The present invention relates to a water filter device comprising a filter head with filter head components, a replaceable filter candle with filter candle components, and an encoding structure which is formed between a filter head component and a filter candle component. Said water filter device is distinguished, in a first embodiment, in that an encoding structure is formed with axial orientation on an end face of the filter candle and/or on an element which is associated with such an end face of the filter candle. In a second embodiment, said water filter device is distinguished in that an encoding structure is formed separately from a fixing structure.