Filtered water at the tap is one of those upgrades you quickly take for granted, until the taste changes and you realise the cartridge is due. Replacing it is simple once you know which one you need and how often to do it, and it keeps your water tasting fresh and your system working as it should.
This guide covers when to replace a cartridge, how to find the right one, and how the main systems compare. You can browse our full water filter cartridges range any time, or explore filter taps, boiling water taps and kitchen mixer taps if you are setting up or upgrading a system.
Why filtered water is worth it
A good filter reduces impurities, chlorine taste and odours, giving cleaner, better-tasting drinking water straight from the tap. In hard water areas it also reduces limescale, which protects your tap and any connected appliance and means less scale in your kettle and glasses. And it cuts the need for bottled water, which is better for both your budget and the environment.
When should you replace a cartridge?
Most filter cartridges last around six months, but it varies with the system and how hard your water is. Rather than guess, watch for the signs: a return of chlorine taste or odour, a noticeable drop in flow, or simply the manufacturer's recommended interval passing. Many systems, such as GROHE Blue, track usage and prompt you when a change is due.
Replacing on schedule matters. A cartridge left too long stops filtering effectively and can harbour bacteria, so it is a small, regular job worth staying on top of.
Finding the right cartridge
This is the part people get wrong, so it is worth being precise. A cartridge must match your specific tap or filtration system, they are not universal. Check your tap or system brand and model, then match the exact cartridge. If you are unsure, our team can help you identify the right one.
Our range covers the major systems:
BLANCO is a popular choice, and the BLANCO filtration range includes drink filters in soft and standard versions, microplastic filters, and the sparkling water system with its CO2 refill cylinders for chilled, filtered and sparkling water at the tap. If you have a BLANCO system, the Soft and Sparkling refills are the ones to keep stocked.
Quooker cartridges include the Scale Control and cold water filters that keep a Quooker system running at its best.
GROHE Blue uses S, M and L sized filters depending on your usage.
We also stock cartridges for Dornbracht, Insinkerator, Clearwater, Calmag and Triflow systems.
The BLANCO sparkling system
Worth a special mention as one of our most popular, the BLANCO sparkling setup delivers still, filtered and sparkling water straight from the kitchen tap, using a replaceable filter and CO2 cylinders. The CO2 refill cylinders and drink filters are the consumables to reorder, and keeping a spare of each means you are never caught out. It is a genuine everyday luxury that replaces both bottled still and sparkling water.
Keep a spare and never run out
The simplest advice: once you know which cartridge your system takes, keep a spare on hand so a change is a two-minute job rather than a week of unfiltered water while you wait for delivery. Setting a reminder for roughly every six months keeps the water tasting its best year-round.
Get the right cartridge at Empress
We have spent over 40 years helping people with everything from full bathrooms to the small consumables that keep a kitchen running. If you are unsure which cartridge your tap or system needs, our team is happy to help you identify it.
Browse our full water filter cartridges collection to start, and remember delivery is free on UK orders over £499.
