I'm purchasing a side-by-side refirgerator with a water dispenser and ice maker. The plumber ran a length of thin copper tubing from the sink to through the wall to eventually connect to the appliance. Is that all it takes? Should a shut-off valve be placed on the tubing where it will connect to the appliance?:confused:

There should be a shut-off valve at the beginning of the run, under the sink. That should be enough; you can turn on the water from there after installation, and turn it off from there if repairs are necessary later on.

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Originally Posted by orgenm

I'm purchasing a side-by-side refirgerator with a water dispenser and ice maker. The plumber ran a length of thin copper tubing from the sink to through the wall to eventually connect to the appliance. Is that all it takes? Should a shut-off valve be placed on the tubing where it will connect to the appliance?:confused:

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Palm gave you a excellent answer. There should be a saddle valve on the ice maker line under the cabinet. If you plan on hooking it up yourself you'll need a 1/8" compression coupling,(see image) Good luck, Tom

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Originally Posted by speedball1

Palm gave you a excelent answer.

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Thank you, Tom! ;)

Hey orgenm, one more thing to look out for: make sure there is some "slack" in the line - i.e. the copper tube should not come to an abrubt end behind the fridge; rather, there should be a few extra feet of coiled tubing before the final connection. The reason for this is that in case the fridge will need to be pulled away from the wall someday, if there is no slack, the line will crack right off. Leaving a couple of coils ensures that you have room to move the fridge without damaging the line.

Cheers,
Moishe

Thanks PalmMP3 and Speedball.
Just one more question about the valve: Should it be dedicated to that line or part of the cold water sink line? (My guess is that it should be separate.)

Yes, it should be separate.

In fact, unless your plumber has a brain the size of a kidney bean, there will have to be a separate valve - since not doing so would require him to go out of his way to install a reducer from 1/2" or 1/4" to 1/8" (as opposed to the easy way, which is to install an angle valve or saddle valve which, by design, will automatically reduce the line to 1/8"). The exception is if he installed a dual outlet valve, like this one - then, the single knob will shut off both outlets.

Cheers,
Moishe

Thanks a lot for the info> Now I know what to look out for.

No prob. Good luck!

When tapping into the cold water line under the sink, I like the dual stop Moishe mentions. Clean, easy, and works good.

If I'm tapping into the line under the house, I usually use a saddle valve - quick and effective. However, after many years, they tend to freeze up and are hard to turn off.

I used to install appliances - which means I had to turn these darn things off to install the new fridge. They seize up, break off (usually the homeowner broke them off so we could fix them.).

Just some thoughts...

Stew

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Originally Posted by stew_1962

I used to install appliances - which means I had to turn these darn things off to install the new fridge. They sieze up, break off (usually the homeowner broke them off so we could fix them.)

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Heh heh. Reminds me of what I read in Dave Barry's book "The Taming of the Screw", which is sort of a humorous version of your typical "Home Improvement 101" book. In Chapter 4 ("Plumbing: Troubleshooting Your Plumbing With A Loaded Sidearm") it says (note steps 3 and 5):

What to do when a pipe breaks
1. Go down to the dankest corner of the basement and locate the valve that turns off all the water in the house. This will be the valve that is covered with slime and a spiderweb containing a spider and the festering bodies of dead insects.
2. Using a 3/4-inch drive socket wrench or a tire iron, prod the spider firmly until it scuttles off to some other area of the basement, muttering angrily.
3. Turn the valve handle clockwise until it breaks off in your hand like a damp pretzel, which is the signal that the water is off.
4. Locate the broken pipe and replace it with a new pipe in such a manner that it will not leak even when it has water going through it.
5. Have a plumber turn the water back on. This job is best left to a professional, since (a) the handle is broken off and (b) the spider has returned with thousands of poisonous friends and relatives to defend the valve. Be sure to select a plumber who has a good reputation and life insurance and a flamethrower.