My Refrigerator Has a Water Line Leak

Water Line Leak

• When you have a water line leak in your refrigerator, your first warning sign might be that the ice maker runs empty or that you can’t get anything out of the water dispenser. If you are unlucky, you won’t figure out there’s a problem until you find a puddle of water spreading out from under the appliance. Water line leaks can happen to any refrigerator model that has an ice maker or a water dispenser installed inside of it.

Causes

• If your refrigerator has copper tubing supplying its water, then the tubing could have been damaged when you either pulled the refrigerator out or slid it back into place. While it is a high-quality material ideal for other plumbing applications, copper tubing is soft enough to be damaged by either action. Water lines can also be made out of stainless steel, which is less likely to leak but could be defective or damaged over time.

Solutions

• Don’t try to fix the leaking supply line; instead, replace it. Flexible, braided stainless steel water lines are available for purchase at appliance repair and supply stores. Purchase one of them and then turn off the water stop either to the supply or to your home. Remove the leaking water line with an adjustable wrench, then replace it with the new line. Once everything is securely connected, turn the water back on.

Considerations

• If you aren’t sure about buying the right replacement part, turn off the water supply and disconnect the leaking water line before going to the appliance store. Show it to the people working there to be sure you get the right one. If you don’t want to perform the repair yourself, an appliance repair specialist can handle the job for you.