Help With Capping Fridge Water Line

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sixpercentninja

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So we're installing a new fridge, and it turns out the old fridge has a quarter-inch copper water tube (not pipe, tube).

We don't want to close the water shut off valve, because it's a saddle valve and my wife is terrified it'll break/create more issues.

We don't want to just plug in the copper water tube into the NEW fridge, because we don't trust the water coming through is clean, AND we don't want to use the water dispenser anyway.

What we want to do is cap that water line. I've attached a picture of what the copper waterline/tube, and the L-shaped adapter that it goes into, looks like. Excuse the mess, the white stuff you see is some excess pipe dope (and pipe teflon tape). The red part I circled, is where the leak is coming out of. It normally would proceed to plug into the back of the old refridgerator but it's out now as we're trying to cap it. The blue part where I circled doesn't leak luckily (I guess because it's the original part/of course it doesn't leak)

Image:
https://imgur.com/hFajd5j

Here's what we've tried so far, and the issues with them:

1) I bought this cap https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbil...rass-Compression-Cap-Fitting-801129/207176287 to try and screw on. But a few things happen:

a) the cap isn't deep enough to screw all the way down the thread of the L-shape
b) it does screw tight, IF you do it by hand
c) when you then turn on the water though, it leaks in a trickle-form
d) if you try to use a wrench to REALLY tighten it up, it for some reason makes the cap actually immediately come loose. Like, completely come off (I'm baffled by this, can anyone explain?)

2) Tried the cap with teflon tape, AND pipe dope. No dice, still drips/trickles

I know there's the idea of literally soldering off the copper tube, but as you can probably guess we neither have the equipment nor skills to do so.

And my last idea, is to use 100% Silicone Caulk to seal off the edges of the cap. Any reason I shouldn't do this??

Any help is appreciated, thank you
 

Dj2

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Quote: "d) if you try to use a wrench to REALLY tighten it up, it for some reason makes the cap actually immediately come loose. Like, completely come off (I'm baffled by this, can anyone explain?)"
- The thread on your L shape is probably shot, creating a leak.
Do this:
1. Go back to HD and buy a 1/4" coupling fitting with one side compression and one side thread.
2. Cut the tube just before what you have now, using a copper cutter, and throw the old fitting away.
3. Install the coupling from HD (make sure the brass sleeve goes on the tube) then cap it with the cap you bought before. Tighten using 2 wrenches, one on the coupling and one on the cap.
 

sixpercentninja

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Thank you dj2. Follow up questions:

1) Is this what you're talking about? https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbil...Compression-Coupling-Fitting-801189/207176825
Although i don't see the threading on one side that you mentioned.

If it's not too much trouble can you link me to the exact item you're talking about?

2) So actually I can unscrew the part with the blue circle, so that the L-shape comes off. It leaves me with the copper tube, and the hexagonal nut above it (with threading on the inside). And I think I can slide off that hexagonal nut.

If I do all that, do I need to cut off the copper tube anymore? Will your half compression/half thread coupling be able to work with that?
 
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