You can save a lot of money by purchasing aftermarket filters instead of OEM filters, also known as original equipment manufacturer. If you’re like a lot of people who don’t have much off-hand knowledge on filters, you may hear ‘aftermarket’ and think cheap and poorly made. Such connotations couldn’t be more wrong.
Aftermarket simply means that the product has been made after the original equipment has hit the market. Producers of aftermarket products, in this case, refrigerator filters and air filters for the home, make high quality products that will replace any filter of yours just as well as the OEM filter or name brand filter, if not better.
Drawbacks to Buying OEM
Original manufactured filters sell for a lot more than aftermarket filters do because there are several middle men including the retailer that need to make a profit. Many name brand filters are also being outsourced and manufactured in other countries, which hurts the American job market. Samsung filters outsource their manufacturing to China, where working conditions can often be very poor and hazardous to their factory workers’ health. Whirlpool filters are part of the Maytag brand, which is also known for outsourcing to foreign locations such as China and Mexico.
Name brand filters can typically provide lower customer service, as they have many people they service and they are a much larger company that focuses more on profit than customer service. This is not a quality that you will find with most aftermarket manufacturers. The typical reason for big markups on name brand filters is the name brand itself, but also the certification they purchase to make the filter look fancy and well, certified.
Benefits to Buying Aftermarket
When you purchase aftermarket filters you are supporting American manufacturing jobs and businesses. Most aftermarket filters, or discount filters, are sold by small American businesses that take pride in their products and customer satisfaction. This means that the quality in aftermarket filters is usually very high. They are also tested and rated vigorously by the seller before being placed on the market. These small businesses rely on maintaining a good reputation, which means they sell great water filters and go above and beyond with their customer service.
When searching for an aftermarket fridge filter, air filter, or water filter, be sure to research your options and prices to find the best deal. A well-researched aftermarket filter often results in great savings upfront and in the long run, as it is easy to find aftermarket filters that have a longer life-span than original equipment piece filters.
Conclusion
Many people who purchase filters are duped into thinking that they need to pay more for name brand to receive a good product, but paying more is not more; it’s just expensive. The major difference you will find between OEM filters and aftermarket filters is the price. Aftermarket filters go through testing just like OEM filters, and they will fit the equipment just the same as the original filter. In some cases, aftermarket water filters are designed to be even better than the original equipment filter. If you want quality at an affordable price, look no further than your local aftermarket filter seller.
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