Over 698,000 strictly plumbing related posts
Plumbing education, information, advice, help and suggestions are provided by some of the most experienced plumbers who wish to "give back" to society. Since 1996 we have been the best online (strictly) PLUMBING advice site. If you have questions about plumbing, toilets, sinks, faucets, drains, sewers, water filters, venting, water heating, showers, pumps, and other strictly PLUMBING related issues then you've come to the right place. Please refrain from asking or discussing legal questions, or pricing, or where to purchase products, or any business issues, or for contractor referrals, or any other questions or issues not specifically related to plumbing. Keep all posts positive and absolutely no advertising. Our site is completely free, without ads or pop-ups and we don't tract you. We absolutely do not sell your personal information. We are made possible by:
Author:
rhfritz (MD)
I replaced an old fridge with a new one with water/ice in the door. As there was no water line behind the old fridge, I put a saddle valve on the kitchen sink supply line and ran a 15ft stainless steel braid over to the new fridge. I made it that long because from the kitchen sink cabinet, it had to travel behind the dishwasher and an end-cabinet to get to the fridge cubicle. It all worked well for 6 weeks and turned sulfur tasting with rotten egg smell. The kitchen tap on the other side of the saddle valve tastes fine. And unscrewing the braided line from the fridge indicates the smell was coming from the line, not the fridge internal plumbing. The only oddness I noted was that the water in that line was warm, probably because it ran behind the dishwasher where it's likely warm after the dishwasher has been running. I suppose for completeness I ought to mention that my home is on a well. And we have a whole-house filtration system on the incoming water. But again, I've isolated this smell to this braided line. At no other tap in the house is there a bad smell or taste.
Figuring the 15ft line failed, I replaced the 15ft line with a 10ft because I found it would work, 6 weeks later, same problem. So I ran bleachy water through the original 15ft line, put foam pipe insulation on it and ran it in a way that it wouldn't be subjected directly to the dishwasher motor exhaust heat. Now 8 weeks later, same problem.
I'd prefer not to replace with a plastic line for obvious reasons. And I'd really like to understand what's happening before I replace anything.
Thanks!
Edited 2 times.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
North Carolina Plumber (NC)
It sounds as if something in your water is reacting with the rubber inside the flex line. You could just use a piece of soft copper for the run.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
bernabeu (SC)
ditto
soft temper copper
"L" type, not 'M'
==============================================
"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
m & m (MD)
1/4" O.D. soft copper.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
asktom (MT)
Use 1/4 OD refrigeration tube not the 1/4 OD utility tubing that is thinner walled. Most of the kits come with the cheap stuff. You may need to go somewhere that will cut you a piece from their roll.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
rhfritz (MD)
Thank you all for the replies. Since the consensus seems to be replace the line with copper, the next question is how to deal with the fact that I still need to be able to pull the fridge out as necessary. So if I replace the long flex with copper, should I then finish it off with a 3ft flex line? I'm concerned about the copper line weakening over time with repeated movement of the fridge.
Edited 2 times.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
JLNY (NY)
How often do you seriously plan on moving the fridge?
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
m & m (MD)
You make a big loop of copper that will allow the fridge to roll out. When it's pushed into place, the copper loop collapses against the back wall (Slinky effect). I use 8' to 10' of copper tube in the loop alone.
Edited 1 times.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
bernabeu (SC)
ditto to m & m
==============================================
"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
rhfritz (MD)
Who really plans on moving a fridge? But I've certainly moved it more times in the last 6 months than in the last 10 years. But just like I wouldn't have guessed that a simple braided line would be such a PITA, I have no idea how many times you have to flex a coil of soft copper tubing before the stress takes its toll. But I have to imagine that the braided lines were invented for a reason, soldering-not-required being a big plus.
Regardless, searching for 'copper ice maker water line kit' I get a number of matches looking like this:
[ecx.images-amazon.com]
Can you guys recommend a kit that doesn't require soldering? And I can't tell whether these kits have the connection for the fridge end.
Edited 1 times.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
bernabeu (SC)
the fridge end is a compression connection
you do NOT want a 'cheapo' kit which is 'thinwall' "M" tube
you want a piece of "L" tube
You have asked plumbers for advice.
It was given to assure a 'good practice' as opposed to merely 'code compliant' installation.
you continue to seek opinions
HIRE AN ACTUAL PLUMBER
ps. the braided stainless is merely a cover for a vinyl hose
pps. if installed properly the copper coil is a LIFETIME installation (provided "L" tube is used)
==============================================
"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638
Edited 1 times.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
asktom (MT)
Refrigeration tube does not come in types "M", "L", or "K". 1/4" OD refrigeration tube would be equal to 1/8 nominal type "L", if such a thing existed. Refrigeration tube is sized by it's actual OD, the "M, L, K" sizes by their approximate ID. There is a cheapo version of refrigeration tube that is usually called "utility tube" that has a wall thickness about 1/3 less than the good stuff. We are talking pennies here, get refrigeration tube.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
sum (FL)
I think this depends. Down here in south Florida it gets moved quite a bit. Pest control comes once a month pull the fridge out 12-16" or so then spray the area behind the fridge.
Other than that it may be once a year to pull it all out to clean the area behind it.
Or when the ice maker valve or the electrical outlet on the wall need to be accessed, or whenever something held with a magnet on the side of the fridge accidentally dropped through the thin crack at between the counter top and the fridge and you have to get it out.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
sum (FL)
You don't need to solder the copper.
Here is a thread I posted on my ice maker line and it has some pictures showing the connections which are compression on both ends not soldered. In my case I was getting rid of a copper pipe because it created a strain at the copper to vinyl connection and creased the vinyl pipe.
I am still curious about the sulfurous odor. I remember coming across something similar when I Googled about ice maker line before. The symptom was the same as yours, sulfur tasting water from the fridge after new installation, but not from anywhere else. The common reasons for this is (1) The new line was tapped into the wrong supply pipe, hot instead of cold, and the taste comes from the hot water heater, and the reason you don't taste it anywhere else is because you drink off the cold tap almost never the hot side. (2) New refrigerator filter reacted to the water, and changing the filter took the sulfur odor away they solved the problem by changing and throwing away to original two week old factory installed filter.
Edited 2 times.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
bernabeu (SC)
Quote
Refrigeration tube does not come in types "M", "L", or "K". 1/4" OD refrigeration tube would be equal to 1/8 nominal type "L", if such a thing existed. Refrigeration tube is sized by it's actual OD, the "M, L, K" sizes by their approximate ID. There is a cheapo version of refrigeration tube that is usually called "utility tube" that has a wall thickness about 1/3 less than the good stuff. We are talking pennies here, get refrigeration tube.
The Cu tube's wall thickness is rated M or L or K (K being the thickest).
The 'Type' (thickness) rating does NOT effect the OD, merely the actual ID (slightly).
Your 'utility tube' is actually soft temper "M" tube, and is what the 'big box stores' generally pawn off on the unknowledgeable DIYer.
The only thing that makes refrigeration tube different from annealed Cu is the fact that it is Nitrogen filled and capped on the ends of the roll.
'Standard' refrigeration tube (hard to find in the big box store) IS annealed type 'L' copper.
The only reason refrigeration tube is 'called' by the OD is that it is often flared.
==============================================
"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638
Edited 1 times.
|
Post Reply
|
Please note:
- Inappropriate messages or blatant advertising will be deleted. We cannot be held responsible for bad or inadequate advice.
- Plbg.com has no control over external content that may be linked to from messages posted here. Please follow external links with caution.
- Plbg.com is strictly for the exchange of plumbing related advice and NOT to ask about pricing/costs, nor where to find a product (try Google), nor how to operate or promote a business, nor for ethics (law) and the like questions.
- Plbg.com is also not a place to ask radiant heating (try HeatingHelp.com), electrical or even general construction type questions. We are exclusively for plumbing questions.
Search for plumbing parts on our sponsor's site:
Special thanks to our sponsor:
|