[Colonel Flagg]

I have not heard of using vinegar to clean out water filters in this fashion, and I don't expect it to work particularly well. Charcoal is a superior adsorbent, which means that is will be a devil to clean. I expect that vinegar is not nearly as strong a reducing agent as would be required - you probably need a much stronger acid.

My advice - if you can, buy a replacement filter. It's both cheaper and safer.