| In
This Article:
Copper tubing is routed
through the floor joists to a cold water pipe in the basement,
where a saddle valve is installed to tap into the line.
Connections are made... |
Related
Articles:
|
| Skill Level:
2 (Basic) |
Time Taken:
1 Hour |
By
Bruce W. Maki,
Editor
- This kit cost about $13.
|
The
icemaker hook-up kit:
- 1. 1/4" copper tubing
- 2, 6. Brass 1/4"
compression nuts
- 3, 5. Brass ferrules
- 4. Piercing-style valve
- 7. Plastic ferrule (used
with plastic tubing)
|
 |
The
refrigerator. This appliance was surrounded by a tight
enclosure, making access tricky. |
 |
| Luckily,
there was a return-air grill right behind the refrigerator. I
was able to drill a hole in the floor joist, using a 1/2"
drill bit. |
 |
Down
in the basement, I used a hole saw to drill an oversize hole,
hoping to fish the tubing through. |
 |
| I
pushed the tubing through the first hole, trying to find the
second hole. |
My objective was to avoid removing
the foil/cardboard material that covered the joist bays to form the
return air duct. But I was unable to fish the tubing through within
five minutes, so I removed the duct covering, which was held in
place with staples.
 |
With the
return-air duct exposed, I was able to quickly fish the tubing
through the holes. The block of wood was the source of my
earlier problems. |
Installing The Saddle Valve:
 |
The
valve was attached to a clean section of copper pipe (cold
water line). The piercing point must be fully retracted or a
sudden leak could develop! |
| Using a small
wrench, I turned the valve body slightly, to point in the
right direction. |
 |
 |
The
nut was slipped over the tubing, followed by the ferrule. |
 |
| The
tube was inserted into the valve. The ferrule gets squeezed
between the nut and the precision-machined valve body. |
 |
The
compression nut was threaded by hand and then tightened with a
small wrench. |
 |
| The
valve handle was turned all the way in. The sharp point
punctures the soft copper pipe. When the valve is opened,
water will flow. |
 |
I finished running
the tubing. The refrigerator is just behind that hole. |
 |
| There was a
plastic cap over the water line connector on the lower rear of
the refrigerator. |
 |
The
compression nut and ferrule. |
 |
| As
before, the tubing was slipped in and the compression nut was
threaded on by hand.. |
At this point the ferrule is loose
enough to slide along the tubing. After the nut is tightened, the
ferrule will be compressed onto the tubing, never to move again.
 |
The nut was
tightened. Pipe dope is not needed on compression fittings. |
 |
| The completed
connection. The white plastic tube runs to the freezer
compartment. Behind the shiny steel plate is an electrically
controlled water valve that lets water fill the ice trays. |
Compression Nuts: How Tight?
Compression fittings have a
different feel to them than pipe threads. There is a modest
resistance to turning, and then the nut suddenly gets very hard to
turn. I stop tightening at this point. If the fitting
leaks, then I tighten it more.
Compression fitting threads are
ordinary machine screw threads... the diameter is constant. Pipe
threads, however, are tapered. The resistance to turning increases
as the fittings are turned.
And Finally...
 |
The excess tubing
was formed into a coil behind the refrigerator, so the
appliance could be moved without disconnecting the water
supply. |
One Small Problem:
 |
I had one leak.
Water dripped from the valve body.
I tightened the packing
nut, which holds the valve handle in the valve body. This
is a common problem with many shut-off valves commonly used in
residential construction, such as toilet and sink shut-off
(stop) valves. |
|
Tools
Used:
- Drill & Bits
- Hole Saw (Optional)
- Adjustable Wrenches
- Phillips Screwdriver
|
Materials Used:
|
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