Refrigerator died; want to disconnect water line


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Old 03-23-14, 07:08 PM
A
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Refrigerator died; want to disconnect water line

Subject is self-explanatory. I am moving soon and planned to call one of those junk removal services to help me get rid of the garbage, which will now include this fridge.

I've attached some pictures.

As the pictures show, there is no valve nearby. The water line (1/4" diameter) just comes right out of the floor.

There's a bedroom underneath the kitchen but the ceiling is completely covered with drywall, so I can't see the piping.

The next room over is unfinished, but there are no valves on the copper piping that heads the direction of the kitchen, and they just feed directly into the main water valve.

I'm not a plumber, so I would like to know 1) what tools I need, 2) what parts I will need to pick up from Lowe's / Home Depot, and 3) the procedure for disconnecting the line and capping it off.

Much appreciated.
 
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Old 03-23-14, 07:32 PM
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Check for that 1/4" copper line under the kitchen sink. If there is no shutoff you won't be able to disconnect the fridge.
 
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Old 03-24-14, 06:35 AM
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Water Line

Turn off the main valve supplying the building and install a cut-off where the copper tubing connects to the main line.
 
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Old 03-24-14, 10:29 AM
Z
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hi ac-

My fridge supply line also goes down through a hole in the floor, just like yours. It connects to the main supply line via a saddle-valve such as the one depicted here currently hanging on the pipe (btw -saddle valves are frowned upon today.):

Upgrade Your Ice Maker Supply Line: The Family Handyman

I wonder if that’s how yours is also connected, and then when a ceiling was installed in the room below the covering up the saddle valve was overlooked? Could be I guess? LOL

Maybe you could shut off the water supply to your house, cut the copper tubing in the kitchen with a small tubing cutter (pretty cheap at HD) or a hacksaw blade making sure the cut is straight, then put on a compression cap like the one depicted here:

Metal Compression Tube Fittings | MSCDirect.com

Maybe HD has a similar type? Seems like that would work. Then someone in the future can just remove the cap and hook the tubing up to their fridge. Maybe the other guys see something wrong with that idea. Seems OK to me.LOL

But as PJmax alludes to, that connection these days really should be under the kitchen sink. But if the current connection works and is not leaking I guess the new owner can’t get too bent out of shape! LOL

p.s. looks like if you just disconnect the tube at the fridge you probably could cap it there if you wanted, so you might not need to make a cut. Guess it depends on the final look wanted. LOL
 
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Old 03-24-14, 04:16 PM
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Hi,
If this is a rental let the landlord worry about it. Inform him the refrigerator is dead.
If this is a rental or your house, how did you install your refrigerator?
If you bought the house with the refrigerator installed, SHUT OFF THE WATER cut the line about
12 inches up and install a 1/4 inch quarter turn compresion valve.
Good Luck Woodbutcher
 
 

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