Troubleshooting: 3M and Aqua-pure Filters Not Fitting Nep Head

One of the benefits of using a 3M or Aqua-pure filter is that changing the filter is a breeze. You simply unscrew the filter like you would a light bulb.

The water automatically turns off and you just need to pull the filter down to detach it. A towel placed under the head. It couldn’t be easier.

Unfortunately, there is a rare problem which can make it impossible to install a new filter once the old one is removed.

It occurs when the plastic lugs in the filter head move out of alignment. If you aren’t aware of the issue, it can be very confusing and frustrating.

In this post, we’ll explain how the issue occurs and how to fix it.

Products Potentially Affected

• 3M™ NEP VH4 Filter Heads
• 3M™ filters including HF8-S, HF15MS, HF20, HF25, HF25-S, HF27, HF-27-S, HC351-S, HF45-S, HF90
• Aqua-Pure™ AP9112 

The Problem

3M™ NEP/VH3 heads are made up of several of plastic components.

The dark grey part forms the exterior of the filter head, with a light-coloured plastic part that fits inside of it. The light-coloured part has lugs which need to align with the notches on the replacement filter.   

Unfortunately, the lightly coloured plastic part can sometimes move around inside of the head, causing the lugs to become misaligned. At this point, it will be impossible to insert a replacement filter.  

You can see the lugs if you look up inside the filter head. 

This picture shows incorrectly aligned lugs:

This picture shows correctly aligned lugs:

The Solution 

To fix the filter head, you’ll just need to push the lightly coloured plastic component back into its correct position. 

Here is a short video showing how it is done:

If you have any questions, get in touch!

Categorised in: Troubleshooting

This post was written by Greg