Hook up refrigerator plumbing yourself.
Most modern refrigerators come with icemakers built into the freezers to continuously make ice by pulling water from the house water supply. Because the plumbing for one of these appliances is fairly simple, you don't need a plumber to hook up a refrigerator ice maker. You don't even need any special tools.
Refrigerator Ice Maker Operation
The ice maker in a refrigerator pulls in fresh water from the water supply of a house through an inlet valve. The water is pumped into a shallow tray inside the freezer compartment. Once the water freezes, it is forced out of the icemaker and into the ice tray. As the ice starts to fill the tray, it raises a metal arm. When the arm reaches a pre-set height because of the volume of ice, it cuts off the icemaker.
Water Supply Valve
In most refrigerator setups, the closest water supply will be the kitchen sink. In most cases, the lines beneath the sink will already have water supply valves connected. Replace any single outlet supply valves with a dual water supply valve is needed to accommodate the refrigerator ice maker. A dual water supply valve allows two fixtures, such as a kitchen sink cold water supply and a refrigerator ice maker, to be hooked up to a single water supply valve. Turn off the main water supply before removing the old, single water supply valve, then screw on the new water supply valve. If you do not have a kitchen sink nearby, run a water pipe up to the vicinity of the refrigerator from a nearby supply line. Cap off the new pipe with a single water supply valve before continuing.
Plastic Hose Installation
The most common way to install a refrigerator ice maker is by running a plastic water supply line from the dual water supply valve to the refrigerator ice maker connection. These plastic hoses connect to plastic couplings at either end, making installation simple and easy, even for the DIYer. Wrap the coupling threads with plumber's tape before connecting the plastic hoses.
Copper Line Installation
A method used in houses that have copper pipes is by connecting a saddle valve to the nearest copper pipe. This allows the refrigerator to be connected to the water supply without any complicated pluming. To use, connect the free end of the saddle valve line to the refrigerator inlet. Locate a place on the copper pipe near to the refrigerator. Clean this off with a rag or towel to ensure a tight connection. Place the saddle valve gasket over the cleaned area. Clamp the saddle valve over the gasket and tighten the screws on the side. Twist the center screw with your hand until you feel it touch the pipe. Make the last few turns of the center screw with a pair of pliers for leverage.
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