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Hooking up ice maker waterline to washing machine line?

7 years ago

I'm going to hook up our new fridge ice maker/water dispenser, to the cold waterline for the washer. Can you think of any sanitation issues with this configuration, is the water that comes out of the washer line considered portable water? Do you think the taste from the washers rubber hose will transfer over via the 'Y' connector to the ice maker?

We live in a mobile home, and my laundry room is right behind my fridge, a much shorter distance than the sink. Also; our sink inlet lines are solid with no shut off valves, our home was made in 1994.

I'm planning on drilling a hole in the wall behind the fridge, and running a braided waterline from the washer outlet to the fridge inlet. Below is the configuration I plan on using, do you foresee any issues with the below setup?

Attach a brass garden hose "Y" with a shut off valve, a braided ice maker line, Teflon tape and a few adapters to reduce/make the connection from the "Y" to the braided line. Then just connect everything up (using Teflon tape).

Washing machine cold water supply > garden hose "Y" > garden hose shutoff valve > reducer > reducer > braided ice maker line > refrigerator.

My biggest concern is finding the adapters for downsizing from 3/4 female to 1/4 male needed to attach the ice maker waterline. (Below are the supplies I plan to purchase)

Thank you for any input!

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Comments (5)

klem1
7 years ago
I don't know where you plan to use the chrome piece with black washer(it is designed to allow hooking a garden hose where an aerator screw's into a bath or kitchen faucet). I have used that type hose tee in my garden and find they leak at cut offs after several months. I don't believe water will be tainted due to laundry connection. Look into using shark bites to install a tee with stop valve.
Vith
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Usually you splice a tee with a shut off into the line and attach the 1/4 line via compression, but I am thinking this is not what you are considering. You would have to know how to cut the line and install the tee.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-1-2-in-Push-to-Connect-x-1-2-in-Push-to-Connect-x-1-4-in-Compression-Service-Stop-Tee-24983A/206356284
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You can find the parts you need at any local hardware store and they are relatively cheap. Parts You need: 2ea. 1/4" compression needle line stop valve 1ea. 1/4" compreesion Tee 1/4" copper tube to make the additional lines. Tools you will need: Tubing cutter to cut the copper. (I prefer a mini cutter for 1/4") Two wrenches that fit the valves..(two 8" adjustable wrenches would do fine) Cut the pipe where you want the tee to the first appliance. Remove an and cap off the tee but be careful, there is a tiny brass ferrule under that cap that you need. First slip the cap on the copper with the open side of the cap pointing towards the cut end of the copper tubing. Now slip the ferrule on the tubing. (the ferrule looks like a miniature mans wedding ring). Insert the end of the pipe into the fitting as far as it will go, then slide the cap forward, pushing the ferrule up against the end of the fitting and screw the cap on the end of the fitting finger tight. Now hold the fitting steady with one wrench while you tighten the cap with the second wrench. Follow the diagram in the illustration I am attaching and use the same technique to tighten all the fitting caps.
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It has been required to put a GFCI for the 120V 15A and 20A receptacles in the laundry area since the 2014 code. What changed in 2020 is that a 240 receptacle also requires it. What is happening here is not that the neutral has an unbalanced load, that would be impossible unless there really was a ground fault. What is happening is that these new He washers typically use a variable frequency drive to allow efficient multiple speed drum rotation. These things dump some of the energy back as higher harmonics which the GFCI doesn't detect. It's not that the current is imbalanced, it's just that it's returned at a frequency that the GFCI can't detect. The answer is that your washer manufacturer did a lousy design. You can design VFDs to not do this or at least provide filtering to stop it from happening.
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Elon Gated 2
5 years ago
I'm thinking of doing this same exact thing. How did it go? What did you end up using for your solution?
pwb503
5 years ago
If you're looking for an update head over to this URL (crossposted there...) where they address this. https://www.plbg.com/forum/read.php?1,593507
Bruce in Northern Virginia
5 years ago
When I was installing my PEX plumbing I found that most junctions, fixtures, fittings and other parts had two versions - one certified as lead free for potable water and one for other uses (e.g., heating systems, lawn and garden, etc.). The potable water version of the fittings was usually a little more expensive. than the general purpose fittings.

The brass garden hose Y and its rubber washers might last quite a while, but they aren't really intended to be used under continuous pressure. I would be very concerned about it eventually leaking.

Bruce

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