I hope you get good news about the damage. What a bummer for it to happen to you twice. I was just looking tonight at the box in the studs for the water supply to my new fridge for the ice maker. Now I know what to watch for. Thanks.

xc - wow; what a horror story!

Please forgive the dumb question, but I know nothing at all about plumbing in general, much less a fridge. I just had a plumber who was very keen to work as little as possible, install a fridge using copper tubing. Is this a different matter from what you're refering to? I'm guessing so.

Can you please tell me how to check for the metal braided hose you're talking about? Where would I find it? What is it hooked to? between?

Thanks for the information - I'm sure you're an expert on this particular disaster by now. What a pity. I'm sorry for you but do hope the newest damage is limited.

Powertools - thanks. Would you suggest pulling out the fridge and checking? It seems that perhaps the plastic is not inherently a problem and pulling out the fridge may just be subjecting the machine to more risk from crimping the line when returned?

Sorry xc but - please don't take this the wrong way - but I'm wondering whether it's possible there's some factor more specific to your house at work?

sorry to hear about your flood(s). I heard about this on, of all places, The Vanilla Ice Project. I know, stop laughing. really, stop laughing. He rehabs homes. They talked about this during the show. Oh cut it out, yes, Vanilla Ice.

Ice Ice Baby.

But, this is exactly why when people go around bashing pot fillers because there is no drain under them, I always ask, what about your refrigerator with the water line?

Hope it all works out for you x.

-Bee

aliris, if the copper is a bunch of coils then it IS the connection to the fridge, and it's OK.

The stainless braided hose is an alternative.

Bee.....you are too funny! thanks for the laugh as it will get me through my work day before I head home to check on the flooring guy. XC60 thanks for the info...I'm bookmarking yet another tip to show to the Hubs!

Thanks for posting this, as we are getting ready to install a new fridge soon. I guess this is another case of manufacturers or contractors cheaping out and putting in plastic where they used to use metal. We're always warned about the washer hoses, but I wouldn't have thought to double check the fridge line.

I hope your damage is minimal and that this is your last experience with this issue.

I have a reverse osmosis system in my basement that uses plastic tubing to move water between the three filter and water storage tank. We have very strong water pressure and we have problems with these tubes a few times a year. It is a PITA and it is a top priority to change this to a better system or better piping. I never thought about the fridge line, but it is hooked up to our reverse osmosis, so I will make sure its not connected with plastic tubing when we renovate. Thanks for sharing your problem. I've lived it, so I feel your pain.

Thank you for all the well wishes on our repairs. :)

Hi Aliris, copper is also fine to use. The problem is not with our house as it happened in two new different houses and two different fridges. The first failure did happen when we moved the fridge and the second was installed by a profession and the fridge was never pulled out. These lines were also not on the floor.

I agree that pulling the fridge in and out can increase the chance of this happening but is not always the cause. You should be able to pull a fridge in and out as it is recommend by the fridge makers to clean the backs of them from time to time. We should be able to do this and not worry about the line failing.
Another place to check is your built-in coffee maker, tomorrow I am also having the plastic tubing replaced with the braided line on ours.

Have a wonderful day everyone. :)

Twice! -- That's awful -- hope the clean-up goes quickly this time. We had this happen once in a previous home with plastic tubing. Our plumber said that any narrow plastic tubing -- whether it's moved or not -- will grow brittle over time and eventually crack. We were fortunate that the kitchen was on the first floor and the floor was tile. Aside from area rugs in the adjoining family room, we didn't have much damage.

i think the bare plastic supply line should be banned. It causes too much damage.

My kitchen reno start date was mostly caused by a leak from this tube also. So, add my name to the list of those who want $100,000 compensation for being forced to rebuild.

Now I'm going to have Ice, Ice Baby stuck in my head all day.

Word to your mother.

When I gutted my kitchen a few months back, my plumber thought it was strange that I wanted a dedicated shutoff valve plumbed into the location where the fridge was going (inset into the wall behind the fridge).

Picked up a nice long braided stainless line and connected the fridge directly to the shutoff valve. No plastic tubing, no compression fits.

I have hardwood in my kitchen (that I installed myself at great expense and backbreaking work) and won't be having any floods in there!

Same in my 2nd floor laundry and all fixtures in the house - braided lines and proper 1/4 turn shutoff valves everywhere.

Would something like this help to stop flooding?
http://www.getfloodstop.com/

This is good advice. We had this happen to the plastic tubing on the back of our fridge as well so we did replace it with a metal braided hose. We had a similar plastic tubing on a sprayer attached to the toilet in our master bath (for spraying cloth diapers). It also cracked while we were out of town and flooded our entire home, causing over $80,000 damage and a much bigger headache.

Add me to the list of people with flooded kitchens. The week before we were putting our old house on the market, my wife decided to clean behind the fridge. When she pushed it back the plastic line broke. We had already moved out, so it was a couple hours later when I went in and discovered it. It warped some of the wood floor that had been installed just a year previously. Not something you like to happen when selling the house.

I replaced it with copper tubing. In our new house we don't currently have an ice maker, but will probably have one after the remodel, so thanks for the reminder (hopefully I would have remembered anyway).

Yikes. I am going to go look now.

How does this work though ... is this right? (1) water comes into the house and out a wall or floor aiming toward the fridge. (2) copper tube is installed toward fridge (3) tubing is fitted into back of fridge at some junction point (4) water proceeds through fridge and out (and onto your floor because the ice eject hole is way too large to mate effectively with any glass you own... different part of the story).

So at what point does this braided hose come in? Is it a substitute for copper tubing? Is it between the copper tubing and the fridge?

Thanks...

It is a good idea to move the fridge out 2 or 3 times a year to clean and check the water line, no matter what kind you have.
I'm just saying that on my fridge I have had a plastic waterline for over 10 years and no problems yet. When I put in a new fridge, I will be using the metal hose, more for water quality than anything.
Just don't think that everyone that has a plastic line needs to panic. Check it over and if there appears to be issues with the line, replace it. If you are getting a new fridge and are planning on having it a long time, by all means use metal or something other than plastic. Sometimes we do things for peace of mind rather than because it is necessary. And that's okay.

You can now purchase water sensors that sit on the floor behind the fridge. Like a smoke alarm, they let out a loud noise when any water is detected on the floor. I'd imagine the technology is available or will be soon for one that will wirelessly connect to your smart phone in case you are away from home when it goes off.

My husband installed our fridge (with icemaker) two days ago in our newly built home (due to move in there in a few days). Builder came to install mirrors and heard hissing as he opened the interior garage door. Saw water on the hardwood. The plastic tubing from the icemaker was off and water was spraying. Will need new carpeting (incl padding, subfloor, hardwood, drywall, lower cabinets, stair railing and newels, door frames to the pantry and laundry room, and probably new tile in the laundry room. Brand new GE fridge delivered the day before it was installed. Husband has installed fridges before without issue, not sure if they had this type of tubing. A friend found this online: We bought a Samsung fridge about a year ago. The model number is RB215LABP. The problem we have been having is that the tube in the back where you hook it up to the water for the ice machine, keeps blowing off the back. We don't know how to fix it. Several times, I have come home from work to find an inch of water all over my floors because it's blown off and been that way all day. My husband has reattached it, turned the water pressure on the valve down and still, it continues to blow off the back. The hose seems to be the right size...I don't know what the problem is. Please help.
Tags
Refrigerators , Samsung , Appliances
2 Answers from these members:
Manage My Life
The reason the tubing blows out of the inlet tube in the cabinet is the inlet tube is freezing up and then the pressure builds up and blows the tubing out of the inlet.
Usually the thing that causes the tube to freeze is the water valve seeps water when it should be turned off. This slow trickle of water freezes as it enters the freezer and stops up the inlet tube.

Not sure what caused this (yet). Hopefully the insurance through our mortgage bank will take care of it asap. The carpet is thoroughly soaked. Water ran down the walls of the open stairway to the basement, wood in basement ceiling dripping water, basement flooded, etc. Merry Christmas! :(

I live in a high rise building so when something floods, it can wreak expensive havoc on units below.

Wise owners install water alarms that SHUT off the water source when a leak is detected. My neighbor has this on his refrigerator water lines as well as for his washer dryer units.

I am in the middle of a remodel and plan to have this done on all "water" appliances to protect my own unit and those below me.