icemaker water supply-modify?

[Bigfatrat]

Is there a way to gravity feed filtered water to my new fridge icemaker.

I have really cruddy town water. Plus a difficult job to deliver piped water to filter in fridge. (Even if filter would handle the job .)

I envision a water jug sitting on top of fridge and a tube coming out to icemaker -- but my vision gets cloudy about there.

For the present I just rempved the icemaker and use trays - the old fashioned way. wife seems agitated about it.

any comments? Am I full blown whacked ? or is this remotely possible?thanks - bigfatrat

 

[Pewterpower]

Why don't you just install a filter in-line? How is it getting supplied right now?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Plumber1]

Can you put a filter dedicated to the ice maker at a convenient spot somewhere? Then you will have a double filter. Thats good to do.

 

[Verdeboy]

They make in-line water filters for 1/4" icemaker lines. See link:

http://www.filtersfast.com/In-line-Refrigerator-Water-Filters-cat.asp

The gravity method would only work if the water jug is significantly higher than your frig, since icemakers are usually located pretty high up in the freezer.

If you have a question about how to run water to your icemaker in the "normal" way, why don't you ask it?

 

[Bigfatrat]

hope this email works......

In answer to how am I supplying water now-- I just load the trays by hand filled with water filtered with gallon sized sears condenser type filter.

I like the inline filter ideas - I have just been skeptical of the efficiency of the filters. I want zero chlorine or chemical taste if possible. I tried some ice cubes from fridge auto icemaker at a friends house in the nevada desert many years ago 1980? The ice still smelled and tasted terrible- like rotten egg. . It was supposedly filtered. It has left a lasting impression on me.


I will probably give it a try with inline filter mounted on wall in service porch and then copper piped throughwall to back of fridge.

Thanks for the ideas to all who reply/replied I will be checking thread for a few days--- bigfatrat

 

[Jimbo]

If you dont change the filter every 6 months, it is worse than having no filter at all.

Also, truth be told, most people's refrigerators smell like the inside of a barn! And any ice left in the open bin picks up those odors readily.

 

[hj]

icemaker

The valve needs a minimum pressure to operate. Your bottle on the top of the refrigerator would not give it. If you put the bottle on the top of a telephone pole it would probably work, but you would want it to be a large bottle so you wouldn't have to climb up there too frequently.

 

[Pewterpower]

It sounds like you are really just overthinking this whole thing.
Supplying water to the fridge is quite easy and they make inexpensive kits that have everything a DIYer would need to getr done in a half hour. The hardest part is taking all the pots and pans out of the cabinets so you can route the line.
In your case, you want to add an inline filter, so add another 5 miutes to the job.
Check out any of the big box stores, or supply store, for an ice maker kit. You'll be suprised how simple it is.

 

[Verdeboy]

Check out this recent thread on icemaker connections. It really helped me make the right decision:

https://terrylove.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9311

 

[Bigfatrat]

more questions icemaker hookup

from bigfatrat
Thanks again all- I see that a inline filter needs installing. I think the best place for me to put it is wall mount next to my washing machine in the service porch . then a copper lineover doorway then thru wall into kitchen behind fridge .

What I am wondering is the best/easiest way to connect copper line.

Do they make a brass faucet that is machine tapped already for a copper tube/ line take off. (seems I saw one before that was used for swamp cooler )
Then I could use the existing cold water faucet which is attached to gray colored plastic? pipe feed -- attach copper line with machine thread barrel
connector and then screw faucet to faucet with whatever brass adapters needed- if any.

And then screw washer supply hose to end of new faucet. my shutoff valve would then be the original old faucet which is still there.( Old faucet appears permanently crimped to gray incoming water line

Messing with the line before the original clothes washer faucet looks beyond my capability as I am old and fat and creaky .

also - If there are obvious tips on running copper line other than try not to fry myself with electricity faux paux . I could use em .I have a tube bender but it may be too large . I could use a cat food can maybe It doesnt have to be real pretty.

I have looked at filters and the aquapure 310 with the ap327 filter looks good
as I can get- any comments on that - please do.

Thanks verde for the link to icemaker thread- Im going to study on it some more and weigh all feed back before I start ripping ang gouging. You people are great for helping out amateurs .
Thanks all bigfatrat

 

[Lancaster]

You could use something like this:

http://www.aquaezflo.com/install.html

 

[Verdeboy]

from bigfatrat
Do they make a brass faucet that is machine tapped already for a copper tube/ line take off. (seems I saw one before that was used for swamp cooler )

In the swamp cooler parts section of the hardware store you can find all kinds of hose bibs, and adapters that screw on to hose bibs, that have the 1/4 inch fitting as well as a needle valve to control water flow. The problem is that they may not stock that stuff until the spring, unless you live in a very warm location. I would also go with the white 1/4" plastic tubing that comes with the icemaker kits instead of the copper. It's a lot more flexible and therefore easier to work with.

 

[Cass]

This milk jug might work if you do it like this,

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Ftab%3DImages%26p%3Dmilk%2Bbottle%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3Dsbcfp-imp%26b%3D81&w=120&h=120&imgurl=www.bigthings.ca%2Fquebec%2Fpictures%2Fbottle.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bigthings.ca%2Fquebec%2Fmontrea1.html&size=4.2kB&name=bottle.jpg&p=milk+bottle&type=jpeg&no=93&tt=17,497&oid=369510910bfa8612&ei=UTF-8


it would make a lot of ice before you had to refill

 

[Bigfatrat]

ref milk jug feed idea from Cass

as Larry the cable guy says ---now That there is funny - I dont care who ya are
. bigfatrat

 

[Cass]

They have 1/4" compression connectors to do the job. If you go to one of the big box stores and tell them what you want to do they can fix you right up with all that you need to do the job.

Sorry but I don't think they have any of those big milk bottles.

 

[Nik]

Gravity fed

Is there a way to gravity feed filtered water to my new fridge icemaker.

I have really cruddy town water. Plus a difficult job to deliver piped water to filter in fridge. (Even if filter would handle the job .)

I envision a water jug sitting on top of fridge and a tube coming out to icemaker -- but my vision gets cloudy about there.

For the present I just rempved the icemaker and use trays - the old fashioned way. wife seems agitated about it.

any comments? Am I full blown whacked ? or is this remotely possible?thanks - bigfatrat

I had the same problem as you, you need more pressure than gravity. My fix cost $8.00. I didnt care about cold water but I did want the ice maker to work. My fix involved buying a plastic garden sprayer. I modified the nozzle to accept my water line, filled the bottle, pumped it up and the ice tray filled straight away. I need to repump the bottle every couple of days and I have plenty of ice now. I picked the smallest sprayer because I wasn't sure it would work. If you bought a sprayer with a much larger capacity it would work ok for chilled water too.

 

[hj]

The best way to get "good" water is to install a reverse osmosis system and run a line from it to the icemaker.