With summer in full swing, a refreshing glass of water is -- or should be -- on all consumers' daily regimen. But with concerns over water contaminants and backlash against bottled water, consumers need to be reassured they are making the right choice when it comes to their drinking water. Whirlpool Corporation's "Change Your Refrigerator Water Filter" month reminds consumers that fresh filtered water is the best way to quench summer thirst and declare their bottled water independence.

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Change Your Refrigerator Water Filter month is a semi-annual initiative started in 2009 by Whirlpool Corporation that educates consumers on the importance of changing their refrigerator water filter twice a year to ensure proper contaminant reduction from filtered tap water at home. Properly maintaining your water filter is crucial, as tap water may travel through miles and miles of infrastructure before making its way into your home, and may pick up contaminants along the way. Therefore, many appliance manufacturers recommend changing the water filter every six months, or more often depending on usage, in order to enjoy the freshest water.

"Staying hydrated in the summer months is critical for consumers and it is essential that the water they are drinking is filtered of potential contaminants," said Jeremy Earles, category manager, Whirlpool water filtration. "By changing a refrigerator water filter every six months, consumers help establish good habits by drinking filtered water, while at the same time helping the environment and their wallets by limiting bottled water purchases."

A refrigerator system that uses two water filters per year can filter the equivalent of 3,000 bottles of water, saving more than $600 a year versus purchasing a leading brand of bottled water*. In addition to cost savings, drinking filtered water is also environmentally responsible as there are an estimated 38 billion water bottles thrown in the trash each year**.

This every six month habit is also easy to do since many refrigerators have an easy filter access system, located conveniently at the bottom in the grille or just inside the refrigerator. Plus for added convenience, Whirlpool Corporation provides an automatic water filter replacement program that sends filters right to consumers' homes, with no cost for shipping. There are also two opportunities to save on water filters with a special promo code (CHANGEIT) available during July that will provide complimentary shipping on filters purchased online, and a special $5 off coupon, available for download at Coupons.com, toward the purchase of a water filter valid until August 15, 2010.

For more information on replacing your filter for any Whirlpool portfolio product, visit http://www.whirlpool.com/waterfilters or click here for a tutorial video.

  * Based on average use of two 6-month 200 gallon filters
  ** According to dailygreen.com

  About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $17 billion in 2009, 67,000 employees, and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world. Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: angela_m_hersil@whirlpool.com

SOURCE: Whirlpool Corporation