My refrigerator was left here by the previous owners (to the tune of an extra $500 financed into our mortgage), and while it isn't what I would have chosen, it does have some good features. It's a side-by-side, a model I detest because it is insanely small for the amount of room it takes up in my kitchen, and it isn't the greatest side-by-side either. This means I have to deal with the shelves on the door falling off and breaking the little pegs that hold them up if I put too much weight on the shelves, or if I brush up against them because the fridge is in a small space that doesn't allow for the door to open fully.

But there are two things I love about the fridge -- the through-the-door ice and water dispenser, and the icemaker. J across the street doesn't have an icemaker in her fridge, so she calls me when she wants to make a pitcher of iced tea because she knows I can replenish my ice a helluva lot quicker than she can. Also, with the insane quantities of water that Kurt and I drink on a daily basis, the icemaker really does come in handy, and I do prefer my water cold, as opposed to cool when it comes out of the tap.

I don't mind drinking tap water. I haven't read anything stating that the water in our area is bad for pregnant women, so it doesn't matter whether the water I drink is filtered or it's straight out of the tap. But the water dispenser on the fridge states that the water and the ice are filtered. The only thing is, where's the filter??

My mother has a side-by-side also, and her filter is in the back of the fridge to one side, hanging from the ceiling. I thought that's where mine would be, but there's nothing there. I looked in the freezer as well, even though I knew it wouldn't be there because the water in the filter would be frozen. I've lived here over a year, and I have yet to change the filter -- and it's probably the original filter to the fridge anyhow, making it at least two years old.

Today I decided to do some housework, and I got out my mop and bucket to mop the floor. But first I noticed there was an insane amount of dust on the grille of the fridge at the bottom. So I decided to dust there before I washed the floor. There's a large round screw top in the grille of the fridge, and I always assumed that if it was loosened, it would take the grille off so you could clean behind it. I managed to finally get the cap off, which I had never been able to do before, and lo and behold -- there's the water filter!!!

I was so proud of myself. I read the label on the filter, and it says to replace every 6-12 months depending on usage. I'm just glad it's not something you're supposed to replace every three months or so! Sears has the water filter listed on its parts page, so I could either order it from the internet or just drive down and pick it up at a parts store. And it's not terribly expensive either -- just $35, which isn't bad considering it's good for six months to a year. Some water filter cartridges cost twice that much.

I just can't believe it took me over a year to find the darn thing! :o)