icemaker Line leak

[gslabbert5119]

My icemaker line started to leak on the last trip & I turned of the water to the system until I could figure out how to to replace it, and now the wife and I are headed out for an extended trip and will require the icemaker.
So I searched the forum and found many threads pertaining to leaking icemaker pipes but could not find one that mentioned how to replace it and how much of a PITA or how simple it is to perform this replacement.

Those that have done this please help me out.

Many Thanks
Gavin

 

[jbeletti]

How hard it will be depends on several variables. I've changed a number of mine to stainless steel braided lines and never regretted it. Is it work? Yep. But once and done.

On some, I've removed the coroplast to expose the area where the feed penetrates the floor - usually under the sink area. From there, I have taped the new line to the old, cut the old and used it to pull the new line in.

On some, I have attached the new line to the old, under the sink from inside the coach and pulled it into the underbelly from below.

Assuming the refer is in a slide, once you get the new line to the frame, you need to run it through the frame. In my case, since I used 1/4" stainless steel braided line fitted with a fitting, I needed a new, larger hole. I also take the opportunity to route the replacement line out the frame where I think it is better than OEM. I usually use a step drill bit as I am making up to a 3/4" hole for my connector.

Once you have the replacement line outside of the frame, it's merely a matter of running it in the Lippert Flex Guard along with the wiring, just like the original was, then up through the floor and over to the refer, usually through the back of cabinets.

On some of my older coaches, I didn't always run the new line all the way to the refer water solenoid. If there was no other reason to pull the refer all the way out into the room, I spliced the new into the old in the cabinet next to the refer.

In my newer coaches where there is an external door to access the refer water solenoid, I always ran the new line all the way to the refer.

Here's a link to my pictures of one such install.

And in this post, scroll to the work item on April 2 to see the parts I often use for the ice maker line replacement.

 

[Piperflyer]

How hard it is to replace the line depends on where the leak is. On my Bighorn it leaked just past the frig connection. I had to pull the frig out and all the kitchen drawers to run the new stainless braided water line. I fished it through the floor and down to the water connection on the outside of the kitchen slide.
It took a few hours and yes it was a pain to do, but at least it's done now and I haven't had any more problems. I thought of replacing the complete line from the shut off valve under the sink, but I could not fish a new line to the frig as it is secured under the RV frame. I would of had to remove the coroplast and insulation to get at it which would of been a real pain.

 

[wdk450]

Get a tabletop icemaker: (you can put it on the floor)
1. No water line to leak - it uses a refillable water reservoir.
2. Makes a small load of hollow cylinder ice "cubes" every 12 minutes. Refrigerator icemakers need 4-6 hours per ice load.
3. RV icemaker needs 110 volts AC to work, including the ice timer (doesn't time down the road).

https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=tabletop icemaker&cat_id=0

 

[gslabbert5119]

How hard it is to replace the line depends on where the leak is. On my Bighorn it leaked just past the frig connection. I had to pull the frig out and all the kitchen drawers to run the new stainless braided water line. I fished it through the floor and down to the water connection on the outside of the kitchen slide.
It took a few hours and yes it was a pain to do, but at least it's done now and I haven't had any more problems. I thought of replacing the complete line from the shut off valve under the sink, but I could not fish a new line to the frig as it is secured under the RV frame. I would of had to remove the coroplast and insulation to get at it which would of been a real pain.

Yeah PiperFly, that is my concern as well. I suspect that it is going to be a Royal PITA to do.

Just done running a wire from the hitch to the rear and installed backup lights, and let me tell you, that was an all day job, just to fish the wire all the way through.

 

[travlingman]

I connected the new stainless braided to the old plastic under the sink. Had a little trouble where it went into underbelly under the sink with the fitting getting caught on the wood cut out. After pushing it through, pulled out of hole in frame through underbelly. Ran line up in slide to fridge, pulled fridge out on 2x4's and hooked up. Took about 4 hours counting breaks. Well worth it as no leaks since.

 

[jbeletti]

Gavin - based on your other project, I know you have the chops for this PITA. Remember, once and done. No worries thereafter.

 

[farside291]

This may be a silly question but, doesn't the stainless line still freeze in the winter? If it does you would still have to shut water off to the icemaker in the winter right?

 

[asherwin]

My leak was in the tubing after it exited the belly and ran outside under the slide. The quick fix was to cut out the leak and using sharkbites spliced in a good piece of tube. For longer term piece of mind going the steel corded route is best.

 

[gslabbert5119]

My leak was in the tubing after it exited the belly and ran outside under the slide. The quick fix was to cut out the leak and using sharkbites spliced in a good piece of tube. For longer term piece of mind going the steel corded route is best.

So my leak is at the exterior of the rig behind the fridge where the ice maker's pipe connects to the water source.

Having never taken the fridge out, I have a question ...
If I loosen the fridge and slide it out, will I find it on some sort of rail system or will I need help to take it out and put it on the floor and then have someone help me lift it up again, as I have to access the back of the fridge to change the ice maker pipe, and my wife cannot lift one side of the fridge, and I surely cannot lift it on my own.

Short of that, I am just going to buy a portable ice maker and be done with it for now.

I will need to replace - repair the floor around the fridge area - and the bottom of the stairs as it is soft there, so I suspect that the ice make has been leaking for awhile.

It is always something but then what else would I do if I was not working on the rig

Gavin

 

[jbeletti]

So my leak is at the exterior of the rig behind the fridge where the ice maker's pipe connects to the water source.

Having never taken the fridge out, I have a question ...
If I loosen the fridge and slide it out, will I find it on some sort of rail system or will I need help to take it out and put it on the floor and then have someone help me lift it up again, as I have to access the back of the fridge to change the ice maker pipe, and my wife cannot lift one side of the fridge, and I surely cannot lift it on my own.

Short of that, I am just going to buy a portable ice maker and be done with it for now.

I will need to replace - repair the floor around the fridge area - and the bottom of the stairs as it is soft there, so I suspect that the ice make has been leaking for awhile.

It is always something but then what else would I do if I was not working on the rig

Gavin

Gavin - there is no slide-out track. If you have a residential refer, most people first add blue painter's tape to the wooden slide roller cover in front of the refer. Then tape a piece of 1/8" paneling on top of that. Then they use 2x4s laying flat on the floor and build up as needed to the same level as the protection on the slide roller cover. Then slide it into the room.

If you have a gas absorption refer, you'll want to turn off the gas and disconnect the gas line at the refer. As for sliding it out, they generally sit up higher. Maybe a home made platform??

In either event, best to have the refer completely emptied as food can add 100 to 300 pounds.

 

[gslabbert5119]

Arg, figured that the answer would be something like that.

I see a portable ice maker in my future

Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jbeletti]

Arg, figured that the answer would be something like that.

I see a portable ice maker in my future

Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The portable is for sure - the easy route.

In my last coach, I cheated and spliced the SS braided line into the 1/4" poly in the cabinet next to the refer cause I just didn't want to remove the refer. Fortunately for me, I never had a leak back there.