Elkay bottle filler filter replacement

Match the cartridge, swap it and get the light back to green.

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Quick answer

Most ezH2O stations take Elkay’s 51300C. Shut the water, unplug, swap it with a quarter turn and flush. Newer stations reset the light themselves; older ones need RST FLTR. Pro stations take FL6 or FL10.

Most ezH2O stations: Elkay 51300C$94.99 at AmazonPrice as of Oct 23, 2026, 5:30 AM EDT

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The full model and serial number are on the station’s label. Elkay’s help center has a page showing where the label sits on each style. Write both down before you buy anything, because the model leads you to the right manual and the serial tells you whether a recall applies.

Don’t go by the model’s first letters alone. Elkay’s current LZS8WSLK spec sheet lists an automatic filter reset, even though the model has no “EN” in front of it. The way the light behaves after a filter change is a better clue than the name.

Station sheets that name a cartridge

Your model not here? Search its spec sheet on elkay.com and read the “Optional Accessories” list on page 2.

1. 1
   Open the lower cover

   Take out the two Torx T25 screws on the underside or front of the unit and lift the cover off. A towel under the filter catches the drips.

2. 2
   Shut the water and relieve pressure

   Close the supply valve to the station, then press the bottle filler or bubbler for a few seconds until the flow stops.

3. 3
   Unplug the unit

   Elkay says to disconnect power before you touch the filter. Bi-level units have two power cords, so unplug both.

4. 4
   Remove the old filter

   Turn it counterclockwise a quarter turn and pull it straight down out of the head.

5. 5
   Cap the old filter

   Take the red cap off the new filter and press it onto the old one. That keeps the old one from dripping on the way to the trash.

6. 6
   Fit the new filter

   Push it firmly into the head and turn it clockwise until it stops. The label should face you so it can be read.

7. 7
   Write the date on it

   Elkay’s maintenance sheet asks for the install date on the label. It’s how the next person knows when the year is up.

8. 8
   Water on, then power

   Open the supply, check the head for leaks, then plug the unit back in.

9. 9
   Flush it

   Run water through the bottle filler until the air is gone and the flow is clear. On bi-level units, Elkay says at least 2 gallons.

Elkay’s help article says to turn the old filter clockwise to take it out. Every manual I read says counterclockwise. Go with your station’s manual, and don’t force it if it won’t turn.

Elkay’s spec sheets say the head has a valve that closes when the filter comes out. Don’t lean on that. Every manual still says to shut the water first, and a worn valve is the last thing you want to find with the filter in your hand.

The new filter is full of air and fine carbon dust. That’s why the first water out looks cloudy or spits. It clears as you flush.

1. 1
   Open the filter door

   Remove the two screws with a Torx T25 security bit and rotate the door forward. Tethers hold it open.

2. 2
   Close the blue lever

   Turn the blue shutoff lever so it sits across the tubing. That’s off.

3. 3
   Relieve pressure, then power off

   Dispense from the bottle filler or bubbler, then switch off the rocker switch near the door.

4. 4
   Swap the filter

   Hold a rag under it, turn the old filter counterclockwise and pull it out. Put the new filter’s cap on the old one, then press the new one in and turn it clockwise.

5. 5
   Water on, then power

   Turn the lever back so it runs along the tubing, check for leaks and switch the power on.

6. 6
   Let it flush

   The station sees the new filter and runs its own flush. Close the door and refit the screws.

Pro stations can carry a sediment filter as well. Elkay says the FSR5 goes only in the upper position, and that it should be changed once a year at the same time as the main filter. Do both on the same visit and you only open the door once.

From Elkay’s help article on filter status lights, read Oct 22, 2026.

Reset an original ezH2O by hand

1. 1
   Take off the top cover

   Remove the two Torx T25 screws on top of the bottle filler and lift the cover.

2. 2
   Hold the program button

   Press it for about 2 seconds and let go when the display changes.

3. 3
   Wait for RST FLTR

   The display scrolls between RST FLTR and SETTINGS. When RST FLTR shows, press the button once.

4. 4
   Press again to zero it

   The display reads FLTR 0 and the green light comes on.

5. 5
   Put the cover back

   Refit the top cover and its two screws, then the lower cover.

The SETTINGS menu has an RST BCNT option right next to the filter reset. It sets the bottle counter back to zero, and Elkay’s manual says there’s no way to get the old count back. Facilities that report bottles saved lose their number. Press slowly and read the display.

The same menu has FLT SIZE, set to 3000GAL or 6000GAL. It tells the station how big a filter you fitted. If your parts list allows a 51600C and you switch to it, set FLT SIZE to 6000GAL, or the light will go red at half the filter’s life.

Many “compatible with Elkay” filters sell for less. The search results for these filters even put one near the top. Elkay’s own help article says to use a genuine Elkay filter for the light to reset, and the E013 table names an incompatible filter as a cause. On an enhanced station, a knockoff can leave you with a filter that works but a light that never goes green.

My call: buy the genuine cartridge for any station that resets itself. On a school or office station, a red light that won’t clear means a work order every week.

Best for most ezH2O stations

Elkay 51300C

$94.99 at Amazon

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Price as of Oct 23, 2026, 5:30 AM EDT

Best for busy enhanced stations

Elkay 51600C

$152.99 at Amazon

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Price as of Oct 23, 2026, 5:30 AM EDT

Best for PFOA and PFOS

Elkay 71300C

$104.99 at Amazon

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Price as of Oct 23, 2026, 5:30 AM EDT

Best for busy Pro stations

Elkay FL10

$210.99 at Amazon

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Price as of Oct 23, 2026, 5:30 AM EDT · low stock then

Best for Pro stations

Elkay FL6

$174.68 at Amazon

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Price as of Oct 23, 2026, 5:30 AM EDT

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

FL10 stock was low on the day I checked. If it’s gone, FL6 fits the same Pro stations; you’ll just change it sooner on a busy one.

The bottle counter on the front of the station is a handy gauge. Elkay’s manual for the original ezH2O says the counter treats one bottle as 20 oz. So 3,000 gallons is about 19,200 bottles on the counter.

Write the counter number on the filter label next to the date when you change it. Next time, the checker below tells you how much of the filter is used.

My call: on an enhanced station that fills more than about 19,000 bottles a year, the 51600C saves a mid-year change. On a quiet one, the 51300C hits its one-year limit before its gallons anyway, so the bigger filter buys you nothing.

The 71300C’s certification names two PFAS chemicals, PFOA and PFOS. It doesn’t claim every PFAS. If a water test flagged a different one, ask Elkay before you count on this filter for it.

What each filter is certified to reduce

NSF/ANSI 42 covers taste, odor and chlorine. Standard 53 covers health claims like lead and cysts, and 401 covers newer contaminants such as microplastics. Every ezH2O cartridge carries all three, so a swap between them changes gallons and flow, not the lead claim.

A spent filter is the catch. Each claim is tied to the filter’s rated gallons, and Elkay says to change it at those gallons or one year, whichever comes first. A cartridge past either limit is running outside what Elkay rates it for, even when the water still tastes fine.

The recall was still listed on the CPSC’s database when I checked on Oct 22, 2026, and no filter cartridge recall came up. A new filter doesn’t fix a recalled unit, so check the serial before you open the cover.

A filter also doesn’t make unsafe water safe. Elkay’s EWF3000 kit instructions say its filters aren’t for water that’s microbiologically unsafe or of unknown quality unless the water is disinfected before or after the filter.

A strip of tape inside the lower cover works. So does the filter label itself, which has a space for the date. On a building with ten stations, a single sheet with all ten lines saves a lot of opening covers to check.

Sources

• Elkay spec sheets 51300C, 51600C, 71300C, FL6 and FL10 (elkayfiles.com/spec-sheets): capacity, flow, size, certifications and applications.
• Elkay station spec sheets LZWS-SFGRN28K, LZSTLDDWSVRLK, LZWSMDK, LZWSSM and LZS8WSLK, p. 2: filters listed for each station.
• Elkay manual 1000002207 (LZS8WS/LZSDWS): RST FLTR, FLT SIZE, RST BCNT and the 20 oz bottle count.
• Elkay manuals 2000001214 (ENLZS8WS_1G_PIVOT), 2000002265 (connected ENLZSTL8WS) and 1000004543 (ENLZSTL8WS_1G): filter change, automatic reset, flush and E013/E014.
• Elkay maintenance sheet 2000000888 (EZFMK family): install date on the label and 10-minute flush.
• Elkay Pro Filtration manual 2000002266, Rev. D, section 7.2 and 7.4: lights, sediment filter and filter change.
• Elkay Help Center, “How to Replace an Elkay ezH2O Water Filter” and “Elkay Filter Status Lights & Meanings”, read Oct 22, 2026.
• Elkay EWF3000 kit instructions 98526C: unsafe or unknown-quality water warning.
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, recall 18-085, Jan 25, 2018, checked on the CPSC recall database Oct 22, 2026.