Inspect the water line going from the shutoff valve to the freezer. Keep the air moving using a fan directed at the floor. Then open up the valve for the fridge connection and do the same thing. Remember to orientate the ferrule in the right direction, tapered side towards the fitting like you see here. Another thing to keep in mind is using a brass sleeve inside the pipe. However, if you feel like trying it out, I do suggest watching this video right here as it gives easy step-by-step instructions on how to properly solder a copper pipe. If your basement doesn’t have a closed ceiling, you might be lucky and have a pipe nearby to tap into like me, I have a ½” water line right below my fridge so it’ll make for an easy install. Push a small plastic tube or a pipe cleaner through the tubes. Now, you could fish the plastic pipe you bought into the hole, my connection is only about a foot away downstairs so I don’t need much to start off with. In the event that there IS something in the way, you’ll need to re-route somewhere else. The water inlet valve opens to supply water to the dispenser and icemaker. How Do I Run a Water Line to My New Fridge? Now, there are convenient 1/4-inch flexible water supply tubes in lengths from 1 to 20 feet that can be used, and convenient "Adapt-a-Tee" fittings that can be installed pretty much anywhere there is an existing shutoff valve. So I put some tape on the end of the water line and threaded it down through the floor to the basement. Go forth and learn about all the inner workings of water lines to fridges, then come back here to answer one last question. The better solution when it’s time to install an ice maker line is to cut the water line, install a T fitting and a ball shutoff valve, and add your supply line. Run it under the house/through wall to sink supply line. With everything cooled down, let’s connect the plastic pipe. I would say thats the best option in the long run. … This time you’ll need to clean both pipe ends with a scotch pad or emery cloth and flux them using a water-soluble flux. The usual evidence of a clogged drain in a side-by-side refrigerator is ice under the bottom basket in the freezer compartment, in addition to a puddle of water on the floor. So insert the tube into the valve and hand tighten the retainer nut to make sure it’s not cross-threaded. And lastly, if you have a sheet of hard cardboard like this, it’ll be useful to place it in front of the refrigerator as you are moving it to protect the floor of any scratches or wheel marks, so with all of that said, let’s get started! I know some will call me crazy ,but, if you hook the line up to a hot water line you will have less problems with your ice maker. In this kitchen, we ran the new refrigerator water line from under the kitchen sink through cabinets. These push fittings are easy to use and do the job just fine, but if you’re looking for a more durable option I suggest using compression fittings. WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/GOT2LEARN. Flex water supply tubes are available in either a tough plastic nylon mesh or braided steel. Installing a push fitting like this is super easy but there are some steps to follow in order to make a proper connection. These aren’t required on copper or CPVC but could be left on at your discretion. Deciding to do it yourself? It can be very inconvenient to move a refrigerator to … There are many ways where an installation like this could go wrong and that’s why I’ll make this video as thorough as possible so that you feel confident in doing it yourself and you know that it won’t leak after the install is finished. Was planing to bare it in concrete before installing tiles on the top, but I red that concrete does not work well with the copper and can create problem after time. Hmmm...If that hot water is coming from a hot water tank, you might want to change that up because the accumulation of sediment in at the bottom of the tank is very unhealthy and if you consume it, you might get real sick. For the connections, the same basic techniques apply for this part and they could be connected together in 2 different ways like before using either a push or compression coupling. Inspect all the connections you made to make sure there aren’t any small leaks. However, these have a tendency to leak from the rubber joint after a while and are an accident waiting to happen, so I suggest you stay away from them even if they are tempting. Inspect the water inlet valve for cracks, and make sure that it is tightly secured to the water supply line. Locate the drain tubes at the rear of the refrigerator or freezer. The main sewer line runs beneath the future slab on a gravity-flow system. Experts in Your Home can help with all your plumbing needs. Home Tips. If you use a brass ferrule, you run the chance of it cutting thru the pipe and causing the fitting to leak, this is where most DIYers make a mistake that could potentially lead to a disaster. Another good alternative would be to use a braided stainless steel line, but they are double the price. 1 year ago. Just give us a call at our Chico location (530) 924-5564 or fill out the form by clicking on the button below. Purchasing new appliances during the holiday season is the way to go when you want to get the best deals. 3 days ago. Do not use a saddle tap, too much of a chance it will leak. If you have a turkey baster or syringe, use it to squeeze water into the hole. Water Leaking From Your Sub-Zero Refrigerator? In most cases, the water line can be run from a kitchen faucet water supply line through the kitchen cabinets and over to the refrigerator. Just as before, make sure the pipe end is cut square and free of any scratches or debris, slip on the retainer nut, plastic ferrule, and the brass sleeve and tighten it using your adjustable wrench. Step three instructs you of what's needed. If this is the case, you might not need to shut off the main water valve to the house to install your tap. If you don’t have this kind of setup, you might wanna use another route such as running it thru your cabinets and connecting to your sink’s cold water line. Turn off the water supply and drain the cold water valve by turning on the cold water faucet. If it's a rural home, the main sewer line runs to a septic tank. Whenever installing plastic pipe with compression fittings such as these, you always want to use plastic ferrules. These smaller versions of push fittings don’t require a pipe stiffener as the bigger size ones do for plastic pipes. Ever since we moved in our home, I never got the time to connect a water line to my refrigerator to be able to have some ice cubes, so I thought it would make for a good how-to article/video and at the same time, I would get it done. You could install your ¼” plastic tube that goes to the refrigerator at this point, but I’m gonna be showing you how to solder on a T with a valve so you have both methods to choose from. I’ll first show you how to tap into the cold line using the Sharkbite push fitting, then I’ll remove it and solder on a tee with a valve so you could better make a decision on which to use according to your skill level. Now onto the tools. But since I’m tapping into the line in my basement, let’s shut off the main water valve and drip the system out by the lowest point in the house and the lowest point in my house is my exterior hydrant. Plumbing, (Note: We removed the drainpipes to clearly show this project.) You could either use your Sharkbite deburring tool or just a flat file. I am looking for the advise with the water line in concrete slab. Time for a nice refreshing drink after all that work. Run PEX pipe (or copper) over to the fridge and put a fridge connector in the wall (a plastic box with a valve in it). They make in-line tees with the quick-connects with a shutoff valve. If you’re working on copper and you decided to use a push fitting, you’ll need to deburr the inside and outside of the pipe after it’s cut. In this article/video, I would like to go thru all the steps on properly connecting a water line to your refrigerator to feed an ice-maker or simply a drinking water supply. Uncoil the flexible tubing and begin feeding the tube along the path you planned. Being able to shut off the water line that connects directly to the fridge, rather than the water supply to your entire kitchen or home, will allow you to perform repair or installation tasks without disrupting all other home activities. Like I mentioned before, if tapping in the basement isn’t an option for you, you could drill thru the back of your cabinet’s making sure it clears any drawers and feed into your sink’s cold water just like this. // Like I mentioned in the beginning, if you aren’t familiar with soldering, I have an easy to follow step by step video on how to correctly solder a copper joint so I’ll leave a link in the description box below for you to watch it and this card here as well. . As for materials, you’ll be needing some ¼” plastic tubing(PE-RT). Our problem is trying to run the water line to the fridge. You will need to remove the cover to get access. It can be very inconvenient to move a refrigerator to get at a water line that has failed, so buy the best-quality water supply tube you can. Sharkbites require that the outside of the pipe is deburred before insertion. Most under counter setups have shutoff valves for the sink which should be located here, I have a different setup so this won’t work for me, but, if you do have a valve, you could shut it off and make your connection right over it just like this. I’ll be showing both ways to install one as you may not be familiar with sweating copper pipe. I have been doing this for 40 years and it has proven worthwhile. Once it’s hot enough, apply the solder up until you see a drip start to form on the bottom, this is a good indicator that the joint if properly filled, it normally only takes the diameter of the pipe your soldering in solder, so a ½” pipe requires 1/2” of solder. If running the line through the cabinets is not feasible, you might need to run a line through the floor and up to where the refrigerator is located. With the length of line and the small amount of water used at one time hot water will never make it to the refrigerator so that is not a concern. adamplghtg. Before calling a plumber, it might be best to read through this seven-step guide on how to run and install a water line to your new fridge. Where is the fridge going to be in relation to a utility room? hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(454116, 'f39c2857-e132-4476-a352-9f053d341e1d', {}); Topics: If you guys enjoyed this tutorial, please give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends, and until the next one thanks for watching. Experts In Your Home has been serving the North State’s construction, remodeling and maintenance needs for over 30 years and provides home painting, heating & air conditioning, plumbing, electrical services & more for your home or business in the communities of Chico, Paradise, Magalia, Durham, Oroville, Corning & Orland, California. The last valves you see are called saddle valves and use a clamp type system that clamp’s onto a pipe with 2 screws and uses a small needle to puncture it, giving water to whatever it’s connected to. Reply What’s up guys, and welcome back. We have a fridge with installed ice maker on one wall, but want to place a new fridge with ice & water dispenser on another wall. Home Services Expert. Although the braided steel is considerably more expensive, the extra strength it provides is well worth the investment. If you’ve read the entire process and haven’t completed the task yet, then you have a decision to make. In my area we have very hard water and the heating of the water tends to make the lime drop out in the water heater so we hook them to hot water lines to take advantage of the filtering effect. I’m feeding from downstairs so I’ll need to drill a hole thru my floor. Well, there you have it! Run the new supply tube to the back of the refrigerator. A division of Hignell, Inc.1756 Humboldt RoadChico, CA 95928, Contact UsToll Free: 1-888-304-4674Chico: (530) 924-5564Fax: (530) 894-6984. You begin to hook up all the cables so you can put the food you took out of your old fridge into your new one. Copyright ©2016 We just bought a fridge with the ice/water in the door. After thoroughly drying the floor using a mop and towels, run a dehumidifier in the room where the water leak occurred. Want to hire someone to come complete the task for you? Water puddling up under your refrigerator is never a good sign, but it is also a fairly common occurrence and can usually be resolved relatively easily. So now that your water line is empty, start off by marking your pipe where it needs to be cut, and cut it using the pipe cutter. Flex water supply tubes are available in either a tough plastic nylon mesh or braided steel. The shut off valve for it is in the utility room too. We have no basement only a concrete slab. Inspect the water inlet valve for cracks, and make sure that it is tightly secured to the water supply line. To cut it, use your utility knife and cut any excess off as square as possible just like this. And that completes the installation of a water line to your fridge. If running the line through the cabinets is not feasible, you might need to run a line through the floor and up to where the refrigerator is located. Reply Drill holes as needed through cabinets or through the floor to feed the water line through until you can reach the back... Keep the fridge water line from kinking as you complete the run. If you are seeing water on the floor near your Sub-Zero refrigerator, water dripping from the door, or water inside the refrigerator compartment, the culprit may not be a leak in the plumbing connection or water lines. Step two talks about if you already have a water supply pipe available and what to do if you don't. Then you run into a little bit of a problem. … If you don’t feel comfortable using compression fittings, there’s a much more user-friendly alternative that’s available and it’s called a push-fitting. Best bet is to use the in-line tee in the link below to tap into the supply line under your sink. I used hot water added and then sucked up to melt my way through the ice that was plugging up the evaporator drain line. I understand that you water is hard, but maybe it would be better to get a dedicated filter for your cold water to fix the problem. Pour a mild solution of soapy water and ammonia down the drain tube to kill bacteria. Installing a Refrigerator Water Line Is Easy, How to Install a Water Line for a Refrigerator. I need to run water supply to refrigerator from one wall to another. Although the braided steel is considerably more expensive, the extra strength it provides is well worth the investment. We wish you the best of luck! Good! It may sound intimidating, but with readily-available fittings, it’s really pretty simple to install an ice maker line when you have copper, CPVC or Pex water supply lines. Once you’re sure that it’s safe and that there’s nothing in the way, proceed to making the hole. In my area we have very hard water and the heating of the water tends to make the lime drop out in the water heater so we hook them to hot water lines to take advantage of the filtering effect. All rights reserved. A quick note here is never connect the plastic pipe and then solder, you could only imagine what the results would be. Whenever you solder, do make sure to have a fire extinguisher nearby in the event something catches on fire. Tip Check the length of the water line leading to the ice maker, usually on the rear exterior of the fridge, as well as the connections, for any signs of moisture. [fa icon="calendar"] December 06, 2019 / by Something else to keep in mind is marking the proper insertion depth to make sure it goes in all the way. This is in a townhome, on the center level, above & over from the water heater. Be sure to keep the tubing above storage areas and behind drawers if possible to … Step one gives you a pep talk to psych yourself up for the project you didn’t know you were going to have to accomplish. If you decided to go with the compression coupling, make sure both pipe ends are cut straight, slip on the retainer nut, ferrule, brass sleeve and tighten everything together. Then your adjustable wrench and start tightening, you’ll feel when it gets tight enough and that’s pretty much how it needs to be if it leaks afterward, just give it an extra ¼ turn and it should do the trick. From there, you could cut out the sub-floor, in or near-abouts- of the doorway/header below, to expose the 'cavity' beneath that sub-floor..and the ceiling below... so that you could run your water line (Copper), up thru the 'top-plate' (of the floor below), up to the cavity between floors/joists ..and then run your water line horizontialy across and through the floor joists, to bring your water line to the … Do i run a water line from under the kitchen sink through cabinets a fridge with the refrigerator out its! { } ) ; Topics: plumbing, home Tips be in relation to a refrigerator water from. Are a few other resources you can use to make sure that it is in a,... A little bit of a chance it will leak tap into the supply line on copper CPVC... 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