CONNECTING THE WATER LINE
30
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
This water line installation is not warranted by the
refrigerator or icemaker manufacturer. Follow
these instructions carefully to minimize the risk of
expensive water damage.
Water hammer (water banging in the pipes) in
house plumbing can cause damage to
refrigerator parts and lead to water leakage or
flooding. Call a qualified plumber to correct water
hammer before installing the water supply line to
the refrigerator.
To prevent burns and product damage, do not
hook up the water line to the hot water line.
If you use your refrigerator before connecting the
water line, make sure the icemaker power switch
is in the
O (off)
position.
Do not install the icemaker tubing in areas where
temperatures fall below freezing.
When using any electrical device (such as a
power drill) during installation, be sure the device
is double- insulated or grounded in a manner to
prevent the hazard of electric shock, or is battery-
powered.
All installations must be in accordance with local
plumbing code requirements.
NOTE:
Wear eye protection.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
• Copper Tubing,
1/4
″
outer
diameter to connect the
refrigerator to the water supply.
Be sure both ends of the tubing
are cut square.
To determine how much tubing you need:
measure the distance from the water valve on the
back of the refrigerator to the water supply pipe.
Then add 8 feet (2.4 m). Be sure there is
sufficient extra tubing (about 8 feet [2.4 m] coiled
into 3 turns of about 10
″
[25 cm] diameter) to
allow the refrigerator to move out from the wall
after installation.
• A cold water supply.
The water pressure must
be between 147-834 kPa on models without a
water filter and between 280-834 kPa on
models with a water filter.
• Power drill.
• 1/2
″″
or adjustable
wrench.
• Straight- and
Phillips-blade
screwdriver.
• Two 1/4
″″
outer
diameter
compression nuts
and 2 ferrules
(sleeves)
to connect
the copper tubing to the shutoff valve and the
refrigerator water valve.
• If your existing copper
water line has a flared
fitting at the end, you will
need an
adapter
(available
at plumbing supply stores)
to connect the water line to the refrigerator OR
you can cut off the flared fitting with a tube
cutter and then use a compression fitting.
• Shutoff valve to
connect to the cold
water line.
The shutoff
valve should have a
water inlet with a
minimum inside
diameter of 5/32
″
at the point of connection to
the COLD WATER LINE. Saddle-type shutoff
valves are included in many water supply kits.
Before purchasing, make sure a saddle-type
valve complies with your local plumbing codes.
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
Install the shutoff valve on the nearest frequently
used drinking water line.
1. SHUT OFF THE MAIN WATER SUPPLY
Turn on the nearest faucet to relieve the
pressure on the line.
2. CHOOSE THE VALVE LOCATION
Choose a location for the valve
that is easily accessible. It is best
to connect into the side of a
vertical water pipe. When it is
necessary to connect into a
horizontal water pipe, make the
connection to the top or side, rather than at
the bottom, to avoid drawing off any sediment
from the water pipe.
3. DRILL THE HOLE FOR THE VALVE
Drill a 1/4
″
hole in the
water pipe (even if using
a self-piercing valve)
using a sharp bit. Remove
any burrs resulting from
drilling the hole in the
pipe. Take care not to allow water to drain into
the drill. Failure to drill a 1/4
″
hole may result
in reduced ice production or smaller cubes.
