Fridge water line from hot instead of cold

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tomsmyth

tomsmyth

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I think this was a mistake by the builder. I am on city water so it's not the old hard water trick.

Steaming hot water is not so fun to drink when you're looking for cold. So I need to move the line to the cold pipe. The fridge line is much smaller of course, so it is currently attached with a kind of T joint tap to the hot water pipe extending from the boiler. What is this properly called? I'm assuming underneath all that there is a hole drilled in the copper pipe.

I will have to take that assembly off and move it to the cold pipe.

So my question is what should I use to patch the hole? And for drilling a new hole in the cold pipe, what kind of drill bit should I use?

Or am I way off here?

Thanks!
 
Does the T joint tap have a shut valve on it? If it does then just shut it off and cap it after the valve so no one can turn it on and flood you. Then install a new on on the cold line.
 
I don’t care much for those saddle taps. If yours has a valve as part of it you could shut it and leave it adding a new “whatever” you use to the cold line. They have fittings now called (shark bite) that I would use with your copper line. You will have to go to one of the big building centers and tell them what you have a cell phone photo works great I have found. They will get you the fittings you need and if you don’t have a tubing cutter they have some mini cutters that don’t cost too much. Shut off the water and split the line. The shark bite fittings will just slip on and require no soldering and no tools. They may have what you need all in one fitting or you may need to attach two parts together to have a valve and a proper fitting for the fridge line. If it were mine I would also couple the hot pipe and get rid of the saddle clamp with a shark bite coupler. Good luck and keep us posted.


good read

http://www.structuretech1.com/2010/05/saddle-valves/

Here is the kit if you can find something like this.

http://www.simsupply.com/Watts-Wate...&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CKLR6t6f8bsCFTJo7AodE2YA-g
 
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Hmm, thanks for the info. Maybe I should just learn how to solder copper. Now is as good a time as any.

Also I noticed the pressure at the fridge water dispenser is low. Any chance the saddle tap is causing that?
 
Yes that’s the cause or you can check the filter in the fridge also. Those taps just poke a hole in the tubing so it’s not a huge flow rate.

I know how to solder and the house I’m restoring now was about 50% copper plumbing and I just ripped it all out and went to PEX. It is so simple and works so good I think copper is on the way out at least for me it is. I have used the shark bite fittings copper to copper and copper to PEX and PEX to PEX and they work great. The drawback to them is cost they are not cheap but for a small job and for someone that doesn’t have the crimping tool for PEX or the stuff and skills to solder I say they are well worth the money.
 
Hardware stores have four piece assemblies for patching a pipe hole on a semi-permanent basis probably only for piping that's visible.
It's two bolts and two metal straps with hard rubber glued to their inside surfaces, something like a saddle valve without the valve.
 
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