Samsung HAF-CIN Replacement Guide

Verify the refrigerator and both HAF-CIN identifiers

Begin at the appliance label, not a general search result. Photograph the complete model code, retaining every letter, digit, and suffix. RF28HMEDBSR/AA is a useful lookup; “Samsung 28-cubic-foot French door” is not. The model-number guide can help distinguish the model from the serial number.

Samsung presents HAF-CIN/EXP as replacement cartridge DA29-00020B. Seeing both identifiers on the source-checked product path is a helpful cross-check. It does not remove the need to match the refrigerator itself, because a cartridge name on an old filter or marketplace listing can be wrong.

Home Memory currently verifies ten HAF-CIN paths: RF23J9011SR/AA, RF26J7500SR/AA, RF28K9070SR/AA, RF25HMEDBSR/AA, RF263BEAESR/AA, RF220NCTASR/AA, RF23HCEDBSR/AA, RF28HFEDBSR/AA, RF28HMEDBSR/AA, and RS25J500DSR/AA. This is a bounded site library, not a promise about an unlisted model.

Why appearance and configuration are unreliable

The verified HAF-CIN refrigerators do not share one cabinet style. RS25J500DSR/AA is side-by-side. RF23J9011SR/AA and RF28K9070SR/AA use four-door Flex arrangements. RF26J7500SR/AA and RF263BEAESR/AA use three-door French-door layouts. RF220NCTASR/AA has a filtered ice maker but no exterior water dispenser.

Closely named models also deserve care. RF28HFEDBSR/AA is a three-door refrigerator, while RF28HMEDBSR/AA has a separate FlexZone middle drawer. Both are verified here for HAF-CIN, but their similarity demonstrates why a near match is unsafe. Other nearby RF28 families in Home Memory use HAF-QIN.

Never force HAF-CIN into a housing because its shape looks close. Never modify a tab or transfer a seal from another cartridge. If Samsung does not confirm the exact model, pause and consult the appliance’s manual or support page.

Prepare for a controlled change

Read the exact manual before starting. It decides the filter location, access steps, flushing quantity, ice instructions, and indicator reset. Have a towel and stable dispensing container available. Keep the replacement capped and clean until the receiver is ready.

Confirm the package says Samsung HAF-CIN/EXP or DA29-00020B and that the product identity is the verified ASIN B003N1ZSYG. Then follow Samsung’s general first step and turn off the water supply. If you cannot isolate the supply safely, do not remove a pressurized cartridge.

Do not use pliers or improvised leverage on the plastic housing. Resistance can indicate pressure, incomplete alignment, damage, or the wrong part. Stop when normal hand rotation is not possible rather than turning routine maintenance into a housing repair.

Remove the used HAF-CIN filter

With water off, rotate the old cartridge counterclockwise to unlock it and withdraw it carefully. Keep it over the towel because residual water can escape. Continued flow is not a normal drip; correct the water shutoff before proceeding.

Look at the accessible receiver for obvious damage or fragments without dismantling it. If part of the old cartridge is broken, the housing is cracked, or a component appears displaced, arrange appropriate service. A new DA29-00020B cartridge cannot repair the receiver.

Keep the old label available until the job is finished, but use it only as a secondary reference. The confirmed refrigerator model and Samsung source remain authoritative.

Insert and lock DA29-00020B

Remove the new filter’s protective cap without touching or contaminating the connection. Align the cartridge with the markings in the refrigerator, insert it evenly, and rotate clockwise until the lock symbol aligns. Do not publish an invented force or universal rotation angle; the model’s markings define completion.

Restore the supply as the manual directs and inspect the connection before and during dispensing. If water appears around the housing, shut the water off. Recheck the exact model, HAF-CIN identity, cap removal, alignment, and lock position. Repeatedly forcing or reseating a cartridge against a damaged receiver is not troubleshooting.

Persistent leakage, a cartridge that backs out, or visible housing damage requires service. Protect the surrounding compartment and do not leave the water on while hoping a seal will settle.

Flush fully and handle early ice

A new filter introduces air into the water path. Use the exact manual’s volume and dispensing pattern to purge it. Work in manageable cycles with a stable container, and expect the stream to become steady as air clears. Inspect the housing throughout the process.

For models without an exterior dispenser, such as the verified RF220NCTASR/AA path, the model instructions are particularly important because the maintenance check depends on the ice system rather than a visible glass of water. Discard early ice when Samsung directs. For exterior-dispenser models, confirm stable flow without treating temporary sputtering as proof of a defect.

If flow remains weak after the specified flush, make sure the shutoff is fully open, the line is not kinked, and the cartridge is locked. Then use Samsung’s low-flow diagnosis. A new HAF-CIN does not fix a frozen tube, supply restriction, valve failure, or dispenser control fault.

Reset the reminder and schedule the next change

Reset the indicator only after installation, flushing, and leak inspection. Control panels vary across side-by-side, three-door, and four-door models, so follow the manual rather than copying a button combination from another refrigerator.

Samsung’s HAF-CIN page rates the cartridge for 300 gallons and gives six months as the normal service interval. Treat that as the baseline. Heavy dispensing, frequent ice production, reduced flow, a taste change, or the refrigerator’s maintenance indication can call for earlier attention.

Write down the installation date when you reset the light. On RF220NCTASR/AA, filtered water is used mainly for ice, so a calendar reminder matters because a gradual flow change may be less visible. The replacement-timing guide helps distinguish routine scheduling from symptom diagnosis.

What this replacement can and cannot solve

Replacing a confirmed, due HAF-CIN cartridge maintains the filtered-water path. It may be relevant when an old cartridge is restricted, but it should not be sold as a universal repair. Leaks from tubing, a failed inlet valve, frozen lines, dispenser electrical faults, and mechanical ice-maker problems require their own diagnosis.

If trouble began immediately after the change, first consider seating, flushing, water supply position, and exact compatibility. The HAF-QIN versus HAF-CIN guide can catch a family mix-up without encouraging another speculative purchase.

Final Verdict

Replace HAF-CIN only after the complete appliance code points to that family. Shut off water, make a clean counterclockwise removal and clockwise lock, restore and inspect, flush according to the model, then reset and date the reminder. Stop for leaks, damage, or unresolved fit instead of forcing the cartridge.

Official Samsung Sources

• [Samsung HAF-CIN/EXP and DA29-00020B product information](https://www.samsung.com/us/home-appliances/home-appliances-accessories/refrigerators/haf-cin-refrigerator-water-filter-haf-cin-exp/)
• [Samsung refrigerator water-filter replacement guidance](https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00060149/)