Replacing saddle valves

[Billbill84]

i hate these things with a passion. Seized up! What kind of valve should I put in instead because it's gotta be something that doesn't leak like them twisty knobs! I'm thinking a small simple ball valve but my concern is that will it let too much flow to the fridge and bust a supply line on the fridge? I know them saddle valves are a simple tap with little water coming thru so I'm worried that the ball valve may be too much?

 

[Snoonyb]

The volume can be controlled, marginally, on any valve.

Were it I, I would install a couple of "T's" , MIP fittings and a couple FIP ball valves; https://www.brasscraft.com/products/water-supplies/water-stops/14-turn-ball-stops/

 

[billshack]

Saddle valves are illegal, they are not permitted in the canadian plumbing code.

 

[Billbill84]

Saddle valves are illegal, they are not permitted in the canadian plumbing code.

Yes they are illegal in my region as well but just another thing my home inspector missed amongst many other issues, less than a year ago!

 

[slownsteady]

If you're really concerned about pressure, install a reducer just after the new valve.

 

[Snoonyb]

The appliances fed by those 1/4" lines are designed to handle household water pressure.

 

[Billbill84]

Copy that designed to handle household water pressures through that 1/4 line I'll just have to make sure my plumber guy puts a reducer before the line to ensure there's not too much flow for them cheap plastic connectors that connect the 1/4 line to a 5/16 line. Had one leak the other day and all I did was turn the saddle valve off and drain the fridge water to ensure nothing leaked when I replaced the water filter lol. Who would have thought the plastic connector would fail and why?

 

[Snoonyb]

If it's a threaded fitting it was likely overtightened.

There is a learning curve.

 

[Billbill84]

If it's a threaded fitting it was likely overtightened.

There is a learning curve.

Nope it was one of them little push-in connectors

 

[Snoonyb]

Usually occurs while joining dissimilar products not sufficiently supported away from, or on each side of the connection point.

 

[Billbill84]

Usually occurs while joining dissimilar products not sufficiently supported away from, or on each side of the connection point.

Not sure what you mean by that, the fridge is 10 years old that connector was the original. No "dissimilar products" were married lol

 

[Snoonyb]

Refers will often use vinyl tubing, and there is copper from your saddle valve.

 

[Billbill84]

Refers will often use vinyl tubing, and there is copper from your saddle valve.

Yes but isn't that the way it goes on all setups? Supply is 1/4 copper and all refers have plastic or vinyl tubing on the appliance itself. I've never seen a fridge with copper lines affixed to it other than the supply which obviously is not a part of the fridge

 

[Snoonyb]

I use both vinyl and copper, however I've never had a connector of any kind fail, because I always support both 3' above the connection point and have an additional 5' loop, which allows the appliance to be extracted and replaced, while the connections stay securely in place.

 

[billshack]

when i worked as a plumber for a very good old firm, we would never use plastic tubing of any type, we saw too many pipe rupture . only copper pipe with flared fittings. yes we were expensive but i never saw a leak on one of our jobs.

 

[bud16415]

I would cut the copper and put in a Sharkbite T fitting at each location and come off the T with PEX to behind the fridge then mount a quarter turn Sharkbite valve made to accept the tubing from the fridge with likely a brass ferule leaving all the extra tube coiled up behind the fridge for pull out and clean.


The only tools needed will be a tubing cutter.


The size of the plumbing has no effect on pressure in the static sense of hydraulics. There should be no fear of running a .5” to behind the fridge.

 

[bud16415]

when i worked as a plumber for a very good old firm, we would never use plastic tubing of any type, we saw too many pipe rupture . only copper pipe with flared fittings. yes we were expensive but i never saw a leak on one of our jobs.

Keep in mind the type of copper tubing needed to make flare fittings is the coiled stuff that is fully annealed. The stuff you normally see with soldered fittings is a harder copper and won’t flare well.