How To Supplant A Refrigerator Water Line (With Video!)

replace refrigerator water line

A leaking refrigerator is a timebomb with a curt fuse. It won't take too long for that water baste to offset damaging everything around it – floors, cabinets, and even other appliances. Don't wait on a pricey repair. But practise it yourself! Fridge h2o lines are affordable and easy to supersede and this guide volition assist you become it washed. Follow this easy guide to learn how to supplant your fridge water line yourself.

Need replacement for your fridge water line? Search beneath using your specific fridge model number to place the exact part needed:

Signs Of A Broken Refrigerator Water Line

The well-nigh obvious sign that yous've got a problem with your fridge's water line is a leak at the back of the refrigerator. You lot may also detect leaking inside the fridge, at the h2o filter. If you're getting leaks, check the length of the line for cracks, and replace it if you discover any. Kinks in the line can too end water from reaching the filter, leading to a weakened or stopped supply line of water from the dispenser or ice maker. Some other affair to spotter out for is mildew-tasting water. If you've recently replaced your fridge's h2o filter and your water still tastes off, there may be mildew or mold growing in the water line. You can attempt to clean this with vinegar and hot water, but if the line is old, it may be easier to just buy a new one and replace the role.

Finding The Right Replacement Part

To observe a uniform water line, blazon your appliance'southward model number into the search bar at AppliancePartsPros.com. Nosotros've got 18-carat OEM refrigerator replacement parts for every major brand, and they'll be delivered to your door in just a few days. Once y'all accept your model number search below:

Need help finding the model number? If you don't take admission to your manual, you tin find the number on a characterization on the refrigerator. Check the post-obit spots:

  • On the outside door or sides of the apparatus
  • Inside the door or on the door frame
  • On the interior ceiling of the freezer or refrigerator compartment
  • On the within wall of either compartment
  • On the fridge floor, beneath the crisper drawers
  • Behind the kickplate at the bottom of the appliance

How To Supervene upon A Refrigerator Water Line

In this tutorial, nosotros replaced the water line on an LG/Kenmore-made French door refrigerator. Replacing a h2o line is roughly the same job regardless of your refrigerator's brand, so you may be able to use this detail guide to help you with this chore. Notwithstanding, you can also check out our YouTube aqueduct for make and model-specific videos for h2o line replacement, if you demand a more detailed wait at the process!

Tools for the job

  • A compatible replacement water line
  • Towels (at least one)
  • Phillips screwdriver
  • Wrenches, ½" and ⅜"
  • Needle nose pliers
  • Electrical tape

Earlier you lot begin…

Exist sure to disconnect your refrigerator from its ability source, either at the wall outlet or excursion billow. Also turn off the water supply to the refrigerator, or you lot'll wind up with quite a mess.

This is an piece of cake task that shouldn't take you lot long to consummate, just y'all will demand access to the rear of the fridge and the refrigerator will be disconnected from power for the elapsing of the repair. If you're worried about any containers breaking or spilling when you move the fridge, or whatever medications or foods spoiling while the ability is cut, move them to a cooler packed with water ice until you've finished the task.

All fix? Permit'southward begin!

Replacing a refrigerator water line

  1. Open the left refrigerator door and put a dish towel down beneath the refrigerator'south h2o filter. This will catch any h2o that may leak out during the next step.
  2. Remove the h2o filter and disconnect its housing.
    1. Plough the filter counter clockwise to release it and and then pull it out of the housing.
    2. In one case the filter is out, remove any screws holding the housing to the summit of the refrigerator.
    3. With the screws out, pull the housing toward you to free it from a few locking tabs and lset it down. You don't need to remove information technology completely.
  3. Around dorsum, prepare a towel down below the water inlet valve to catch whatever water that may spill out while you change out the line.
  4. Use a ½" wrench to remove the water line from the h2o intake valve and set information technology out of the way. The water line is copper tubing running to the back of your refrigerator.
  5. Take the access encompass off of the back of the fridge. Information technology's held in place past a number of Phillips head screws.
  6. At present may be a practiced time to carefully make clean the condenser coils and surface area around the condenser. Your fridge will run much more efficiently (potentially lowering your power bill!) if you practise. Only take intendance when cleaning effectually the various copper lines and wires. If any of these are damaged, they will demand to be stock-still by a professional repair technician.
  7. Take the water valve off the fridge frame. The valve'due south bracket is likely held in identify by a unmarried Phillips caput screw.
  8. Take the water line off of the h2o valve.
    1. It is held in identify by a locking tab, which you can button out of place past paw or pull off with needle nose pliers.
    2. One time the locking tab is off, use your ⅜" wrench to press up on the locking collar – that'due south the plastic disc around the h2o line – to release it and pull the h2o line gratuitous.
    3. With the h2o connection line out, you can set the valve downwardly and move on to the next step.
  9. Loosen the screws belongings the water line's locking clamps in place. The water line is held in place by a number of locking clips or clamps that run upwardly the back of your fridge. Loosen the screws on these merely plenty to move the clips out of identify and gratuitous up the water line. You don't need to remove the clamps completely.
  10. Disconnect the blue h2o line from its fitting. Up closer to the height of the refrigerator you'll detect a blueish water line connected to a fitting. You can disconnect this from that L-shaped plumbing equipment the same style yous did the other water line – use your ⅜" wrench to release the locking neckband.
  11. Take the cover off the indicate where the ii lines enter the refrigerator. You'll need to remove one screw and slide it to the side to free upward the tab that seats it before you can pull information technology abroad.
  12. Back at the front of the fridge, disconnect the water line from the filter caput. Pull the water filter housing assembly to the forepart of the refrigerator and then that y'all can more than easily admission it. Remove the locking tab property the h2o line in place and release the locking neckband to remove the quondam h2o line.
  13. Remove the water line from the refrigerator. It'll exist easier to practise this from the back of the refrigerator.
  14. Prep the new water line. The new line doesn't come up with a leap, so you'll need to remove the bound from the quondam line and install information technology on the new line. The spring should sit about an inch below the second blackness line. Yous tin can secure it in place with a new piece of electrical tape.
  15. Run the new h2o line through the back wall of the refrigerator. Make certain that yous put it through the larger pigsty, which is probably on the left.
  16. Back around at the front end, connect the new h2o line to the water filter assembly. Printing it into place until yous can't printing anymore to get a good seal, then install the locking tab.
  17. Reinstall the filter cover associates. On this step, you'll want to ensure that both h2o lines are properly fed out the opening in the back of the fridge and that the housing is seated properly and locked into place. Once it's seated properly, you tin can reinstall the mounting screw.
  18. Put the water filter dorsum in. Don't forget to turn information technology to lock it in identify. Also, is your filter more than than six months erstwhile? Consider replacing it while y'all're on the job.
  19. On the back of the fridge, reconnect the blue water line to the L-shaped valve. Push it in as far every bit it will get to ensure a secure lock.
  20. Reinstall the cover, hooking the top tabs in first, then the side tab before installing the mounting spiral.
  21. Run the water line dorsum through the upper two clamps and tighten them down. Skip the lower ii clamps for now, though.
  22. Reconnect the h2o line to the h2o valve at the bottom of the refrigerator. Push it in until it bottoms out and then secure information technology with the locking clip.
  23. Reinstall the water valve. Push the water line beneath the water valve. The spring should ensure you don't kink the line when you do this. In one case everything is in identify, you lot can secure the bracket to the frame of the fridge by reinstalling the mounting screw.
  24. Check the length of the water line and reseat the line beneath the bottom 2 clamps. You may have some backlog line. If then, carefully loop or zig-zag the h2o line, and then tighten down the clamps to go on everything secure.
  25. Reinstall the dorsum access panel. Information technology has a couple of locking tabs on the bottom, and so brand sure those are in place earlier reinstalling the screws.
  26. Reconnect the primary h2o line. Apply a wrench to tighten information technology downwards.
  27. Time for a examination! Plug your refrigerator dorsum in, plough the water back on. If your refrigerator is leak free, then your install job was a success!
  28. I last step: flush the line to go any grit or air bubbles out of the way. You lot tin do this by holding a cup or bowl beneath your dispenser and letting it fill. A full flush can take upwards of 5 minutes of h2o dispensing.

Wrapping Upward

Congratulations on another successful do-it-yourself repair! If you need a closer look at any of the steps we've laid out here, don't forget to cheque out the how-to video or visit our YouTube aqueduct for guides to replacing the water line in other brands and styles of refrigerator. And the next fourth dimension you need tips, tutorials, or 18-carat replacement parts, keep AppliancePartsPros.com in mind. Our friendly staff is on hand and happy to help you lot ready your apparatus yourself!