Icemaker Supply Line Bend Radius

[wwhitney]

Hello,

I've got a recessed icemaker valve box with a 1/4" compression connection that is facing out about 1" behind the plane of the drywall. I'd like to put the refrigerator 2" off the drywall, providing 3" of clearance. If I use a 1/4" braided supply line, given the rigid crimped part of the connector and the diameter of the supply line, I'll need to make a 90 degree bend with a radius of 2-1/2" or 2".

Are those lines that flexible? Is a 1/4" PEX line with the bulb ends more flexible? Or should I be looking for an elbow to use?

Thanks,
Wayne

PS. Seems like a supply line with a right angle end, like some washing machine supply lines have, would be a very nice solution, but they don't seem to exist for 1/4" compression lines. A compression elbow with one side a "female" connection like a supply line would also be nice, but those don't seem to exist either. So I think I'd need a short length of 1/4" OD copper tube and a compression elbow.

 

[Jadnashua]

I think your hose will fit onto the threads of a compression fitting and the gasket will seal to the end. https://www.lowes.com/pd/B-K-1-4-in-Compression-Female-Elbow-Fitting/1000505411 Shouldn't be that much of a deal to try it in the store.

 

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[wwhitney]

I think your hose will fit onto the threads of a compression fitting and the gasket will seal to the end. https://www.lowes.com/pd/B-K-1-4-in-Compression-Female-Elbow-Fitting/1000505411

I agree, but the elbow to valve connection will require a short section of 1/4" copper tubing. It would be nice if the elbow were available with a similar captive gasket (female compression) end so that I could avoid that short section of 1/4" copper tubing.

That sort of fitting connection is availlable in a 3/8" compression x 3/8" female compression x 3/8" (or 1/4") compression tee as an "add a supply" tee. But I haven't found it as an elbow.

John Guest makes a 1/4" push-to-connect by 1/4" stem plastic elbow, basically a "street" elbow for their system, as the stem can go directly into a push-to-connect fitting. It's not clear to me if a regular 1/4" compression brass ferrule/nut connection would seal to the 1/4" plastic stem.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Jeff H Young]

I never put ice maker valve pointed straight out I put it on approx 45 degree so pipe can lay against wall. Just to be nice

 

[wwhitney]

To follow up on this, I got a 1/4" OD PEX icemaker line, and it looks like it would be flexible enough to make the bend radius I need. Plus I can try to rotate the icemaker valve, although that may not be possible.

One other thing that occurred to me was whether a piece of 1/4" copper tubing, preformed into a fairly tight 90 degree bend, is commercially available. Then I could just use that with a straight 1/4" compression coupler to get a 90 degree end on any icemaker line.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Jadnashua]

With the right tools, soft copper can be bent into essentially a right angle. If you're using something like one of the spring benders, you tend to get a bigger radius, but depending on what you need, one of those with copper might work for you.

I used soft copper for mine. There's probably a 5' diameter loop of the copper behind the frig to act like a big spring so I can pull it out for service without stressing the line. My frig is a counter depth one with trim panels on both sides, so there's no access to the thing from the side at all.