Whirlpool 9081 Refrigerator Water Filter
The short answer on the 9081
Kenmore 9081 is the Sears catalog number for the EveryDrop Filter 1 cartridge (EDR1RXD1). Sears sold the same Whirlpool-made filter under its own 46-xxxx numbering (46-9081, 04609081000), so a fridge whose plate says Kenmore takes exactly the cartridge a Whirlpool-badged twin takes. It carries 42+53+401 (series claim). Replacement path: Kenmore 9081 = EveryDrop Filter 1 (EDR1RXD1).
The fit list below draws on 107 refrigerator models checked one by one in our library. Install time: 5 minutes, no tools. If your Kenmore is a 106-series Whirlpool build, the fresh-food compartment cartridge bay takes this push-in part; 795-series Kenmores are LG builds and use a different family entirely.
9081 vs EDR1RXD1 vs W10295370A — telling them apart
Fit pages for this part number are in progress - use the Filter Finder to check your model now.
Every claim line above comes from the part-number evidence file; compatible cartridges usually carry a smaller claim set than the OEM column shows.
What a 9081 should cost
We do not print an OEM list price for the 9081 — Sears catalog numbers stopped carrying published list pricing, and a guessed anchor is worse than none. Check the maker's own parts store for the genuine price; third-party compatibles cluster at $8–15 per cartridge (mostly NSF/ANSI 42 only) with a premium 42+53 tier above them.
ClearFit pricing is published per SKU once the product line goes live — no placeholder prices on this page.
Refrigerators that take the 9081
Fit pages for this part number are in progress - use the Filter Finder to check your model now.
Find your model number on the plate inside the fresh-food compartment, then cross-check the full family at the Whirlpool filter hub.
Swap it in 5 minutes
- Release the catch and pull the used cartridge out of the bay — keep a cloth under it for the dribble.
- Line up the keyed ridge on the fresh cartridge with the slot's groove — one orientation fits.
- Press it up into the header until the retainer clicks home.
- Draw 1–2 gallons to purge fines, then hold the reset control about three seconds until the status light clears.
What the 9081 is actually certified to remove
NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 (series also passes 401) The honest framing: the two tiers that matter in compatibles are 42-only (taste, chlorine, sediment) and 42+53 (adds tested lead and cyst reduction). Treat every claim as version-specific: NSF listings change with annual re-tests, so the certified-product database is the final word. The PFOA/PFOS claim also lives under NSF/ANSI 53 (P473 protocol) — 401 covers emerging compounds and pharmaceuticals, not PFAS.
Is the Kenmore 9081 the same as EveryDrop Filter 1?
Yes — 9081 is the Sears catalog number for the same cartridge Whirlpool sells as EveryDrop Filter 1 (EDR1RXD1). Either number fits the same bay; buy on price and claim set, not the label.
Does the 9081 water filter have an RFID chip?
No. No Kenmore-numbered refrigerator cartridge carries an authentication chip — chip-locked cartridges are a GE RPWFE-line feature, not a Whirlpool or Sears part.
How hard is it to install a 9081?
A 5 minutes, no-tools job: press the old cartridge, quarter-turn it out, seat the new one, flush 1–2 gallons to clear carbon fines, then hold the filter reset until the light clears.
Which certification should I look for in a compatible 9081?
NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 (the OEM series also passes 401). In compatibles the real dividing line is 42-only versus 42+53 — tested lead and cyst reduction is what the second standard adds. If a listing does not name the standard, assume 42 only.
Related part numbers & guides
Not sure this is your cartridge?
The model number on the plate inside your fridge (fresh-food compartment, left wall or ceiling) is the ground truth. Match it in the finder and buy with confidence.
Not sure it is your cartridge? Use the fridge filter finder · All refrigerator water filters
OEM vs certified aftermarket filters → (what the difference really is, and when the cheaper one is fine)