How to Install Water Line for Ice Maker

How to Install Water Line for Ice Maker
Just so you know, Ice Department is reader-supported. We may earn an affiliate commission, a share of sales or other compensation when you buy through links on our site. Read our affiliate disclaimer below in the footer.
Spread the love

One of the perks of having an ice maker is that you don’t need to make ice manually. Your ice maker will do everything while you relax and focus on the more important stuff. Whether you’re planning a guys’ night your buddies, or there is an upcoming gathering in your house, an ice maker will always make sure that your drinks are served ice-cold.

Refrigerators with ice makers are popular right now, and they deliver a lot of conveniences. However, the installation is a bit difficult, especially when it comes to learning how to install water line for ice maker.

Why Does Your Ice Maker Need a Water Line?

The water line will serve as an unlimited source of water for your ice maker. Every time the ice maker makes ice, it will open the water line and then close it once the water needed to make sufficient ice is achieved.

The water line, then, is the most important part of your ice maker, which is why you need to make sure that it is installed properly to prevent future problems. If you want to do the installation on your own, we will provide a few tips on how to do it.

How to Install Water Line for Ice Maker

Installing a water line for your ice maker requires you to at least know how to use a few tools. If you have no idea how to use specific tools, it is better to stop reading and just look for a plumber or a technician to handle the installation.

What You’ll Need

Before we begin, let’s check out some of the things that you will need for the installation.

  • Drill
  • Pipe clamps
  • Saddle shut-off valve
  • Pail
  • Adjustable wrench
  • 0.25-inch outside measure compression nuts (two pieces)
  • 0.25-inch copper tubing (minimum of 10 feet)
  • Two ferrules

Some Precautions

Before we proceed to the step-by-step guide, there are a few things that you should consider. This concerns your safety because there might be unforeseen events that would happen during the installation.

  • The refrigerator should be disconnected from the plug. Obviously, you cannot work on the water line while the fridge is running.
  • Check the local plumbing codes to make sure that what you are doing is permitted. One example of this is the use of saddle valves, which are not allowed by the Massachusetts building codes. Take the time to review the plumbing codes in your area.
  • Don’t use the tools mentioned above if you don’t know how to use them. You might end up meeting an accident if you are a newbie.
  • The step-by-step guide is for the installation of a water line for the ice maker in a refrigerator.

How to Install Water Line for Ice Maker 2

The Procedure

If you know how to use all of the tools mentioned above, and you already checked the safety concerns for the installation, then you are good to go. Here’s a step-by-step guide you can follow:

Step 1: Shut off the main water line in your house.

This is the most important thing to do before you start because you cannot work on the installation when the water is still running.

After turning off the main water line, keep the water running on a specific faucet and put a pail or anything that would hold the water. This is to help save water. Don’t waste it by letting it flow directly down the drain.

Step 2: Choose the location of the valve on the water line.

This one is a bit tricky, and you have to choose wisely where the valve would be placed on the water line. When doing this, it is better to use a vertical pipe if it is available.

If you plan on using a horizontal pipe, the hole for the valve should be placed on the top or side of the pipe. Take note that you should never use the bottom of the pipe as it may actually draw sediment to your ice maker.

Step 3: Drill a hole for the valve.

The next step is to drill the hole in the cold water line. You have to drill a 1/4-inch hole because this is the measurement of the materials that you prepared. You have to remember also not to let water seep into your drill; otherwise, it would be damaged. You should only drill one side of the pipe.

This is a very meticulous process, and if you don’t have any idea how to use a drill, ask for someone to help you. If that’s your case, it is also better to just let a professional deal with the issue to prevent any more problems on the water line.

Step 4: Attach the valve.

Once you have successfully drilled a hole in the cold water line, the next step is to attach the valve to the pipe with the use of two pipe clamps. You have to tighten the screws on the clamps until you see that the sealing washer is already swelling.

Although you need to tighten the screws, you should never overdo it as it might crush the pipe. Applying too much pressure will surely warp the pipe even if it is very durable.

Step 5: Route the tubing to your refrigerator.

After you attach the valve, you will have to route the tubing directly to the refrigerator. The routing will depend on where your main water line and refrigerator to be located. If you have to drill through floors or doors, then do it. However, make sure that you know what you are doing.

Make sure that you keep at least eight feet of tubing behind your refrigerator so that you can move it away from the wall without the need to disconnect the water supply.

When cleaning your ice maker or fridge, you might need to move it away from the wall. Without any excess tubing, it will take more time to do the cleaning as you still need to remove the water supply.

Step 6: Add the compression nut and ferrule.

The next thing to do is to slide the ferrule and the compression nut to the tubing. Then, connect the tubing by hand and turn it one time with the use of a wrench. This is to make sure that the compression nut and ferrule are properly placed.

Step 7: Run the water.

Once you’ve successfully installed the compression nut and ferrule, the next step is to flush the tube into a pail. You have to open the main water line and let it run on the tube for at least one quart or until the water is clear.

You have to do this to clean the tube and to make sure that the water going inside the ice maker is very clean. When the water is clear, you have to turn off the water on the new valve.

Step 8: Connect the water line to the fridge.

The next step is to connect the waterline directly to the fridge. The pressure nut and ferrule should then be connected to the hose at the refrigerator end.

After doing this, attach the nut to the valve of the refrigerator. If it is allowed on your fridge, you can always run the tubing in the hose clamp so that you can hold on the angle that you prefer.

Step 9: Check for leaks.

The next step will be for you check if there are leaks on the water line that you made. To determine if there are leaks, turn on the water line through the pipe valve and tighten the nuts if you see any leaks.

Step 10: Run the ice maker.

Plugin your refrigerator and start running your ice maker based on the instructions on the manual. You should discard the first two to three sets of ice produced by the ice maker so that you can flush the system first.

Common Issues Concerning the Water Line of an Ice Maker

Since we are already talking about how to install water line for ice maker, we also decided to discuss some common issues that may come up while you are using it. After all, a lot of things can go wrong in your ice maker if there is a problem on the water line.

How to Install Water Line for Ice Maker 3

Here are the issues that you need to know and their applicable solutions:

1. A Leak in the Water Line

Leaks can happen, and you may not even notice it. There are leaks that can affect the production of ice in the ice maker, and there are also some that are not too noticeable. However, a leak is a leak, and you are wasting water by not checking the water lines.

If the leak is only minuscule, it would not be easy to find it. Leaks usually happen when you disconnect the water line from the refrigerator, or the tubes were accidentally damaged. To make sure that there are no leaks in the water line, you have to check it from time to time.

2. Sediments and Other Particles on the Ice

When you see sediments or other particles on your ice, there are so many possible reasons that might come to mind. However, it is better to check your water line because the problem might come from there. This is the easiest way to deal with this issue, as most of these sediments will surely come from the water line.

You have to see if there are any leaks on your waterline. There is also a chance that the ice maker itself is already dirty. This means that the water is clean, but the sediments come from the inside of the ice maker.

3. Ice Maker Is Not Producing Ice

Again, there are a lot of reasons behind this, and the problem on the water line is just one of this. There is a chance that the water line is turned off, and there is no water going inside the ice maker. There is also a chance that the water line is not properly installed.

The best solution for this is to reconnect the water line and make sure that you attach it carefully. Lastly, turn the water on, and the ice maker will start producing ice.

4. Ice Maker Is Not Producing Sufficient Ice

There are also some issues where the ice maker is making ice, but it seems like the quantity is far from its usual capacity. The problem might be on the filter being probably blocking the water from entering. There is also a possibility that the water pressure is too low.

Check if there are kinks in the water supply line because it can prevent enough water from flowing to the ice maker. You just have to un-kink the line and make sure that you won’t remove anything while doing this.

The problem may also come from the valves. It means that the valve is already broken and is due for replacement. Before you replace anything though, check the valve first and see if it is working properly.

5. Ice Tastes Weird

Ice should still taste like water. Well, it has no taste actually, so if you noticed that your ice tastes weird, there is definitely a problem in the ice maker or the water supply line. If you are always cleaning your ice maker, the problem might be from the water supply line.

The first thing to do is to check the mainline in your house and try to drink water from there. If there is no weird taste on the water, you can check the tubing of the main water line. The problem may have actually started from there. If you have to replace it, then do so immediately.

Conclusion

Installing a water line for ice makers is a very tedious task, and it is not something that anyone can do. You will be using a lot of different tools, so you need to know at least how to use them properly.

The installation of water lines can also lead to multiple problems. You might encounter issues with your ice maker, or you may see some problems on the water line that you installed.

If you are not confident in doing this, hiring a professional technician is the right thing to do. If you want to challenge yourself and try doing it on your own, the step-by-step guide above will help you get started.

Click here to add a comment

Leave a comment:


Situs Judi Bola Demo Pragmatic dan PG Situs Luar Negeri Server Thailand Situs Judi Bola Server thailand Server jepang Server myanmar Server Thailand Situs Pro Myanmar Situs Pro Jepang Situs Pro Rusia Situs Luar Gacor Slot Server Filipina Sweet Bonanza Server Macau Slot PG Soft Server Kamboja Server Myanmar Server Thailand Login Server Luar Server Luar Server Thailand Akun Pro Jepang Slot Server Kamboja Akun Pro Peru