Do Brita Filters Expire?: How Long Do They Last

Brita is one of the most widely-known names in the water filtration industry, especially if you’re talking about pitchers. Even people that aren’t familiar with the brand itself are sure to have seen these products in the homes of their friends or family.

However, despite these products’ popularity, few people know how Brita filters work, how long they last, and what it takes to maintain them. Because at the end of the day, Brita filters do expire, but how fast they expire is another question.

Learning how to maintain your Brita filter properly helps you improve the quality of your water and extend the filter's life. Let us help by answering your questions and providing the information you need to make informed decisions.

Do Unopened Brita Filters Expire?

No, unopened Brita filters don’t expire. These products should have an indefinite shelf-life as long as you don’t open the package and leave the filter out in the open. It’s best to store them in a cool, dry place.

However, if you’ve had them for months or even years without opening them, you might want to pre-soak them for 15 minutes before using them. This is advice directly from the manufacturer to optimize the functionality of the filter.

If you can’t be bothered, you can place them directly into the container of your unit without pre-soaking them, but you’ll still need to wait for 15 minutes before they start working.

Both methods will work just fine, so pick the one you prefer.

How Long Do Brita Filters Last?

The answer to this question varies depending on which filter you’re talking about. Each filter has an estimated capacity and lifetime.

To make things simpler, we’ve made two charts about how long each filter lasts.

Pitcher Filters

Bottle Filters and Faucet Mount Filters

Signs Brita Filters Have Gone Bad

If you’ve lost track of how many gallons of water your household has used, or how many months have passed since you’ve changed the filter, you can also look for signs on your pitcher.

The light on the top of Brita models typically serves as an indicator of the filter’s condition. This light glows green when the filter is still functional; it changes the color to yellow when it becomes less effective and glows red when you need to replace the filter immediately.

Additionally, you can tell that the filter isn’t working if there's a change in the taste or odor of the water from the pitcher.

How Does the Brita Filter Indicator Work?

The indicator is located right on top of the lid and is designed to light up when the lid is kept open for more than 5 seconds, assuming you’re refilling the pitcher.

With this mechanism, the system keeps track of how many times you’ve refilled it. It then calculates how many uses the filter still has based on this estimate.

The only flaw with this system is that it doesn’t consider whether the pitcher is filled to the top or not. It assumes that you’ve completely filled your pitcher every time you keep the lid open for more than 5 seconds.

However, it’s doubtful that you’ll fill your pitcher only halfway, so this shouldn’t be a problem. Just make sure that you don’t play with the lid and keep opening and closing it since that’ll trick the system into thinking the filter has gotten more use than it has, so the indicator will “think” it’s time to replace it sooner.

How to Properly Store/Maintain Brita Pitchers

All you need to do to maintain your Brita filters properly is hand wash them occasionally. Once a week, get some detergent and a sponge and clean out the inside of the pitcher.

As long as you clean it and replace the filters regularly, the pitchers should last you for years.