How to Get Plumbing to my Fridge
How to get plumbing to your fridge
Getting plumbing over to your refrigerator is often not for the faint of heart. The benefits of having plumbing in your fridge are obvious: automatic ice maker and cool, filtered water. But, just because some refrigerators come equipped with these options doesn’t mean that they will be automatically available. Obviously, calling a plumber might be your first recourse, and, if you live in London, there are going to be plenty of options. If you’re a do-it-yourself kind of person, then there are a few things you’re going to need to know. Otherwise, you might be looking at a hefty bill from an emergency plumber in London.
Many hardware stores sell readymade kits that are supposed to assist you in your endeavor of bringing water to your fridge. Unfortunately, these readymade kits, while easy, aren’t always of the highest quality. They will be more prone to leaks, bursts, and an overall lack of functionality when it comes down to it. Some of these kits don’t even meet the adequate plumbing codes in some regions, and you might be better off going to a plumber to at least inquire about what works in your area.
Regardless, the major hurdle that any DIY plumber must make is tapping into a cold water line. Of course, you’ll first want to cut the flow of water to the pipes before you make any renovations. Most of the time, an adequate cold water line can be found underneath the kitchen sink, but it might be more convenient to find one underground or even in the walls. Before you start tearing up your kitchen, though, it’s a good idea to make sure you know what you’re tearing up. Try to avoid any electrical wires, insulation, or other plumbing implements. Otherwise, you could be looking at both an emergency electrician and an emergency plumber in London before the day is done.
You’ll need a certain length of flexible copper tubing both to ensure quality and easy use and service. You’ll also want to map out a route for the tubing that’s convenient for you. To keep it up with code, you’ll probably need to drill a few holes behind the cabinets or keep the tubing hidden in some way. Your most dependable options for water line connections will be a soldered tee fitting or a compression tee fitting (saddle valves are not dependable and might end up going against the code in many jurisdictions). Most plumbers will tell you to remove a portion of the cold water pipe to insert a soldered 0.5-inch copper tee.
You’ll also need to connect the water line itself to the stop valve with a compression joint to ensure that you have emergency access should a burst occur. Prior to starting up the fridge, you should run a nice stream of water through the tubing to ensure that it acclimates to the water and there are no cracks or leaks anywhere. If you are handy to any degree, than a plumber won’t be necessary during this installation. But, if you’re from the London area and you need an emergency plumber, London definitely has you covered in terms of quality, experience, and quickness.
