# Ice maker connection to frig.



## Paul B (Mar 10, 2007)

When connecting the copper tube to the frig, do you folks lubricate the brass fitting with dope or tape or anything? The reason I am asking is I usually tighten stuff like a gorilla. I installed the copper line a couple of months ago and it developed a leak. When I went back to the customer's house I got almost another turn on the fitting. I did not pull it off just tightened it and the leak stopped.


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## I Mester (Aug 21, 2011)

i usualy put a little teflon paste under the ferrule. just a little added security. cant tighten them like a gorilla because the brass strips right up


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

You should yes and as above poster said never over tighten them as you will strangle the olive. Also try not to use copper as the fittings take a lot of pressure when the fridge is moved back and can bend the tube enough to leak.


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## Paul B (Mar 10, 2007)

Thanks for the replies. I used to use the plastic tubing til I had trouble with that once, may have been customer trouble, but trouble none the less.


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## svronthmve (Aug 3, 2008)

And we all know to avoid strangling the olives!......:laughing:


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

svronthmve said:


> And we all know to avoid strangling the olives!......:laughing:


Crap, ya beat me to it. :laughing:


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## svronthmve (Aug 3, 2008)

VinylHanger said:


> Crap, ya beat me to it. :laughing:


Sorry.....just couldn't resist!!!


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## Terrorron (Nov 7, 2008)

Paul B said:


> When connecting the copper tube to the frig, do you folks lubricate the brass fitting with dope or tape or anything? The reason I am asking is I usually tighten stuff like a gorilla. I installed the copper line a couple of months ago and it developed a leak. When I went back to the customer's house I got almost another turn on the fitting. I did not pull it off just tightened it and the leak stopped.


I'm curious as to where you got your plumbing education if "cranking" compression fittings down "like a gorilla" is a part of that school's curriculum...:whistling

Malleable copper is asking for trouble in a situation like this. Use 1/4" nitrile and leave a _large allowance _for strain relief. I leave a large loop of "pipe", "fastened" partway up the wall with a large rubber band looped around it; it "pays out" when the fridge is pulled, and self retracts when the fridge is pushed back in. Never had an issue...it's an idea I came up with many years ago. 
Steal it if you wish. Costs you less than a dollar worth of tubing, a screw, a plastic grommet, and one rubber band. Takes about as long as secuing a screw into the wall (either finding a stud to screw into or using a butterfly anchor)...

I hate callbacks, and I REALLY hate the idea of a flood damage insurance claim

And quit "cranking the snot" out of comp fittings...seriously.:no:


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## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

BCConstruction said:


> You should yes and as above poster said never over tighten them as you will strangle the olive. Also try not to use copper as the fittings take a lot of pressure when the fridge is moved back and can bend the tube enough to leak.


Copper is the only approved material in Chicago.


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## I Mester (Aug 21, 2011)

I insist on using only copper for my ice maker lines. I've seen too much water damage from the plastic tubing bursting. if you leave your coil loops right you will never have a problem with moving the fridge in and out.


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## svronthmve (Aug 3, 2008)

KillerToiletSpider said:


> Copper is the only approved material in Chicago.


Well.....we all know about Chicago! :no:


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

svronthmve said:


> Well.....we all know about Chicago! :no:


I wonder...Do they make you lay the refrigerator on it's side too???


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## svronthmve (Aug 3, 2008)

TimelessQuality said:


> I wonder...Do they make you lay the refrigerator on it's side too???


I think it's more "green" that way! :laughing: Plus there's a permit fee that requires all union labor to be hired to put it in that position. :no:


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

BCConstruction said:


> You should yes and as above poster said never over tighten them as you will strangle the olive. Also try not to use copper as the fittings take a lot of pressure when the fridge is moved back and can bend the tube enough to leak.


I use burst proof, brained steel lines. I haven't used copper in years. Too many issues with HO's moving the frig, etc. I don't like plastic either and never used it.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

I always put them on with dishwashers. The fridges I use the standard pex type pipe that comes with them. I think they are good upto 15bar with cold supply and your house pressure be lucky to hit 5bar let alone 10-15.


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

BCConstruction said:


> I always put them on with dishwashers. The fridges I use the standard pex type pipe that comes with them. I think they are good upto 15bar with cold supply and your house pressure be lucky to hit 5bar let alone 10-15.


We measure in PSI and I believe our pressure is usually between 40 - 60 psi. In South Jersey where they use water towers, the pressure can be between 90 to 120 psi depending on several factors including proximity to the tower.

50 psi = 3.4 bar / 120 psi = 8.2 bar


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

jb4211 said:


> We measure in PSI and I believe our pressure is usually between 40 - 60 psi. In South Jersey where they use water towers, the pressure can be between 90 to 120 psi depending on several factors including proximity to the tower.
> 
> 50 psi = 3.4 bar / 120 psi = 8.2 bar


I would hate to shower under 120psi lol ours went up here in the last couple of days and it's at 86psi and it nums my back in the shower. Gonna have to fit a pressure reducing valve or see if I can get some inserts for the shower valve.


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

BCConstruction said:


> I would hate to shower under 120psi lol ours went up here in the last couple of days and it's at 86psi and it nums my back in the shower. Gonna have to fit a pressure reducing valve or see if I can get some inserts for the shower valve.


I was watching these guys do a live tap on an 8" main once in Sicklerville, South Jersey. They were running 3/4" poly and when they ran water through the poly to clear any debris, it shot about a 100'. Everyone was totally surprised by the amount of pressure. They knew it'd be high, but not that high.


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## flashheatingand (May 3, 2008)

As someone mentioned, I put a little dope on the ferrule works miracles. Shouldn't need to get too macho, that's a sign that something isn't mating right.


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## rex (Jul 2, 2007)

copper, i never have issues, maybe thats cause i know what im doin.

i will not move a refrigerator on hard wood, the HO is responsible for pulling and pushing


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## plummen (Jan 9, 2010)

Use a shorter cresent wrench! :laughing:


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## tyler durden (Jan 12, 2008)

Here we use braided steel lines that connect to the fridges poly line.


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## tedanderson (May 19, 2010)

Anyone can feel free to correct me on this but it has always been my understanding that a compression fitting does not need any kind of tape, dope or other sealant if you do it right. 

And if you do it wrong, there isn't much that the tape can do to help due to the fact that the water will leak out between the ring and the pipe more so than around the threads.

And lastly cranking it down with "gorilla" strength is more likely to cause a leak than making it "snug" being that you can indent the pipe and create a gap between the ring and the pipe.

I don't claim to be a plumber but I've done a few bathroom and kitchen remodel jobs and that's what I've learned through my experience.. but I am always open to learn.


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## DuMass (Feb 6, 2008)

AFAIK, you’re not even supposed to use tape or dope on a properly made compression fitting, but I have found that if the fitting is over tightened or removed and reinstalled more than a couple of times they will often start to weep and drip, like in homes that are winterized where these water lines are disassembled and drained every year. 

I think any plumber worth his salt would consider it only a temporary emergency repair, but you can often back the compression nut off and wrap the threads and ferrule with a couple of layers of Teflon tape then reinstall the nut extra tight and it will usually stop a small leak, at least temporarily. It’s normally a simple job to just cut the tubing back a little with a midget cutter and install a new compression fitting. If the tubing is too short, they make compression couplings so that it can be cut back and another piece added. I’ve found that flare nut wrenches also work great for installing compression fittings. You get a nice even tightening all around.


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## Ben81 (Feb 3, 2012)

Anyone that's had to do an ounce of service work in their life knows not to install ANY kind of poloy to a fridge..it splits/crackes over time. Copper may be expensive but is still the tried and true way of installing it. I have been trained by many old plumbers that putting a little pipe dope (not tape) helps more than hurts your cause..considering expansion and contraction..water hammer with solenoid ect...others might disagree but really whats it hurting..like someone else said with copper you can cut it and couple it to make it long enough to pull out..i have also used the braided lines which are very nice but usually not long enough unless you have you ice maker valve right under the fridge.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

DuMass said:


> AFAIK, you’re not even supposed to use tape or dope on a properly made compression fitting.


Tape nope your not meant to because its a layer between the metal to metal contact that makes it water tight. Plumbers paste on the other hand can help some fittings when they ain't made perfectly which as we know are the most common. I have had times where i didn't use any paste and had leaks but then redone the fitting and it was fine. what the paste also does it make it much easier to tighten the fitting. Put a compression fitting together with a brass olive and see how hard it is to tighten the do it with plumbers paste. its about 5X easier and less damage is done to the olive. Copper olives don't need it as much but again it still helps which the friction issue and also make it a breeze to release down the line when it needs to be removed.


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## DuMass (Feb 6, 2008)

BCConstruction said:


> Tape nope your not meant to because its a layer between the metal to metal contact that makes it water tight. Plumbers paste on the other hand can help some fittings when they ain't made perfectly which as we know are the most common. I have had times where i didn't use any paste and had leaks but then redone the fitting and it was fine. what the paste also does it make it much easier to tighten the fitting. Put a compression fitting together with a brass olive and see how hard it is to tighten the do it with plumbers paste. its about 5X easier and less damage is done to the olive. Copper olives don't need it as much but again it still helps which the friction issue and also make it a breeze to release down the line when it needs to be removed.


BC, when you say plumbers paste do you mean something like plumbers grease or key grease? If so, I use it for the same reason on the back of the cone on flare fittings. It keeps the nut from galling so it tightens down easier without twisting the connection.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

DuMass said:


> BC, when you say plumbers paste do you mean something like plumbers grease or key grease? If so, I use it for the same reason on the back of the cone on flare fittings. It keeps the nut from galling so it tightens down easier without twisting the connection.


The white PTFE type paste. You can use any of the above though. I have had such good results with the paste that i keep using it.


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## plummen (Jan 9, 2010)

Ben81 said:


> Anyone that's had to do an ounce of service work in their life knows not to install ANY kind of poloy to a fridge..it splits/crackes over time. Copper may be expensive but is still the tried and true way of installing it. I have been trained by many old plumbers that putting a little pipe dope (not tape) helps more than hurts your cause..considering expansion and contraction..water hammer with solenoid ect...others might disagree but really whats it hurting..like someone else said with copper you can cut it and couple it to make it long enough to pull out..i have also used the braided lines which are very nice but usually not long enough unless you have you ice maker valve right under the fridge.


Well ive 30 yrs of service/construction experiance in the trades and the plastic water line I installed on our fridge 8 plus years ago has never given me any trouble :whistling


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