The LG LT500P is the interior water filter that keeps thousands of older LG refrigerators pouring clean water, and the part number 5231JA2002A is how you confirm you are buying the right one. LG has shipped several filter designs over the years, so a quick fit check before you order is the difference between a five-minute swap and a return label. Below are the LG models that take the LT500P, a 30-second confirmation check, and a tool-free swap.

Written by the Water Filters FAST filter experts. Reviewed by Phil McNamara, owner, Water Filters FAST. Updated July 2026.

What the LG LT500P is

The LT500P is LG's interior-mount refrigerator water filter, also sold under the OEM part number 5231JA2002A. You may see both numbers on the same box; they refer to the same cartridge. It is a carbon-based filter that mounts inside the fresh food compartment, and it serves many LG top-freezer, bottom-freezer, and side-by-side models from the mid-2000s era, generally the generation before LG moved to newer designs like the LT700P and LT1000P.

It reduces chlorine taste and odor and catches fine particulates before water reaches your dispenser and ice maker. When the cartridge wears out, the flow slows and the taste drifts back toward plain tap.

The LT500P fit check: 3 ways to confirm before you buy

Do one of these three checks and you will never order the wrong LG filter:

1. Read your current filter. Open the filter housing inside the fresh food compartment and pull the cartridge. If the label reads LT500P or 5231JA2002A, you have a direct match, and you can order it from the refrigerator filter collection right now and finish reading later. This is the fastest and most reliable check.
2. Check your refrigerator's model number. It is printed on a sticker inside the fresh food compartment, usually on a side wall. The product listing for the LT500P names compatible model families, or you can read the model number to the support team and they will confirm it.
3. Look at the mount style. The LT500P mounts inside the fridge in a housing, not in the base grille and not vertically in a rear corner like LG's newer tall cartridges. If your filter drops into or twists into an interior housing on an LG from the mid-2000s generation, LT500P is the first number to check.

One important non-match: the LT500P does not interchange with the LT700P or the LT1000P. Those are different form factors for different LG generations.

LT500P vs LT700P vs LT1000P: which LG generation are you in?

If your fridge is a newer French-door model, you are more likely in LT1000P territory, and our LG LT1000P replacement guide covers that filter in the same detail. Whichever generation you land in, the number stamped on your current cartridge outranks any chart.

How to replace the LG LT500P

No tools, no water shut-off. Most people finish in under five minutes.

1. Locate the filter housing inside the fresh food compartment.
2. Remove the old cartridge. Depending on your model, the housing either swings down or the cartridge rotates a quarter turn to release. Have a towel ready for a few drops.
3. Uncap and insert the new LT500P. Remove the protective caps, line the cartridge up with the housing, and seat it the same way the old one came out until it locks.
4. Flush the new filter. Dispense 2 to 3 gallons of water to purge air and clear loose carbon fines. Sputtering and gray-tinted water in the first few glasses is normal.
5. Reset the filter indicator. On most LG models of this generation, press and hold the filter reset button for about 3 seconds until the light changes.
6. Note the date. Write the install date on the filter or set a phone reminder for six months out.

How often to replace it

Every 6 months under normal household use. Heavy dispenser and ice use, or supply water with more sediment, shortens that. Slow flow at the dispenser, cloudy first glasses, or returning tap taste are the replace-now signals. The reasoning behind the 6-month rule, and the cases where you should break it, is covered in our guide on how often to replace a refrigerator water filter.

OEM or compatible: both work if the fit is right

The genuine LG LT500P (5231JA2002A) is the exact factory part. A quality compatible cartridge built to the same specification seats in the same housing and does the same job for less per replacement, and the good ones carry testing to NSF/ANSI 42 for chlorine taste and odor reduction. Just make sure the listing names LT500P or 5231JA2002A and that the seller backs the fit. A listing that does not name your part number is not worth the gamble.

Frequently asked questions

Is the LG LT500P the same as 5231JA2002A?

Yes. 5231JA2002A is the OEM part number for the LT500P cartridge. Boxes and listings use the two interchangeably.

Will the LT500P fit an LG fridge that takes the LT1000P?

No. The LT500P and LT1000P are different form factors for different LG generations and do not interchange. Match the number on your current filter.

Do I need to turn off the water to replace the LT500P?

No. The housing shuts off the water automatically when the cartridge is removed. Keep a towel handy for a few drops, but there is no supply line to close.

Why is my dispenser slow after installing a new LT500P?

Air in the line. Flush 2 to 3 gallons through the dispenser and the flow evens out. If it stays slow, pull the cartridge and reseat it; a filter that is not fully locked restricts flow.

What happens if I wait too long to replace it?

Nothing dramatic, and that is the trap. A spent carbon filter keeps passing water while doing less and less for taste, and as it loads up it slows your dispenser. The six-month reminder exists because an old filter fails quietly.

Order the right LT500P, shipped same day

Confirmed your fridge takes the LT500P (5231JA2002A)? Find genuine and compatible options in our refrigerator water filter collection. Weekday orders before 1pm CST ship the same day, shipping is free over $75, and a 30-day return policy backs every order. Still not sure about the fit? Call 855-789-FAST with your LG model number and the filter experts will confirm the match before you buy.