Does a Kenmore refrigerator filter remove lead?

The 9081, 9082, 9083, 469490 and 469990 are all listed for lead reduction under NSF/ANSI 53, which is the performance standard covering it. The 469890 is not — it carries NSF/ANSI 42 only, for chlorine, taste and odour and a coarser Class III particulate claim, with no health-effects listing at all. Watch the other lead marker. NSF tags these rows [Pb], meaning the product was evaluated for weighted average lead CONTENT — a property of the material, not a claim about what it removes. Rows can carry both, and these do. No Kenmore listing names PFOA or PFOS, so there is no certified PFAS claim here. If lead in drinking water or PFAS in drinking water is your reason for filtering, those pages cover where each comes from and which standards carry reduction claims.

What is the difference between the Kenmore 9081 and 9083?

Both are certified, both reduce lead, and their emerging-compounds scopes are five times apart. Under NSF/ANSI 401, the 9083 (elements P1KB1 and P1KB2) is listed for the full fifteen compounds: atenolol, linuron, trimethoprim, bisphenol A, carbamazepine, DEET, estrone, ibuprofen, meprobamate, metolachlor, naproxen, nonylphenol, phenytoin, TCEP and TCPP. The 9081 (element P8KB2L) is listed for three: atenolol, linuron and trimethoprim. The 9082 (P9KB2L) matches the 9081. Under NSF/ANSI 53 they are closer, and the 9081 actually adds 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, styrene and toluene that the 9083 does not carry. So neither is strictly superior — but if pharmaceutical and BPA reduction is what you are buying for, the difference is decisive.

Are Kenmore filters just rebranded LG filters?

Some are, and the part numbers prove it rather than merely suggesting it. Kenmore 469990 is listed on element 5231JA2006A-S. LG's LT600P is listed on the same element. Kenmore 469490 is on ADQ73613402, an LG element number, and 469890 is on GEN11042FR-08, which LG lists as its LT500P element. The 908x series is different — those are elements P1KB1, P1KB2, P8KB2L and P9KB2L, made at a facility in Pingtung, Taiwan, and they are the ones carrying NSF/ANSI 401. So 'Kenmore filters are rebadged LG' is half right. Part of the range is LG hardware with a Sears model number and its own certification; part of it is a separate product line with a broader emerging-compounds scope than anything LG lists for a refrigerator.

How long does a Kenmore refrigerator filter last?

NSF's listing gives a rated capacity in gallons rather than a time interval, and the figures differ across the range. The 9081 and 9082 are rated 200 gallons, at 0.50 and 0.60 gpm respectively. The 9083 appears twice — 200 gallons on element P1KB1 and 100 gallons on P1KB2. The LG-built 469990 is rated 300 gallons and the 469490 200 gallons, both at 0.5 gpm. Several rows carry a footnote that claims of rated service cycle are not applicable for mechanical filtration. Kenmore's packaging and the appliance manual state a six-month style interval, and that is the right place to read it. The capacity figure is the one that matters, because a cartridge past its rated volume can stop performing to the standard it is listed under.

Where are Kenmore water filters made?

In two different places, and NSF's listing names both. The 908x cartridges — elements P1KB1, P1KB2, P8KB2L and P9KB2L, listed under Sears Brands Management Corporation — carry 'Facility: Pingtung, Taiwan'. The 469xxx models, listed under Sears Brands Management Corp, carry 'Facility: # 1 Republic of Korea', consistent with their being built on LG elements. The directory does not map an individual facility to an individual cartridge beyond that, so we are reporting the facilities of record on each listee's rows rather than inferring a country of origin from a company address.

Is a Kenmore cartridge better than a Samsung one?

On certification scope they are close, and on findability they are not. Kenmore's 9083 carries NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and a fifteen-compound NSF/ANSI 401 list. Samsung's HAF-QIN/EXP carries the same three standards with a fourteen-compound 401 list. Both include lead reduction under NSF/ANSI 53. Neither holds a certified PFAS claim on a refrigerator cartridge. The real difference is that you can verify the Samsung claim by typing the brand into a certifier's directory, and you cannot do that for Kenmore at all. These are also fit-specific parts, so in practice you buy the one your refrigerator takes. What we would not do is call one better because its certification is easier to look up.

Kenmore Water Filters

Q: Why does Kenmore show NSF/ANSI 44 if it is a fridge filter brand?

Because that standard belongs to a different Kenmore product, and it is in this brand's certification scope rather than on its cartridges. NSF/ANSI 44 is the residential cation-exchange water SOFTENER standard. The Kenmore rows carrying it are the 625.xxx series — 625.383500, 625.384200, 625.385200, 625.384600, 625.386200 — filed by a company called Water Channel Partners, certified for hardness and efficiency, with barium and radium 226/228 on some models. Those are softeners, not refrigerator cartridges. We list the standard because it genuinely sits in this brand's scope and hiding it would misrepresent the record, but no Kenmore fridge filter holds an NSF/ANSI 44 listing and none would — it is the wrong standard for the product. If you are shopping for a cartridge, the standards that matter here are 42, 53 and 401.

Kenmore cartridges are certified — searching a directory for 'Kenmore' just will not find them. The listings are under Sears Brands Management, and the 9081, 9082 and 9083 carry lead reduction.

Best for

Kenmore owners checking a cartridge's real certification after a brand-name directory search came back empty
Anyone reconciling which Kenmore cartridges are rebadged LG elements and which are not
Buyers who need to separate Kenmore's softener certifications from its refrigerator-cartridge ones

Not recommended for

Anyone reading NSF/ANSI 44 as a fridge-filter claim — it is the softener standard, on the 625.xxx line
Buyers who need a certified PFAS claim: no Kenmore listing names PFOA or PFOS
Shoppers assuming 9081, 9082 and 9083 are interchangeable — their NSF/ANSI 401 scopes differ sharply

Budget tier — typically $50–$200

Certs:NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401, 44
4 SKUs
Parent:Sears Brands Management Corporation

Certification Reality: What's Actually Tested

This table shows the NSF/IAPMO/WQA-listed certifications for each Kenmore SKU we tracked, alongside the contaminants the brand markets but which do not appear on the third-party listing. Green chips are third-party verified; amber chips are marketing claims without a corresponding listing. Every row links to the live certifier database so you can verify the listed claim set yourself.

SKU / Model	Standards held	What’s certified	Brand claims but NOT certified	Listing
9083 Kenmore 9083 — NSF elements P1KB1 (200 gal) and P1KB2 (100 gal)	Performance NSF/ANSI 401 NSF/ANSI 42 NSF/ANSI 53	Chlorine Nominal Particulate Reduction, Class I Taste and Odor Asbestos Atrazine Benzene Carbofuran Cyst Endrin Ethylbenzene Lead Lindane O-Dichlorobenzene Tetrachloroethylene Toxaphene Turbidity MTBE Mercury Trihalomethanes (TTHM) VOC Atenolol Linuron Trimethoprim Bisphenol A Carbamazepine DEET Estrone Ibuprofen Meprobamate Metolachlor Naproxen Nonylphenol Phenytoin TCEP TCPP P-Dichlorobenzene	No discrepancy	View NSF listing
9081 Kenmore 9081 — NSF element P8KB2L, 200 gal at 0.50 gpm	Performance NSF/ANSI 401 NSF/ANSI 42 NSF/ANSI 53	Chlorine Nominal Particulate Reduction, Class I Taste and Odor 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene 2,4-D Asbestos Atrazine Benzene Carbofuran Cyst Endrin Ethylbenzene Lead Lindane O-Dichlorobenzene P-Dichlorobenzene Styrene Tetrachloroethylene Toluene Toxaphene Turbidity Atenolol Linuron Trimethoprim	No discrepancy 9081 and 9083 are often sold as alternatives for the same refrigerator, and on emerging compounds they are not comparable. The 9083 holds the full fifteen-compound NSF/ANSI 401 list; the 9081 holds three. Both hold lead reduction under NSF/ANSI 53, so the gap is specifically in the pharmaceutical and BPA tier. Read more	View NSF listing
469990 Kenmore 469990 — NSF element 5231JA2006A-S, 300 gal at 0.5 gpm	Performance NSF/ANSI 42 NSF/ANSI 53	Chlorine Nominal Particulate Reduction, Class I Taste and Odor 2,4-D Atrazine Benzene Turbidity Mercury Lead Lindane Cyst	No discrepancy This is an LG cartridge with a Kenmore model number. Element 5231JA2006A-S is the same element NSF lists for LG's LT600P under LG Electronics Inc. The certification is genuinely Kenmore's — Sears Brands Management is the listee — but the hardware and its tested claim set are LG's. Read more	View NSF listing
469490 Kenmore 469490 — NSF element ADQ73613402-S, 200 gal at 0.5 gpm	Performance NSF/ANSI 42 NSF/ANSI 53	Chlorine Nominal Particulate Reduction, Class I Taste and Odor Benzene Atrazine 2,4-D Carbofuran Cyst Lead Lindane Mercury P-Dichlorobenzene Toxaphene Asbestos	No discrepancy	View NSF listing

9083

Kenmore 9083 — NSF elements P1KB1 (200 gal) and P1KB2 (100 gal)

Standards held

Performance

NSF/ANSI 401

NSF/ANSI 42

NSF/ANSI 53

What’s certified

Chlorine
Nominal Particulate Reduction, Class I
Taste and Odor
Asbestos
Atrazine
Benzene
Carbofuran
Cyst
Endrin
Ethylbenzene
Lead
Lindane
O-Dichlorobenzene
Tetrachloroethylene
Toxaphene
Turbidity
MTBE
Mercury
Trihalomethanes (TTHM)
VOC
Atenolol
Linuron
Trimethoprim
Bisphenol A
Carbamazepine
DEET
Estrone
Ibuprofen
Meprobamate
Metolachlor
Naproxen
Nonylphenol
Phenytoin
TCEP
TCPP
P-Dichlorobenzene

Brand claims but NOT certified

No discrepancy

Listing

View NSF listing

9081

Kenmore 9081 — NSF element P8KB2L, 200 gal at 0.50 gpm

Standards held

Performance

NSF/ANSI 401

NSF/ANSI 42

NSF/ANSI 53

What’s certified

Chlorine
Nominal Particulate Reduction, Class I
Taste and Odor
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
2,4-D
Asbestos
Atrazine
Benzene
Carbofuran
Cyst
Endrin
Ethylbenzene
Lead
Lindane
O-Dichlorobenzene
P-Dichlorobenzene
Styrene
Tetrachloroethylene
Toluene
Toxaphene
Turbidity
Atenolol
Linuron
Trimethoprim

Brand claims but NOT certified

No discrepancy

9081 and 9083 are often sold as alternatives for the same refrigerator, and on emerging compounds they are not comparable. The 9083 holds the full fifteen-compound NSF/ANSI 401 list; the 9081 holds three. Both hold lead reduction under NSF/ANSI 53, so the gap is specifically in the pharmaceutical and BPA tier.

Listing

View NSF listing

469990

Kenmore 469990 — NSF element 5231JA2006A-S, 300 gal at 0.5 gpm

Standards held

Performance

NSF/ANSI 42

NSF/ANSI 53

What’s certified

Chlorine
Nominal Particulate Reduction, Class I
Taste and Odor
2,4-D
Atrazine
Benzene
Turbidity
Mercury
Lead
Lindane
Cyst

Brand claims but NOT certified

No discrepancy

This is an LG cartridge with a Kenmore model number. Element 5231JA2006A-S is the same element NSF lists for LG's LT600P under LG Electronics Inc. The certification is genuinely Kenmore's — Sears Brands Management is the listee — but the hardware and its tested claim set are LG's.

Listing

View NSF listing

469490

Kenmore 469490 — NSF element ADQ73613402-S, 200 gal at 0.5 gpm

Standards held

Performance

NSF/ANSI 42

NSF/ANSI 53

What’s certified

Chlorine
Nominal Particulate Reduction, Class I
Taste and Odor
Benzene
Atrazine
2,4-D
Carbofuran
Cyst
Lead
Lindane
Mercury
P-Dichlorobenzene
Toxaphene
Asbestos

Brand claims but NOT certified

No discrepancy

Listing

View NSF listing

Check Certification for a Kenmore Filter

This widget shows the third-party-listed certifications for Kenmore SKUs only. Type a model number to filter the list below — every result links to the full breakdown. To search across every brand we track, use the global certification tool. For the standards Kenmore holds and the certifier behind each listing in one place, see Is Kenmore NSF certified?

NSF/ANSI 4210 modelsNSF/ANSI 537 modelsNSF/ANSI 4015 modelsNSF/ANSI 445 models

Search Kenmore models

ADQ74793502
Sears Brands Management Corp
NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401
View details
ADQ73613402-S
Sears Brands Management Corp
NSF/ANSI 42, 53
View details
GEN11042F-08
Sears Brands Management Corp
NSF/ANSI 42
View details
5231JA2006A-S
Sears Brands Management Corp.
NSF/ANSI 42, 53
View details
P1KB1
Sears Brands Management Corporation
NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401
View details
P1KB2
Sears Brands Management Corporation
NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401
View details
P8KB2L
Sears Brands Management Corporation
NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401
View details
P9KB2L
Sears Brands Management Corporation
NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401
View details
Kenmore 625.385200
Water Channel Partners
NSF/ANSI 42, 44
View details
Kenmore 46-38447
Water Channel Partners
NSF/ANSI 42
View details
Kenmore 625.383500
Water Channel Partners
NSF/ANSI 44
View details
Kenmore 625.384200
Water Channel Partners
NSF/ANSI 44
View details
Kenmore 625.384600
Water Channel Partners
NSF/ANSI 44
View details
Kenmore 625.386200
Water Channel Partners
NSF/ANSI 44
View details

Listings as of Aug 23, 2026.

About Kenmore

Kenmore is a retail badge rather than a manufacturer, and its water filtration certification reflects that in a way almost no other brand's does.

Search any certifier for 'Kenmore' and you get nothing. The listings exist — they are filed under Sears Brands Management, in three slightly different spellings, all at the same Hoffman Estates address.

Under those names NSF lists the 9081, 9082 and 9083 refrigerator cartridges, with NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401. It also lists models 469490, 469890 and 469990 — and those are built on LG's element numbers, rebadged.

Separately, a company called Water Channel Partners files Kenmore-branded water SOFTENERS, the 625.xxx series, under NSF/ANSI 44 and CSA B483.1. Those are a different product family from the cartridges, and the distinction matters when you read what this brand is 'certified' for.

Founded:Not verified — the certifier records carry no founding date

Headquarters:3333 Beverly Road, Hoffman Estates, IL 60179, United States — the Sears Brands Management listee address at NSF

Parent company:Sears Brands Management Corporation

Kenmore 9083 (elements P1KB1 / P1KB2)

The broadest-scope Kenmore cartridge. NSF/ANSI 53 covers asbestos, atrazine, benzene, carbofuran, cyst, endrin, ethylbenzene, lead, lindane, MTBE, mercury, tetrachloroethylene, toxaphene, turbidity, TTHM and VOC, and its NSF/ANSI 401 listing carries the full fifteen-compound emerging-compounds set.

Kenmore 9081 (element P8KB2L) and 9082 (P9KB2L)

Listed under the same three standards, with an NSF/ANSI 53 list that adds 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, styrene and toluene. But their NSF/ANSI 401 scope is only THREE compounds — atenolol, linuron and trimethoprim — against the 9083's fifteen.

Kenmore 469490 / 469890 / 469990

Kenmore-badged cartridges built on LG elements: 469490 on ADQ73613402, 469990 on 5231JA2006A-S (LG's LT600P element) and 469890 on GEN11042FR-08 (LG's LT500P element). 469890 carries NSF/ANSI 42 only, with the coarser Class III particulate claim.

Kenmore 625.xxx softeners

A separate product family, filed by Water Channel Partners rather than Sears. Certified under NSF/ANSI 44 for hardness and efficiency, with barium and radium 226/228 on some models, plus CSA B483.1 at WQA. These are NOT refrigerator cartridges and their certification says nothing about one.

Facility of record at NSF: Pingtung, Taiwan for the 908x cartridges; Republic of Korea for the LG-built 469xxx series

Kenmore products we have verified

Each page checks the model's certification listings live in the NSF, IAPMO R&T and WQA directories, separates what the brand claims from what a certifier has listed, and prices ten years of ownership.

Kenmore Coldspot 106 Filter replacement filter: fit and true cost
Replacement element · checked 2026-08-31

Which Kenmore Filter Is Right for You?

We mapped each Kenmore SKU’s NSF-listed certifications against the 10 contaminants people search for most. Where Kenmore doesn’t have a certified SKU, we say so.

Lead

Best pick: Kenmore 9083 — NSF elements P1KB1 (200 gal) and P1KB2 (100 gal) — certified for Lead (Kenmore).

PFAS

Not the right choice if PFAS is your priority — no certified Kenmore SKU for PFAS. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

Fluoride

Not the right choice if Fluoride is your priority — no certified Kenmore SKU for Fluoride. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

Arsenic

Not the right choice if Arsenic is your priority — no certified Kenmore SKU for Arsenic. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

Nitrate

Not the right choice if Nitrate is your priority — no certified Kenmore SKU for Nitrate. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

Chromium-6

Not the right choice if Chromium-6 is your priority — no certified Kenmore SKU for Chromium-6. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

Mercury

Best pick: Kenmore 9083 — NSF elements P1KB1 (200 gal) and P1KB2 (100 gal) — certified for Mercury (Kenmore).

Atrazine

Best pick: Kenmore 9083 — NSF elements P1KB1 (200 gal) and P1KB2 (100 gal) — certified for Atrazine (Kenmore).

Chloroform

Best pick: Kenmore 9083 — NSF elements P1KB1 (200 gal) and P1KB2 (100 gal) — certified for Chloroform (Kenmore).

Cysts

Best pick: Kenmore 9083 — NSF elements P1KB1 (200 gal) and P1KB2 (100 gal) — certified for Cysts (Kenmore).

How Kenmore Compares

Kenmore vs LG

Feature	Kenmore	LG
Does a brand-name directory search find it?	No — 'Kenmore' returns 'No Matching Products Found'	Yes — 'LG Electronics' returns the rows directly
Listee on the cartridge rows	Sears Brands Management, in three spellings	LG Electronics Inc.
Shared hardware	469990 is element 5231JA2006A-S; 469490 is ADQ73613402	LT600P is the SAME element, 5231JA2006A-S
Emerging compounds on fridge cartridges (NSF/ANSI 401)	Held — 9083 carries fifteen compounds, 9081 and 9082 carry three	Not held by any LG fridge cartridge; LG's 401 is on its All-Puri purifiers

Does a brand-name directory search find it?

Kenmore

No — 'Kenmore' returns 'No Matching Products Found'

Yes — 'LG Electronics' returns the rows directly

Listee on the cartridge rows

Kenmore

Sears Brands Management, in three spellings

LG Electronics Inc.

Shared hardware

Kenmore

469990 is element 5231JA2006A-S; 469490 is ADQ73613402

LT600P is the SAME element, 5231JA2006A-S

Emerging compounds on fridge cartridges (NSF/ANSI 401)

Kenmore

Held — 9083 carries fifteen compounds, 9081 and 9082 carry three

Not held by any LG fridge cartridge; LG's 401 is on its All-Puri purifiers

These two overlap physically. Kenmore's 469990 and 469490 are listed on LG's own element numbers, so a Kenmore-badged cartridge and an LG one can be the same filter certified twice, by two different companies.

Where they diverge is the rest of the range. Kenmore's own 908x cartridges carry NSF/ANSI 401 emerging-compounds listings — the 9083 with the full fifteen-compound set. No LG refrigerator cartridge is listed under 401 at all; LG's 401 belongs to its All-Puri point-of-use purifiers, a different product.

The practical point is about verification, not preference: an LG claim can be checked by typing the brand into NSF. A Kenmore claim cannot.

Sources for facts in this comparison

[1]
NSF listingaccessed: 2026-09-18
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/dwtu/listings.asp?CompanyName=Sears&submit1=Search+by+Manufacturer&Program=DWTU
- Kenmore 469990 is listed on element 5231JA2006A-S and 469490 on ADQ73613402, both LG element numbers
- Kenmore 9083 carries a fifteen-compound NSF/ANSI 401 list; 9081 and 9082 carry three
[2]
NSF listingaccessed: 2026-09-18
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/dwtu/listings.asp?CompanyName=LG+Electronics&submit1=Search+by+Manufacturer&Program=DWTU
- LG Electronics Inc. lists LT600P on element 5231JA2006A-S under NSF/ANSI 42 and 53
- A per-standard sweep shows LG Electronics Inc. under NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 only — no 401 section

Kenmore vs Samsung

Feature	Kenmore	Samsung
Does the brand name find the listing?	No — you must know to search 'Sears'	Yes — a Samsung company search returns its rows
Directories holding a listing	NSF (cartridges) and WQA (softeners); IAPMO holds nothing	All three — NSF, IAPMO R&T and WQA
Best emerging-compounds scope on a cartridge	9083 — fifteen compounds under NSF/ANSI 401	HAF-QIN/EXP — fourteen compounds under NSF/ANSI 401
Certified PFAS claim	None on any Kenmore listing	PFOA and PFOS on the RWP series, not on the fridge cartridges

Does the brand name find the listing?

Kenmore

No — you must know to search 'Sears'

Samsung

Yes — a Samsung company search returns its rows

Directories holding a listing

Kenmore

NSF (cartridges) and WQA (softeners); IAPMO holds nothing

Samsung

All three — NSF, IAPMO R&T and WQA

Best emerging-compounds scope on a cartridge

Kenmore

9083 — fifteen compounds under NSF/ANSI 401

Samsung

HAF-QIN/EXP — fourteen compounds under NSF/ANSI 401

Certified PFAS claim

Kenmore

None on any Kenmore listing

Samsung

PFOA and PFOS on the RWP series, not on the fridge cartridges

On the certification itself these are closer than their discoverability suggests. Kenmore's 9083 and Samsung's HAF-QIN/EXP both carry NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401, with comparable emerging-compounds scope and lead reduction on both.

The difference is entirely in finding it. Samsung's listings answer to the name on the box. Kenmore's answer to 'Sears Brands Management', a name that appears nowhere on the packaging.

Neither brand holds a certified PFAS claim on a refrigerator cartridge. Samsung has PFOA and PFOS on its RWP series, which is a different product line from the fridge filters most people are shopping for.

Sources for facts in this comparison

[1]
NSF listingaccessed: 2026-09-18
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/dwtu/listings.asp?CompanyName=Sears&submit1=Search+by+Manufacturer&Program=DWTU
- Kenmore 9083 (elements P1KB1, P1KB2) carries NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and a fifteen-compound 401 list
- A company search for 'Kenmore' returns 'No Matching Products Found'
[2]
NSF listingaccessed: 2026-09-18
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/dwtu/listings.asp?CompanyName=Samsung&submit1=Search+by+Manufacturer&Program=DWTU
- Samsung's HAF-QIN/EXP element DA97-08006C carries NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401
- The RWP-series rows list PFOA and PFOS under NSF/ANSI 53; the HAF-QIN and HAF-CIN elements do not

Looking for a broader comparison? See our full refrigerator filter roundup.

Explore other brands: APEC Water Systems, AquaBliss, Aquaboon, Aquagear, AquaTru, Boroux, EveryDrop, Frigidaire, GE Appliances, iSpring, Kind Water Systems, LG, Multipure, LifeStraw, Rorra, Samsung, Whirlpool, Solventum, SpringWell Water Filtration Systems, Pentair, Omnipure, Pelican Water, Crystal Quest, Hydroviv, Brondell, Bluevua, Berkey, ZeroWater, Aquasana, Express Water, Frizzlife, Epic Water Filters, Culligan, Clearly Filtered, Waterdrop, PUR, Doulton, Brita, and Propur.

What Reddit Says About Kenmore

Community signals for Kenmore are being researched — check back soon.

About Kenmore Marketing Language

Some claims on Kenmore packaging and product pages are frequently confused with what the underlying third-party certifications actually cover. The note below documents one such mismatch with primary-source citations so you can verify the specifics yourself.

Kenmore is certified. Searching for 'Kenmore' proves it is not.

This brand breaks the normal way of checking a certification claim, and it breaks it silently.

Type Kenmore into NSF's drinking water treatment unit directory and you get 'No Matching Products Found'. That result is real — the search ran, and a control search for a company name that cannot exist returns the same thing. It is also completely wrong about the brand.

Search 'Sears' instead and 21 products appear, including the 9081, 9082 and 9083 cartridges with lead reduction under NSF/ANSI 53 and emerging compounds under NSF/ANSI 401. They are filed under three spellings of Sears Brands Management, none of which appears on the box.

Two further things get conflated here:

The softeners are not the cartridges. NSF/ANSI 44 appears in this brand's certification scope because Water Channel Partners files Kenmore-branded 625.xxx SOFTENERS under it, for hardness, barium and radium. That standard says nothing about a refrigerator filter.
Some Kenmore cartridges are LG cartridges. 469990 is element 5231JA2006A-S — the same element LG lists as its LT600P. The certification is real and it is Kenmore's; the hardware is LG's.

If a brand-name search comes back empty, the next step is to find the entity that files the certifications, not to conclude the product is uncertified.

Sources

[1]
NSF listingaccessed: 2026-09-18
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/dwtu/listings.asp?CompanyName=Kenmore&submit1=Search+by+Manufacturer&Program=DWTU
- A company search for 'Kenmore' returns 'No Matching Products Found' at 6,808 bytes, the same size as the control for a name that cannot exist
[2]
NSF listingaccessed: 2026-09-18
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/dwtu/listings.asp?CompanyName=Sears&submit1=Search+by+Manufacturer&Program=DWTU
- A company search for 'Sears' returns 8 manufacturers and 21 products under three Sears Brands Management spellings
- Kenmore 469990 is listed on element 5231JA2006A-S, the element LG lists for its LT600P
[3]
WQA listingaccessed: 2026-09-18
https://find.wqa.org/find-products#/keyword/Kenmore
- WQA's only Kenmore row is listee Water Channel Partners under CSA B483.1, covering models 625.383500, 625.384200 and 625.385200 — the softener line

Verified 2026-09-18.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kenmore Water Filters

Yes, and searching NSF for 'Kenmore' will tell you they are not.

That search returns 'No Matching Products Found'. We ran it on 2026-09-18, alongside a control search for a company name that cannot exist, which returns the same thing — so the empty result is genuine, not a broken query. It is still wrong about the brand.

The listings are filed under Sears Brands Management, in three spellings. Under those names NSF lists the 9081, 9082 and 9083 cartridges under NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401, plus the 469490, 469890 and 469990 models.

IAPMO R&T holds nothing for Kenmore or Sears. WQA holds one row, for the 625.xxx softeners. Once you know what your cartridge is listed for, check your water quality by ZIP code to see which contaminants your own supply actually carries.

How We Researched Kenmore

Our brand assessments follow a four-tier source ladder. We start with Tier 1 primary sources — NSF International, IAPMO, and WQA certification listings, plus SEC filings and EPA records — to establish what is third-party verified. We then layer in brand-official statements (corporate sites, datasheets, support pages) for context, tier-1 journalism for independent reporting, and community signals (Reddit threads, Amazon reviews) for real-world ownership experience. Every claim on this page traces back to one of the citations below.

Reviewed by TapWaterData Editorial.

Last full review: 2026-09-18 · Next scheduled review: 2027-09-18

All sources (5)

NSF listingAccessed 2026-09-18
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/dwtu/listings.asp?CompanyName=Sears&submit1=Search+by+Manufacturer&Program=DWTU
A company search for 'Sears' returns 'Number of matching Manufacturers is 8, Number of matching Products is 21' across NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401 and CSA Standard B483.1 · Sears Brands Management Corporation, facility Pingtung Taiwan, lists P1KB1 and P1KB2 (model 9083), P8KB2L (9081) and P9KB2L (9082) as Refrigerator Filter [Pb] · Sears Brands Management Corp, facility '# 1 Republic of Korea', lists ADQ73613402-S (model 469490), GEN11042F-08 (469890) and 5231JA2006A-S (469990) · P1KB1's NSF/ANSI 401 list carries fifteen compounds; P8KB2L's and P9KB2L's carry three (Atenolol, Linuron, Trimethoprim)
NSF listingAccessed 2026-09-18
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/dwtu/listings.asp?CompanyName=Kenmore&submit1=Search+by+Manufacturer&Program=DWTU
A company search for 'Kenmore' returns 'No Matching Products Found' at 6,808 bytes · That is 18 bytes off the control response for a company name that cannot exist, so the brand-name search is genuinely empty rather than erroring
IAPMO listingAccessed 2026-09-18
https://pld.iapmo.org/
Listee Name searches for 'Kenmore' and for 'Sears' both return 'SEARCH RESULTS' plus 'No data found' plus '0 of 0' · Listed Model searches for '9081' and '46-9081' likewise return 0 of 0 · Controls in the same session — Listee 'Samsung' returning 2 of 2, File Number W-10188 returning 1 of 1, Listed Model 'RO' returning 14 and 'WD-' returning 67 — confirm both search categories were executing
WQA listingAccessed 2026-09-18
https://find.wqa.org/find-products#/keyword/Kenmore
The Kenmore keyword route returns one row: listee Water Channel Partners, CSA B483.1 Drinking Water Treatment Systems, models 625.383500, 625.384200 and 625.385200 · A keyword search for 'Sears' returns an explicit 'No results.', so the softener rows are filed under the manufacturer rather than the retail owner
NSF listingAccessed 2026-09-18
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/dwtu/listings.asp?CompanyName=ZZQQXNOTACOMPANY&submit1=Search+by+Manufacturer&Program=DWTU
A company search for a name that cannot exist returns 'No Matching Products Found' at 6,826 bytes · Read against the 47,352-byte Sears response in the same batch, this fixes what a zero-row NSF result means for this brand

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Kenmore 9083 (elements P1KB1 / P1KB2)

Kenmore 9081 (element P8KB2L) and 9082 (P9KB2L)

Kenmore 469490 / 469890 / 469990

Kenmore 625.xxx softeners

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