I am buying my mother a new refrigerator with an icemaker. Any suggestions on how to install a waterline will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Connect one end to the water, other end to the fridge. Or give us more info about where everything is.

do not, under any circumstances, use a saddle valve.

you need to add a tee into a cold line either under a sink near the fridge or in a basement below it.
just how you go about this depends on what the pipes are made of in her house.
eg, copper, galvanized, cpvc etc...

no easy way for a homeowner without the saddle valve idea....you will get low water pressure and future leaks if you use a saddle valve.

its usually a easy job for a plumber

Nice gift. I hope your mother loves it and is able to use the benefits of chilled water and automatic ice.

Much depends on the source of the water and how close it is to the refrigerator. You didn't mention if you already have a tap or will have to install one. Consider the braided stainless steel suppy line and a good filter system with fine micron filtering. Make sure the filter is located in an area that is easy to change. Granted, your new refrig might have one that comes with it, a simple back up one will had additional life to the expensive factory one.

Best Wishes

The slickest way is to hard-pipe in an access box behind the fridge. This takes the most effort and skill. Something like this...



If you are less than 15' from a cold water supply line, you can cut in a Tee fitting and a ball shut-off valve (1/4" compression outlet). Then run a 20' (or shorter) braided stainless-steel icemaker hose (1/4" compression to 1/4" compression) to the fridge. The kit below has the right idea, but I prefer the braided SS hose over the poly tubing...



If you can snake the line though cabinets to get under the kitchen sink, you can put in a Tee fitting between the shutoff value and the cold supply to the sink. A 3/8"x3/8"x1/4" compression Tee, like the one below, a short 3/8" compression x 3/8" compression hose, and the braided SS icemaker hose should get the job done (depending on what you currently have).



The original shut-off valve will then control both the sink and the ice maker. Some codes might frown on this, but it usually works OK.

As stated above, DON'T use the saddle type valve. It may work for awhile, but you will regret it later.

If all of this sounds difficult, save yourself some grief and call a plumber.

Thanks for the info. Very helpful.

I see another North Carolinian has taken advantage of the tax free weekend on appliances.

Saddle valves are not the prefered way but they will work on copper 3/4 inch lines pretty good. Just make sure it's in an obvious exposed place to keep an eye on it. Hate to say it but when I moved in this house it already had a saddle valve for the fridge coming off a 3/4 copper line in the basement. I hooked it up, it's still working and has never leaked in almost 7 years. I'll just keep an eye on it but certainly am in no hurry to replace it. They do work if installed correctly, obviously mine was.

I would recommend using a braided stainless steel icemaker supply line...
Do not use the watts floodsafe version that Big Orange pushes...

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Doesn't NC also have a $10 white goods fee on appliances?

I recently installed an icemaker line, and did so by installing a new double angle stop on the cold side to serve the faucet with a 3/8" outlet and a 1/4" outlet for the refer. I purchased a 1/4" X 1/4" X 10' stainless braided supply line. It was plenty long enough to pass through two cabinet bays, and enough slack behind the refer to pull it out without disconnecting the water line. So now they have a convinient shut-off below the kitchen sink and only two connections without any compression unions or soft copper.

that type of valve is not legal in some areas like many cities around me. you cant shut the fridge off without shutting off the water to the sink also

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PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"

brasscraft makes dual shutoffs with 2 outlets and 2 handles. the dual outlet with a single handle are not only illegal but only a hack would use one.
[www.brasscraft.com]

Geez. that means there are about 8 million illegal homes in CA!

Achtung, diese ist verboten!?

Around here, especially in homes built more than 15 years ago, it is not uncommon to see one shutoff control both (legal or not). One side benefit is that the faucet relieves the line pressure when you go to change the icemaker filter.

Since you are from NC, check your own codes for what is allowed or not.

Good luck!



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and all along the way no one seems to have mentioned the hammer arrestor you should install on any solenoid type devise.Good Luck.The pretty boxes ,do come with them if ordered that way.

the only place i see them is where the home owner, handyman or not so good plumbing company installed them and they are usually on the hot side since they use needle valves for the fridge

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PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"

code here now.any self closing valve.They are not necessary as far as function,but codes are what they are.Good Luck.If using poly behind the fridge ,could I suggest a couple pieces of split foam insulation on the line.No more thump.

what is the difference between an angle stop with one port and one with two? It's still brasscraft, whether it has separate shut offs or just one.

because what if the new owner of a house does not have an ice maker?

what if the dish washer line burst. how would they wash dishes if this happened late saturday night? would you expect them to pay an outrageous fee just because they couldnt use the hot water in the sink until it was fixed?

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PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"

Personally, I only install the type with a separate shut-off for each port, (problem solved) but they do make compression caps...

yeah, you and i and most plumbers know the real deal by why fight it? just plumb to the code and you can never go wrong

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PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"

This is why we should all rough-in two hot stubs and two cold stubs at the kitchen sink. If the extra hot or cold doesn't get used, oh well - it's capped.

i do rough in two hot stubs but i usually installan ice maker box in the fridge location or at least stub out a pipe there

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PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"

right, icemaker box