Just moved into a house with a refrigerator that has an automatic ice and water dispenser. I'd like to move it out a few feet to clean below.
If I move the refrigerator, will it break the water line? Or do these things have several feet of extra length for moving purposes? Or do people disconnect the water line internally somehow before moving?
Thanks!
The line is usually soft copper or plastic. There should be enough to pull it out. Ed
There 'should' be a loop of several feet behind the fridge..
Move the fridge out slowly the first time to make sure it has a loop, just far enough to look behind it and see what is going on. A mirror and a flash light might be helpful..
If you know of a cut-off valve where the tubing is connected to the main water supply, I recommend that you secure that first, just in case.. Sometimes, even with a loop behind the fridge, the fitting become loose from the movement and you may get a small leak..
Turn it one before you move it back, to verify that there aren't any leaks..
Good Luck.
Steve
IF, and that is a big IF, the fridge was installed properly with an extended loop of water line there is no problem moving it out for cleaning. In fact it would be damned difficult to install it in the first place unless there was some sort of a loop there. But the first time you try it you might want to play it safe and cut the water supply off. There is usually a cutoff valve under the sink which feeds the fridge. Once you know what you are dealing with you can perform without a net...
probably, but an appliance dolly works better.
-- Christopher a. (shut up & gimme 10%) Young Learn more about the Gay Missionary Lifestyle
Its safe to assume there is enough line behind the fridge, unless the plumber who installed it is really, really thin.
Most installers leave several feet of extra line, so the fridge oughta pull out safely.
this is what i did to mine in a new house about 30 yrs. ago and it worked fine for all of that time.... instead of just using a short piece of copper tubing i got about 8 feet of it and made a loop that when you shove the ref. back into the wall you make a coil(kinda large loop) and it lets you pull the ref. out when you have to pull it out... i had to do something as the ref. was set into an area where the wall was to the back, another wall on the right side and a kitchen counter top on the left side.. matter of fact i had to put a young nephew behind the ref. and had him start the coiling and then pulled him out on the counter top side when the ref. was starting to be pushed back in the wall....
Dont disconnect it because if you do water will come out of the water line tubing. If water starts to come out, then you gotta unplug the refrig and stick the water line in the ground hole on the outlet to stop the water from running all over the floor. The problem with this is that the refrig wont run because it cant be plugged in, and if you leave that water line in the outlet for more than a few hours, all the lightbulbs in the house will fill up with water.
There are two easy solutions to your problem. Either will work.
Either way, once you got a clean floor under the refrig, you should not have to clean it again for about 20 years and by that time you will need a new refrig. anyhow.
CAUTION: If you got cockroaches livin under your fridge, then you should never move it. If you do, all the roaches will crawl out.
Check the wall behind the fridge. There might be an access panel where you can shut off the water and disconnect the line.
Darn! I keep forgetting to put the water line in the ground hole.
But how do my lightbulbs get full of water then?
Probably not easily. Where is the waterline? Is there a simple path to the new location? Stormy does this type of work so he may contact you to give a quote.
Sadly, Stormin' (aka Christopher Young) passed away in 2016.
replying to Lisa, Bobby wrote: Depends on many things. You have to route the water line to the new location. Could be easy, could be impossible. Have to know where the water comes from, type of construction, etc. If on a slab it would be harder than up from a basement.
Ed. You are mean :)
You're welcome.
Do you think is sister got the red truck he drove?
Probably took it and sold the truck and his tools.
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