Fridge Water lines - what's the best ...for the situation?

Long story short......We're not a fan of the plastic lines for refrigerator water lines. Had one burst at our other house and just found one leaking this morning in this house - it didn't burst. It was a 'mist' ....like the plastic material failed / deteriorated. We put a coupler in it for now....

For complete replacement.... Our first choice would be to go with Copper (as we did with the other house). However - the route this water line takes, is unknown and can't be seen. It also involves a 90 degree turn in & around ductwork and all the other lines (gas lines, etc). So....our installation will involve attaching the new with the old and fishing it thru (praying for the best). Copper probably isn't the best idea with a 90 degree turn......that we can't even see (we'd be stubborn enough to try it lol)

Our house is 10 years old and everything is PEX. Do they make 1/4" OD PEX? I've seen 1/4" ID ...... What else is out there that's as durable?

Stainless lines are great to prevent bursts, but what about the rubber inside them? Won't they experience the same 'slow' leakage over time from deterioration?

Not afraid to spend money for quality lines..within reason. We don't want to wake up again and find more leaks/bursts.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

 

The same thing happened to us a few years ago.... a fine vapor mist was spewing out of the plastic line at the brass coupler.


Go with 1/4" copper (as it should be done) and you'll have no problems.

 

Your fridge supply isn't in a wall box behind the fridge and then 1/4" from there ?

 

Go with the SS braided ice maker supply lines. They're similar to the braided lines for faucets. You can get them in 5' or 10' long so you have room to pull the fridge out, they have compression type ends so they fit the same fittings as your plastic or copper lines do now.

Edit:

And replace it every 5 years. Same as you're "supposed" to do with your washing machine hoses.

 

thats what we have................3yrs with no issues yet

 

This. Especially only being 10yrs old.

 

Unfortunately not....at least, not outside the wall.

We have a 2nd refrigerator that sits in the garage right behind the wall where the kitchen frig is. The garage frig has stainless line (coming straight out of the wall 2' feet up) and the kitchen has plastic coming out of the floor.

Somewhere...there's a 'T' (or some other splitter) where the two refrigerators split. The main line is plastic and the kitchen frig is plastic.

The problem is, we can't see any of it (splitter or T)....We're gonna have to cut open the drywall behind the frig and look around. We pray its in the wall..... because if its below the floor in the joists, could be a problem. Totally blocked off by ductwork. Pray its in the wall.....

 

...mine has a braided stainless line, ..but i've had it shut off at the valve at the wall, ...less chance of problem by not using it...

 

Had a plastic line burst in our house...while were gone for a week on vacation.

Came back to a home that was raining in the basement.

 

We did also....Luckily, my Mother-in-law was checking the house and spotted it. Basement was a mess. Replaced with copper.

I'd love to do copper, I'm just not sure (with situation) we can get copper routed (not bendable).

 

The braided are good. Copper can kink and if you're a diy you could have a leak at connections. The braided have a gasket. Try and find where the water is coming from and where the tee is. Post a pic if you have questions.

 

We have outlawed 1/4" plastic water lines in the office buildings I manage. I had one flood three floors over a weekend. The coffee and water service guys are the most frequent violators. The solenoid valves on ice makers and coffee makers constantly slamming shut cause stress cracks in the plastic.

 

X2
Several leasing companies have done the same. And it's the same guys going around flooding stuff.

 

Are you talking about the line that runs throughout the fridge for water, or just the supply line?

I recently had to repair/replace some of the line that's actually on the fridge in the house we recently bought. Turned water supply on to the fridge, try for water at door. Suddenly standing in water. Previous owners didn't want to tell me that I guess.

Anyway, I have copper line as the supply to the fridge.