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. Nonetheless, this is not a difficult task and anyone with moderate do-it-yourself experience will be able to get the job done. Can I use the inexpensive kits sold at Wal-Mart with the flexible tubing and clamp valve and connect the valve to pvc instead of copper. Run this line to the back of your refrigerator or under-counter ice maker and secure it with a compression joint. The barb on the end of the PVC fitting must fit snugly inside of the snippet of plastic pipe. Connect the Water Line to the Supply Valve Attach the water line to the 1/4-inch outlet on the water supply valve and tighten the connector nut with a wrench. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Because this is a low-pressure line, if possible, use plastic piping if you're getting a kit. very simple to do. Plumbing and Piping - Connect Ice Maker to water supply line - How easy is it to connect and existing ice maker hose to the water supply line underneath the sink. There is a chance that you have to do this yourself, so we have also included a guide on how to install a new refrigerator water supply line as well. Next, locate a place on the main trunk supply line where you can tap the saddle valve. How do you connect an icemaker water line to pvc pipes. Check for leaks. Make sure you have a valve in-line so you can shut off the water when replacing the water filter. Attach copper tubing to your cold water pipe to create a dedicated cold water line for your new appliance. Insert the barbed end into the plastic pipe and secure it snugly with a hose clamp. then use teflon tape to seal the threads on a fitting to connect the icemaker line. Use a water line installation kit, available at any hardware store. ... Lowes sells quick connectors to do this, you should connect this to the cold water line under the sink, they have a t connector that just screws onto the line in between the faucet and the valve. Unfortunately the fridge and the sink are maybe eight feet apart and I'd have to run the water line directly in front of the kitchen entrance, which I'm sure the missus would not approve of! It'll cost comparable to the vampire kit, and is a lot more reliable and is just done right. the copper line is not visible under my sink. Is there an easy, lazy-man way to tie into a PVC water line? Insert the barbed end of the fitting into the plastic pipe, then clamp it securely with a hose clamp and a screwdriver. If it's like 3/4 pex or 1/2 pex just get the appropriate T fitting to meet up with your fridges 1/4" nylon supply line. Do I need a PVC cutter or is a hacksaw cut good enough? He has been published in "Woman's Day," "New Home Journal" and on many do-it-yourself websites. 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. Plastic is more flexible and easier to run, won't kink and is resistant to hard water deposits. They reduce the flow of water to the ice maker and are easily clogged. With that in mind, pull out the fridge and drill down with a feeler bit as close to the cold water line as possible. Mine will be replaced in the near future, but the saddle valve on a 1/2" cpvc line is working fine for the time being. Whether you’re upgrading to a fridge with an ice maker, replacing a saddle valve connection on an existing appliance or putting in a whole new appliance, installing a water line to a refrigerator or appliance with push-to-connect plumbing solutions is a skill that will benefit you time and time again. Connect a plastic waterline pipe to PVC with a barbed PVC fitting. BUT, saddle valves are crap and not an ideal solution in any case, pvc or copper. They are used in commercial and residential kitchens. The consensus in the thread is to avoid the vampire tap, so that's what I'll do. Connect the end of the tube to the 1/4-inch water supply fitting on the refrigerator. Coat the inside of the PVC pipe and the outside of the fitting with the cement, insert and press them together. 5-ft 0.25-in Compression Inlet x 0.25-in Compression Outlet Braided PVC Ice Maker Connector. Although it's not the right way to do it, I was in a hurry, had a spare kit with the valve, and didn't really give it much thought. Once the pipe is run up to the PVC connector, or if the majority of the water line is already in place, you can proceed. An ice maker is a great addition to any kitchen and can be simple to install with the right materials. If Pex get some Watts quick connect fittings or some sharkbite fittings, turn off water, run tap to remove line pressure. 3/4 … Using the fittings provided with the ice maker kit, take the tubing that came with your kit and connect it to the back of the ice maker unit. Attach the braided water line (Photo 3), then run the water into a bucket or sink for a few minutes to flush out any corrosion or bits of solder. It's usually a "T" that you insert into an existing cold water line, with the base of the "T" being a 1/4" NPT female for the icemaker line. I just did it last week because my local hardware store did not have the pvc fittings I needed. Customer Question. Yalanovsky also writes a bimonthly column that provides home improvement advice. If you want pics or anything, let me know, I have the next 6 days off, let me know, if I can help I will! Use the feeler bit to determine the best location to drill for the water line. DO NOT USE POLYETHYLENE TUBING to connect the ice maker to the water line. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Model #266350. Attach the flexible tubing to the stop valve at the end of the tee. If it's PVC, same deal. When you install a new refrigerator, it's a good idea to hook up the ice-maker at the same time. Dale Yalanovsky has been writing professionally since 1978. You can use a saddle valve with pvc, if you're very careful. Re: PVC water pipe & Icemaker; Author: Anonymous User Yes saddle valves will work on CPVC. I left it as is for 8 months or so, but did end up plumbing it in properly mainly because the restriction due to the vampire valve is so great that filling a glass of water took way too long. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Item #1209877. It's good to remember this if you ever have to move the refrigerator, because the tubing is fragile and putting pressure on the connector can break the water seal. Or is my only alternative to cut the PVC and install some sort of tee? Good Luck Required Tools for this ice maker tubing project Select a small piece of plastic pipe that will push over the copper water line and fit snugly. 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.Ever since we moved in our home, I never g… Plug in the refrigerator or reconnect power. Set the ice maker power switch to the ON (I) position. The kit includes 1 SharkBite 1/2-in service slip tee, one 1/2-in x 1/4-in (3/8-in O.D.) Snip off a bit of the plastic pipe with scissors and take it to a hardware store to gauge the correct size when buying the fitting. If it's like 3/4 pex or 1/2 pex just get the appropriate T fitting to meet up with your fridges 1/4" nylon supply line. push-to-connect angle stop valve, a 10-ft coil of 1/4-in PEX pipe, one 1/4-in (3/8-in O.D.) There are other tubing materials. Instead, it is all pvc. DO NOT USE PIERCING-TYPE OR 3/16" SHUT-OFF VALVES. Is it PVC or is it PEX? Having a refrigerator with a water and ice dispenser is very convenient. Press J to jump to the feed. I poked around and will either cement in a new tee+valve or go with a sharkbite fitting. Connect the Supply Tube to the Refrigerator Run the new supply tube to the back of the refrigerator. Always turn off the main water line if you need to tap into it for an ice-maker line. Connect a plastic waterline pipe to PVC with a barbed PVC fitting. My old fridge broke down, and I am getting a new one but this one does not have a water/ice dispenser. Ideally, you'll cut the pvc (should actually be cpvc), and install a T, and a shutoff valve. Highcraft CNCT26610-OM Line, Connects Water Supply, Ice Maker hose With 1/4" Fittings On Both Ends, Braided Stainless Steel, 10 Ft Whirlpool W10685193 Dishwasher Swivel Gooseneck Fitting. Attach a brass garden hose "Y" with a shut off valve, a braided ice maker line, Teflon tape and a few adapters to reduce/make the connection from the "Y" to the braided line. At the ice maker end of the newly added PEX line (if you had decided to run the distance with PEX) you would need to select the appropriate type of adapter fitting(s) to allow connection of the small diameter ice maker line. If using a piercing valve, once the connection is complete, turn the knob to drive the needle into the pipe and pierce the … Not supposed to use PVC in a residence. Then just connect everything up (using Teflon tape). How to Connect a Water Line to Your Refrigerator: What’s up guys, and welcome back. Tying into a copper line looks dead simple with one of those vampire tap things, but I've not seen anything out there about tying into a PVC line. The SharkBite ice maker installation kit has everything you need to install the water supply to your ice maker. The way Steve describes would be a better way to do it if you are inclined to do so. I would have to run the hose pass 2 of the hardware necessary to connect your ice maker to the water supply. If I have to buy the cement and the cutter I'm almost better off paying a plumber to do the work! Turn water supply valve ON. I could find a copper line to tie into but most of what's near the fridge is PVC. I have used saddle valves with no problems they are more apt for trouble than running a seperate line with its own shutoff as Steve mentioned. There are a couple of ways to attach a PVC pipe to an ice-maker's water line, but you won't know which approach to take until you know what type of pipe makes up the ice-maker's line. Locate the nearest cold water line and determine its location compared to the location of the fridge. The kit will give you all the valves and hardware needed to run a line up to the point where the PVC pipe is. Finally, fish the water line through the floor or wall to the back of the refrigerator (Photo 4). PVC is not code for in home water plumbing in our region, but I have seen the adapter at Home Depot. When running a water supply tube to a new refrigerator ice maker, humidifier, or other appliance, you'll need a way to tap into an existing water supply pipe.An easy way to do this on a copper pipe is by using a special shutoff fitting known as a saddle valve or needle valve. Attach one end of a 1/4-inch flexible supply tube onto the 1/4-inch outlet on the adapter, and tighten it with pliers. Tighten all the connections (including connections at the valve) or nuts that leak. Once the water to the CPVC supply pipe has been turned off and a nearby faucet opened to drain the pipe, a 5/32-inch diameter hole is drilled into the side of the pipe at the point where the saddle valve will connect to the line. Insert the flexible tubing through the holes you drilled until you reach the location where the refrigerator will be. The ice maker will not begin to operate until ir reaches its operating temperature of 15 ºF ( … This is the first fridge I've had which has an ice maker in it, so I need to run a water line to the fridge. use the same glue method you use to install the pvc, a purple cleaner and then the right cement for the type of … How to Get Rid of the Plastic Taste in an Ice Maker Line, How to Splice Plastic Dishwasher Drain Pipe, How to Remove a Gooseneck Pipe on a Bathroom Sink, The Family Handyman: How To Install Refrigerator Plumbing, How to Connect Stainless Braided Hoses to Ice Makers, How to Install a Plastic Water Line Under a Gravel Driveway, How to Disconnect the Water Line to the Filter Housing on a Refrigerator. If it's for yourself, you'll have an added convenience that would take more effort to add later. I'm not sure what your angle stops under your sink look like, or the proximity of your sink to your fridge, but this may be a possibility. All the demos that I can find always refer to connecting it to your copper water line. Most people run 1/4" copper with flared fittings from the valve to the ice maker. I initially had a saddle valve to connect a water line to my refrigerator water dispenser/ice maker but removed it because the flow of water was just too low. you will need the 1/4" one. In reply to another (similar) comment I asked: Do I need a PVC cutter or is a hacksaw cut good enough? Shut the water off to the house. You can choose either plastic pipe or copper pipe, whichever one you're more comfortable working with. Attach the fitting to the PVC pipe with PVC cement. To hook up the ice maker you would cut the pipe and install a tee with a valve off it for the ice maker line. Compare; Find My Store. Drill the hole. If I have to buy the cement and the cutter I'm almost better off paying a plumber to do the work! Yes, it's CPVC. If you'll be showing the house, you'll be able to demonstrate that the refrigerator is not only up and running, but also has a functional added perk. Although I never had it leak, please realize that these valves were never intended to be used on PVC (or PEX, to be more accurate, as I think that's what you are actually referring to). Connecting ice maker to a PVC water line. Connect a copper waterline pipe to PVC using a plastic pipe and a barbed fitting. Place a clamp over the plastic pipe and tighten it firmly to make a watertight seal. Thanks! I messed up in our new house and just used a "vampire tap things" on the PVC tubing extending out of the floor. SharkBite x 1/4-in O.D. If your refrigerator has an ice maker or a water dispenser, it has to be connected to a water supply line, and that line can leak. These supply/connector hoses have fittings on both ends for connecting ice makers to water lines. If there is no water line, or if only the basics are there -- like a line valve coming off the pipe -- then you'll need to install the entire water line. I suggest renting the crimpers, getting the proper tee and fittings and plumbing into your PEX line. Here is a step-by-step water line installation refrigerator guide.A new refrigerator with a water dispenser and ice maker needs to be hooked up to a COLD water line. To get the best performance, connect the water supply line. get a 3/4 or 1/2 Tee that has a 1/4 fitting or use a brass reducer with a compresson fitting. You can purchase one at most hardware or plumbing supply stores. Tighten the joint connector between the flexible tubing and the stop valve with a wrench. If its rigid PVC you can cut it and glue in a t-fitting and then glue a threaded fitting in the new opening. Cut line. A place where people can come to learn and share their experiences of doing, building and fixing things on their own. Ice maker connectors (also known as ice maker supply lines) are used to hook up an ice maker to a water line to supply water to the unit for making ice. He specializes in do-it-yourself projects, household and auto maintenance and property management. As instructed in the previous step, select a properly sized barbed PVC fitting and cement it to the PVC pipe. Determine how much of a water line there is. The location of your tap will determine how many holes you have to drill to feed the water line through. The package says it is compatible with 1/2 inch copper and CPVC for the slip end (household The valve's handle is then turned so that the piercing lance sticks out 3/16-inch past the sealing washer. Usually behind where a refrigerator is installed, there will be a water valve that you can use to hook cold water to your fridge. 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