, GE parts spec page | The current genuine cartridge , 9.75 x 1.625 x 1.625 in per GE’s spec page, RFID chip built in |
| RPWF | GE parts spec page | The chip-free predecessor; GE’s page states it has been superseded to RPWFE, and no genuine GE-branded RPWF listing was found on Amazon this session |
| GFE28, GFD28, GNE29, PFE28, PWE23, GYS22, GYE22, DFE28 series (for example GFE28GBLTS, PFE28KSKSS, GFD28GYNFS, DFE28JBLTS, GNE29GYNFS) | GlacierFresh’s GFRPWFE product page | Refrigerator models a cross-fit maker lists as taking the RPWFE; cross-fit data, not GE’s |
GE’s “About the RPWFE” PDF states the product uses radio frequency identification (RFID) to detect leaks and monitor filter status, and that the RFID technology is certified by the FCC. The RPWF has no chip.
GE’s Performance Data Sheet lists the RPWFE as tested and certified by NSF International to NSF/ANSI 42 and 53: chlorine taste and odor reduced 97.4 percent, lead 99.3 percent at pH 6.5, cysts 99.99 percent. Its pharmaceutical figures (ibuprofen 98.8 percent) are independent-lab results the sheet says NSF did not certify.
GE’s current product page adds NSF/ANSI 401, P473 and a PFOA/PFOS claim that the 2016 data sheet does not carry, so both standards are listed here per the maker’s page; NSF/ANSI 42 and PFAS filtration have their own pages.
What else fits the same socket, and how does each handle the chip?
Every figure in the table is the maker’s own published spec, not tested here. GE’s PDF says GE has not qualified non-GE-branded filters and gives no assurance they meet GE’s standards for quality, performance and reliability. No cross-fit had a current Amazon listing this session, so none is linked.
| Cartridge | Capacity and interval | Micron and flow | Certification, as stated on the maker’s page | Chip handling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GE RPWFE (genuine) | 170 gallons or 6 months | Micron not published; 0.5 gpm | NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 on the data sheet; 401 and P473 on GE’s page | Built-in RFID chip |
| AquaCrest AQF-RPWF | 300 gallons; interval not published | Micron not published; 0.5 GPM | NSF/ANSI 42 and 372 | No chip; listing claims RPWF fit only, so an RPWFE refrigerator needs the chip carried over from the used cartridge |
| GlacierFresh GFRPWFE (GF-009X) | 300 gallons or 6 months | 0.5 micron; flow not published | NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401 per its own page, not an independent listing | Built-in chip; page states no bypass needed and no error messages |
| Icepure RWF3600A | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published; icepure.com was unreachable this session |
| Waterdrop WD-RPWFE | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published; Waterdrop’s site search returned no product page this session |
Two of the four cross-fits publish nothing this page can print; AquaCrest’s listing names RWF3600A as an RPWF-family cross number, a hint that the Icepure part is chip-free, not a spec. The AquaCrest claims 42 (aesthetic) and 372 (lead content of wetted materials) only, so it publishes no certified lead figure; the GlacierFresh claims all three GE standards, on its own page alone.
How often does it need replacing?
GE’s “About the RPWFE” PDF gives the interval: every six months, or earlier if 170 gallons have been dispensed or the flow to the dispenser or icemaker decreases.
| Figure | GE’s published value | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 170 gallons (643.5 L) | Performance Data Sheet |
| Time interval | 6 months | “About the RPWFE” PDF |
| Service flow | 0.5 gpm (1.89 lpm) | Performance Data Sheet |
| Water pressure | 25 to 120 psi | Performance Data Sheet |
| Water temperature | 33 to 100 F | Performance Data Sheet |
| Micron rating | Not published | No GE document reached |
A slowing dispenser is the only early sign GE names. The two cross-fits that publish a capacity print 300 gallons, which GE has not qualified.
How do you spot a counterfeit RPWFE?
GE’s support page on genuine versus counterfeit filters is the only GE-published check. It lists four signs.
- Misleading and fraudulent labels that violate trademarks.
- Deceptive or faulty claims, including a false claim to meet NSF/ANSI drinking water treatment standards.
- Reduction of chlorine taste and odor only, with no certification for lead, mercury or arsenic.
- A record of bursting or leaking, in GE’s words.
GE publishes no physical test on that page, so the seller is the check; the listing linked above is sold by the GE store and states a pack of 2.
Which one to buy
The genuine RPWFE 2-pack is the only cartridge here with an NSF/ANSI 53 listing on a GE document, and the RFID electronics in every cartridge are what you pay for.
If the refrigerator reads a chip, buy it, or buy a cross-fit whose maker states it ships with its own chip and accept that GE has not qualified it. If the old cartridge reads RPWF with no E, the electronics buy nothing.
Read that letter before buying anything: it decides the purchase, and the 170 gallon rating does not.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the GE RPWF and the RPWFE?
The RPWFE carries a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip that GE's 'About the RPWFE' PDF says detects leaks and monitors filter status; the RPWF has no chip. GE's parts page marks the RPWF superseded by the RPWFE, and no genuine GE-branded RPWF listing was found on Amazon this session. The rated capacity on GE's spec pages is 170 gallons for both.
How often should the GE RPWFE be replaced?
GE's 'About the RPWFE' PDF says to replace the cartridge every six months, or earlier if 170 gallons have been dispensed or the flow to the dispenser or icemaker drops. The Performance Data Sheet gives the same 170 gallon (643.5 L) capacity at a 0.5 gpm service flow. GE publishes no micron rating to check a slowing dispenser against.
What does the RFID chip in the RPWFE do?
GE's 'About the RPWFE' PDF states the product uses radio frequency identification to detect leaks and monitor filter status, and that the RFID technology is certified by the FCC. The same PDF says GE has not qualified non-GE-branded filters and gives no assurance they meet GE's standards for quality, performance and reliability, which is GE's position on every cross-fit on this page.
What is the GE RPWFE certified to reduce?
GE's Performance Data Sheet lists the RPWFE as tested and certified by NSF International to NSF/ANSI 42 and 53, with chlorine taste and odor reduced 97.4 percent, lead 99.3 percent at pH 6.5 and cysts 99.99 percent. GE's current product page adds NSF/ANSI 401 and P473. Its pharmaceutical figures, such as ibuprofen at 98.8 percent, are independent-lab results the sheet says NSF did not certify.
How does GE say to spot a counterfeit RPWFE?
GE's support page on genuine and counterfeit filters says counterfeits use misleading and fraudulent labels that violate trademarks, make deceptive or faulty claims, and falsely claim to meet NSF/ANSI drinking water treatment standards. GE adds that they typically reduce only chlorine taste and odor, are not certified for lead, mercury or arsenic, and have been known to burst or leak.
Sources
- GE, RPWFE Performance Data Sheet (170 gallon capacity, 0.5 gpm, 25-120 psi, 33-100 F, NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 reduction table) (PDF) (manufacturer or vendor document)
- GE, About the GE Appliances RPWFE water filter cartridge, 49-6000027 06-16 (6 month interval, RFID function, non-GE filter statement) (PDF) (manufacturer or vendor document)
- GE Appliance Parts, RPWFE spec page (dimensions 9.75 x 1.625 x 1.625 in) (manufacturer or vendor document)
- GE Appliance Parts, RPWFE product page (NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401 and P473 statement) (manufacturer or vendor document)
- GE Appliance Parts, RPWF spec page (superseded to RPWFE) (manufacturer or vendor document)
- GE Appliances, RPWFE product page (brand fit statement, filter finder) (manufacturer or vendor document)
- GE Appliances support, genuine versus counterfeit water filters (manufacturer or vendor document)
- AquaCrest, AQF-RPWF replacement for GE RPWF product page (300 gallons, 0.5 GPM, NSF/ANSI 42 and 372) (manufacturer or vendor document)
- GlacierFresh, GFRPWFE replacement for GE RPWFE and RPWF product page (300 gallons, 6 months, 0.5 micron, built-in chip, model list) (manufacturer or vendor document)