Got new fridge and dryer. Both are working well. Had to plumb the fridge for its ice maker. Turns out that there were 1/8 inch pipe fitting, 1/4 inch compression fitting, unknown diameter poly hose,and 3/8 in compression fittings involved here. The fridge had 1/8 inch pipe fitting with a barb on top for poly hose, the water hose to the sink was 1/4 inch compression. An associate at the depot got me the sink to compression fitting adapter and went Lowes for a 20 foot hose.
At first I figured the fridge was 1/4 inch compression with a barb prong on top that was going to the silly little poly hose. I had to saw the prong off. Stuck my finger into the fan and found out the water relay had 120 volts to it with my thumb. As soon as I jammed the fan, the fan stopped for a good 20 minutes. Oh lordy, I have killed the fan! (nope, for some perverse reason, the fan just went dormant for a while). Sawed off a perfectly good barb as the compression fitting threads would not reach. Tada! The damn hose would not screw on!
Went to the depot and found a 1/8 inch female to 1/4 inch male adapter. Great! But it was a 1/8 to 1/4 inch PIPE adapter. Back to the store. Getting late.
Tried like hell to find an 1/8 inch female pipe to 1/4 inch male compression adapter. Finally some poor guy at the store managed to come up with a 1/8 to 1/8 f inch female pipe connector going to a right angle male 1/8 inch pipe to male 1/4 inch compression fitting.
I had brought in a HD bag with my present parts to compare fittings. Bought the parts and took the receipt but forgot the bag with the NEW parts (9:30 PM mind). Drove myself crazy looking for the new parts in the old bag! At 10:30 I am back at a closed Home Depot tapping on the window with tears running down my eyes (or was it sweat?)! Another poor associate managed to find my parts in their “return to shelf” box. Went home and did Home Depot survey and gave those guys a straight 10 for help.
Had to drill 5/8 inch holes through the cabinets and run hose under dishwasher (some poor inspector would swoon to see the mess I have under that dishwasher as I also have 120 volt cord going to a GFI box to run my hot water dispenser). Tried drilling the holes with the drill set on REVERSE. “Dull bit” I said. Sharpened it up and still had an issue drilling. Took me way too long to figure out the reverse part! Well, 4 bits and three drills later, I finally had the holes drilled and 1/2 hour after that I had the hose run through the cabinets, under the dishwasher, and to the sink and fridge.
Put the pipe fittings together without enough Teflon tape so they immediately started leaking (I must have removed that damn water inlet and relay in the fridge a dozen times, minimum!). Fixed one leak then the other side leaked! Cut some sheet metal on the fridge rear panel for hose.
Hooked up compression fitting to adapter.
- Forgot to run hose through hole in rear sheet metal panel. Shut the water down and take off hose.
- First leak found. Shut the water down and take off hose.
- Second leak found. Shut the water down and take off hose.
- Right angle at the wrong angle. Shut the water down and take off hose.
- The little plastic hose going to ice maker on wrong side of hose. Shut the water down and take off hose.
5 hours after I started to go to store for first time, I have the job done.
God, I love plumbing!
Replies
Probably should have used copper.
Most plumbers frown on all but maybe the blue plastic hose. Too much chance of a leak you won't see till the floor buckles.
Sleep well.
Totally agree.
I looked at that 1/4 inch poly hose (it was blue but the kit hose was miky colored and felt flimsy in comparison) and said to myself, "You got to be kidding!" It was only a $10 kit at HD that all the parts and would go from the the sink to the fridge but NO WAY and NO HOW would I trust that hose through the cabinets or even under the floor and through the joists. The braided hose with compression fittings was a no brainer.
I thought about copper but frankly that would have been overkill. The 1/4 inch braided hose is good quality and it is in a sheltered place. I can also move the fridge out 4 or 5 feet is I need to.
I thought about copper but frankly that would have been overkill
It won't be overkill if the plastic spews.
Not familiar with the braided hose for reefer water. You may be on to something that will work. Best of luck.
That's one of several reasons why our (relatively new) fridge does not have an ice maker.
Y'know, I thought so too...
But once I got one (my first mind you), I have this amazing craving for...ICE WATER! Gallons of it! I have a 1 1/2 quart water bottle just jammed with ICE, condensation oozing down onto the computer desk.
I used to be so miserly with ice. "NO MORE THAN 4 CUBES" I would yell at the kids. Now there is mounds of ICE and it appears by MAGIC! And it keeps coming!
No more ice cube trays! I threw them away with a delighted cackle.
And the whole Ice mechanism is cheap! $56.36 for the entire ice making assembly (motor tray, the whole shebang), $33.31 for that damn Water Valve I tried so hard to break. I already have all the part numbers written down in case this heavenly assemblage is ripped from my loving arms. Hmmm, maybe I should buy the spares BEFORE it breaks so I can reinstall it seconds after it stops working.
It's an ICE AGE for me, no more global warming.
Maybe plumbers have a use after all! ;)
Plumbers are GREAT!
I consider plumbing to be a black art. There is voodoo and a blood payment needed to learn to actually contain flowing liquids. I avoid all but the most mundane stuff like plumbing a sink or putting in a toilet. This SHOULD have been an easy job. Why an $1200 fridge has such a cheap plumbing attachment was beyond me.
I KNEW what was needed the 2nd time in the store but the associate just put the pieces together quicker than I could find them.
The rest of the tale was mostly due to starting a job at 8:30 PM. I should have waited till morning! I learned long ago in my woodworking that working with power tools or fussy joints late at night is a BAD IDEA.
Of all the things you should not start late in the day, plumbing heads the list. Never start a plumbing job more than 5 hours before the stores close.
SOBBING
But the job was so EASY! I mean hook up a compression fitting hose! I had the sink side adapter already installed! How hard can IT be? LOL.
Voodo Plumbing
>>>This SHOULD have been an easy job.<<<
Thats one of the first things that you learn in the "Black Art" of plumbing; if it looks easy you can bet it will bite you in the azz. ;)
It's almost like saying to a buddy, "Hey, watch this!"
"Life is tough,
but it's even tougher when you're stupid." - John Wayne