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Installing an Ice Maker

Bob gets some tips about how to hook up an automatic ice maker from plumber Ed Mann. Ed demonstrates how to connect the ice maker with the water supply in the house. One-quarter-inch soft copper tubing is used and an extra five feet of slack is left on the line in order to move the refrigerator in and out without removing the line. Ed likes to use a copper tee and compression valve instead of the saddle valve because the earlier method will result in many years of service whereas saddles have a tendency to leak. A compression fitting is used to make up the copper tubing to the solenoid valve on the refrigerator.

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Clip Transcript For:

Installing an Ice Maker

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Now, we're all familiar with the automatic icemaker from this perspective. It's one of the best accessories you can get with a new refrigerator or freezer. And fewer of us know where the hook-up is on the back. Ed, what am I interrupting here?"

" Bob, I was just taking the desk cover off----"

" Okay."

" and as soon as we can get to the---- in that water solenoid,"

" Here you go."

" you can see what we're doing."

" Now that can be pretty intimidating if you don't know where you're gonna make the hook-up. And where does it go?"

" Right here is the automatic solenoid."

" And that's the valve that calls for water whenever you need it up there in the icemaker, right?"

" Yes, Bob."

" Okay. Now, the pipe that's used is copper?"

" This is a soft refrigerator tubing cord, wrenched tubing----"

" And you've got enough of it that there would be about 4 or 5 feet of slack, right?"

" Yes."

" Yeah."

" Because it's very flexible. They can be pulled in and out that way."

" That's nice cleaning behind the refrigerator. "

" Cleaning and installation."

" Yeah."

" I've already connected---- made a connection downstairs."

" So that's just with one of those little saddle clamps that you tightened on to the pipe?"

" No, Bob. Actually, that is a convenient way to do it if you were doing it yourself, but being a plumber, I try to do it a little more professionally. I put a 1/2-inch copper tee and a compression valve that you can shut off in case you ever have to disconnect it for any reasons."

" Sounds good. It looks terrific."

" What do you do next?"

" Okay. First, we put this anchor clamp onto the pipe."

" Now, that's the clamp that fastens the pipe tight to the frame of the refrigerator so there won't be any vibration?"

" That's right."

" Yeah."

" It comes with the refrigerator. We'll put that on last."

" Yeah."

" But you got to get it through there in order to----"

" Now, we need to put the compression knot, a 1/4-inch compression knot and a 1/4-inch compression sleeve."

" Okay."

" If you could hold that up."

" Yeah. I'll hold this out of your way so that you can go to your next step----"

" No."

" which is to put some tape on it."

" I like to put some Teflon tape right around this compression sleeve, whirl it around 2 or 3 times like that. It ensures a good tight joint when you tighten down the compression knot."

" Okay. And that comes right back over it."

" Which we are ready to do now. This just goes---- slides right under the top----"

" And you don't need any tape down there at the bottom where it slides in?"

" No. The compression ring that we used is what actually makes the seal."

" Okay."

" Now, when your automatic---- when the icemaker calls the water, this automatically opens, the water travels up this tube and into your refrigerator and----"

" Yeah."

" the freezer unit."

" And that's all there is to it?"

" And that's all there is to it."

" And then, of course, you got to tighten this guy up here."

" We'll make this just a little bit tighter."

" But you never wanna overtighten those connections, do you?"

" No, because if you overtighten them, you'll ruin the compression sleeve itself and then you don't have a---- it will leak."

" That's about it."

" Then, we put the clamp back on and this holds the pipe solid so that it doesn't move around on the---- and loosen this connection."

" Exactly. And of course----"

" As you move piping in there."

" pipe comes in, rather, the water comes into here. This regulates the solenoid and then the water continues up this plastic feed to the icemaker trays up there."

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