I installed one of those self tapping saddle valves onto a cold water line for our refrigerator water/icemaker. At first there was a leak where the copper tubing comes from the fridge into the saddle valve (between the nut and the tubing coming in). I figured easy enough...just tighten the nut down. That seemed to solve the problem until later that night. I could see a single drop forming at the same spot, so i tightened it down as much as I could...still that single drop. It is very tiny, maybe one drop/hour or something like that. Is this normal w/ these valves at first, or should I cut off the end of the refrigerator line and put a new flange on it??

 

Saddle valves are not the best way to go for those connections, but a small drip leak like that should seal itself in short order.
If it doesn't, take it apart and smear a little silicone caulk on the brass ring ferrule to seal it (water turned off, off course).
Good Luck!
Mike

 

Is this the first time you have used a tube and compression set up like this???? I would take the nuts off on both ends slide the nuts back and cut off the copper there with the ferrule on it. Ill bet that you didnt put the copper tube in as far in the fitting as you should have thats why it leaks. Now go down and get two new ferruls for 1/4" tube. Clean the burr out of the inside of the tube.Then to get the feel slide the cap on then the ferrule on push both back. Put the copper tube in the shut off as far as you can and hold it there. Now slide the ferrule into it then the cap.Tighten the cap and the whole time hold that copper tube into the shut off hard.

So for just a couple cents you have it fixed. Dont feel bad I have some techs that get in a hurry and dont get the copper line in as far as it should go and they have a leak. Ill bet thats why they sell just the ferrules.

ED

 

Thanks for the ideas. I should have known what seems to be the most simple task becomes the headache.

I may be thinking way too hard about this, but is there any way that the ferrule could have situated itself "****eyed" when I tightened the brass nut down on it? The reason I ask is the water is coming out of the refrigerator dispenser extremely slow, I'm thinking the ferrule may have turned slightly closing off the 1/4" tubing line slightly and left a tiny gap that's causing the leak.

Unfortunately I wont' be back at the house to check the drip situation or refrigerator water dispenser again until the weeekend.

 

Yes for sure ---if you didnt have the copper tube all the way in as it should be. I have seen that the ferrule can like close down over the copper if the copper is not through the ferrule. So just buy two ferrules is all. You should have lots of copper there with the big coil in back of the fridge. Cut them off clean and just start over. make sure that the copper is all the way in the valve then tighten. ED

 

I use to run copper supply lines to icemakers, but more and more these days, flexibility is the safest bet for customers that need to move thier refridgerators to clean.


I use flex stainless steel 72" 1/4" supplies with either a icemaker box directly installed behind the fridge in the wall cavity or tee off the cold with a individual shutoff (no saddle valves) to supply the fridge.


www.fluidmaster.com


This product is found at all the big box stores.



High bursting strength. Each foot of NO-BURST contains 220 feet of stainless steel wire. Stainless ferrules are extra-long with radial crimps for more security.
Inner strengths too. Tough, NSF-approved polymer core resists chlorine and chloramines. Ample inside diameter for high flow capacity. Captive cone washers seal tightly, can't fall out.
Exceptional flexibility for fast, easy installation. Won't kink or crease, even in the tightest of spaces. Heavy-duty brass hex nuts are easy to grip and nickel plated for durability.
Exceeds all requirements for flexible water connectors as defined by ASME A112.18.6 and CSA B125.
10 Year Warranty. The longest warranty available.

NO-BURST® for Ice Makers

Available in 12", 24", 60", 72", 84", 96" and 120" lengths.