Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Project Overview. Tip Before you get started, check behind your fridge to make sure there is no water line and shutoff valve already there—either extending out of the wall or sticking up through the floor.
Featured Video. Turn Off the Water Locate the fixture shutoff valve on the cold water supply line under the kitchen sink. Tip Flush out several gallons of water from the dispenser to purge the water line of air and any contaminants that may be in the line. Related Topics. Show Full Article. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for TheSpruce. Shut off the water supply to the water pipe being tapped. If there is no shutoff valve that can turn off the pipe locally, turn off the water to the entire house at the main shutoff valve.
In either case, relieve pressure in the water lines by opening the lowest faucet in the house. Make sure the water pipe is clean and smooth along the section where you will be attaching the valve. Make sure the needle is completely retracted into the saddle valve before starting.
Place the rubber washer or gasket on the underside of the top bracket of the saddle valve so its opening is directly aligned with the needle on the valve. Fit the top and bottom brackets of the saddle valve around the water supply pipe and hold them in place. Insert the bolts down through the holes on the top bracket and thread them into the holes on the bottom bracket until they are hand-tight.
Note : Some saddle valves have nuts that tighten against the bottom of the bottom bracket. Use a screwdriver to tighten the bolts completely, alternating side-to-side so the brackets are tightened evenly on both sides of the pipe. The rubber washer under the top bracket should compress slightly against the water pipe. Fit the compression nut and compression sleeve onto the water supply tube so the tapered narrower part of the sleeve faces the end of the tube plastic or nylon tubing may also have a brass insert to stiffen the end of the tubing.
Insert the water supply tube into the threaded outlet on the saddle valve, push the sleeve against the outlet, then screw the compression nut onto the threaded outlet. Tighten the nut by hand until snug, then use an adjustable wrench to tighten the nut another one-half turn. Turn the saddle valve handle clockwise slowly. This will force the needle in the valve to pierce the wall of the pipe. You should be able to feel the needle force its way into the copper pipe.
Keep turning the handle until it stops. With the saddle valve still in the off position turned fully clockwise , turn on the water supply to the pipe, then check all around the saddle valve for leaks. Complete the water connection by attaching the opposite end of the water supply tube to the appliance you are feeding. Confirm that all connections are tight. Both copper and plastic are suitable materials to get the job done; however, they both have their pros and cons. Copper tubing is commonly used by plumbing professionals who prefer it for its strength and relative rigidness, making it less likely to spring a leak than more flexible materials, explains Family Handyman.
However, copper can dent if something knocks into it, and these kinks can lead to leaks. You would have to be mindful of the copper tubing when moving the refrigerator. Plastic, on the other hand, is most often found in water supply line kits. Sometimes referred to as poly, plastic tubing is flexible and easier to install than rigid copper tubing.
Plastic also allows the refrigerator more freedom to move with less fear of damaging the tubing. However, plastic is not as durable as copper, and the tubing can still get damaged and spring a leak. Additionally, plastic tubing has been known to add a slight plastic taste to the drinking water. Some users might feel that copper tubing adds a metallic taste, but this is less common.
Installing a water line needs to be mapped out beforehand regardless of the type you choose.
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