Fix a Leaking Ice Maker

Ice maker leaking? In many cases you can fix the problem yourself for just a few dollars! Get rid of that nasty puddle of water and get ice cubes again. 

Steps

  1. Turn off the water supply for the ice maker. Many homes have a water shut off behind the refrigerator. Sometimes you need to shut off the water to the entire house. In that case, open a faucet to let the water pressure bleed off. You do not want to continue until the water supply is off.
  2. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall. It is much easier if you remove the contents (at least the liquids, which make up most of the weight).
  3. Find the plastic water hose that brings water into the refrigerator. In most cases, this will be a white plastic flexible pipe about the thickness of a pencil. The hose will run from the wall or floor to the refrigerator.
  4. Inspect the water hose. This is almost always the source of your leak. You may need to temporarily turn the water back on to find the leak. Remember to turn the water off again before proceeding.
  5. Cut the water hose with a sharp knife about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} on either side of the leak. Be sure that your cut is straight and there are no burrs or extra bits of plastic left behind.
  6. Splice the two ends of the water hose with a {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} "union connector" that is expressly for this purpose. The connector is available broadly. The connectors are less than two dollars before shipping. Buy extras because the water hose WILL leak again before you replace the refrigerator. The connect is a "push on" style, so you don't need tools to make the splice.
  7. Turn the water back on and be sure that your splice is watertight. This is important, because there may be more than one leak.
  8. Push the refrigerator back into place.
  9. Celebrate saving $100! You are done. Well done.

Tips

  • Remember to open a faucet to release the water pressure if you turn off the whole house's water.
  • Moving the refrigerator is hard. Remove contents, especially liquids to make it easier to move.

Warnings

  • The water hose is normally {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}, although it looks just like {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. A {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} connector will leak, so get the right part.

Related Articles

  • Temporarily Deal with a Water Leak
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