3 Refrigerator Connecting Tips and Tricks

With all of the expenses associated with homeownership, it is always a good idea to find ways that you can cut costs. Once such way is to do DIY wherever you can.

If you’ve never tried to tackle your kitchen plumbing on your own, rest assured that you can do it, as long as you follow a step-by-step guide.

Do you have a refrigerator with an ice maker or a water dispenser that needs connecting? Here are our best tips and tricks to get the job done easily and quickly.

1 - To Connect the Water Dispenser

You’ll need to follow a number of the same steps to connect your fridge’s water dispenser and icemaker, namely to connect the fridge to the cold water supply. To connect to the water supply, begin by turning the water off and unplugging your fridge.

Head to your kitchen sink and identify the cold water pipe (which is generally located on the right when you are facing the pipes). Pick the spot on the pipe that you’d like to attach the valve and screw in tightly. So that you can connect the tubing from the sink to your fridge, drill a series of small holes in your cabinetry.

Connect the tubing to the valve on the water supply using the compression nuts and ferrules in your installation kit. Run the tubing through to the fridge, but don’t connect it yet. Turn the water back on and place the other end of the tubing in a bucket to drain out a few gallons of water. Once this is accomplished, connect the hose end to the water dispenser valve on the fridge, and you should be good to go (after you plug it back in, of course!).

2 - Connecting the Ice Maker

Follow the same steps to connect to the cold water supply, but instead of draining the water into a bucket, simply switch the ice maker to the “on” position after everything is connected.

To get rid of the impure water, let several batches of ice cubes form and then discard them before you actually use them.

3 - When it is Time to Call the Professionals

Although this is a kitchen plumbing task that you can do on your own, there are certain circumstances in which you’d probably prefer to call in your trusty Woodland, CA plumbers.

If you can’t easily get at a cold water supply (i.e., you can’t hook into the kitchen sink and have to go down to the basement) it can be a little trickier, and you may need some extra help.

You may not have the time to spare either, in which case it is a smart move to call for assistance. Curious to learn about what other kitchen plumbing jobs you can DIY? Just ask us.