How to Install a Water Connection on a GE Profile Refrigerator

Connect your refrigerator's water dispenser to the water source.

GE, originally known as General Electric, is the manufacturer of the Profile series of kitchen and home appliances. The Profile series includes several models of side-by-side door, and top and bottom freezer refrigerators that feature in-door water and ice accessibility. While GE generally recommends professional installation of their refrigerators by your preferred retailer, you can save yourself some cash by installing it yourself. However, it will require that you have some knowledge of your home's water supply lines and basic construction skills.

Things You'll Need

• Cold water line
• GE water supply kit
• Power drill
• Shut-off valve
• Flathead screwdriver
• Phillips screwdriver
• 1/4-inch compression nuts with ferrules (sleeves) or pre-assembled fittings included with kit
• Adjustable wrench
• Bucket

Instructions

1. Locate your home's main water supply and turn it off. Return to the kitchen, turn on the faucet and allow the water to drain completely. The water will stop running after a few minutes.

2. Find an easily accessible water pipe, preferably a vertical one, that you can drill into and connect a new water line. Drill a 1/4-inch hole with the power drill on one side of the pipe. Clean the new hole of any debris from drilling.

3. Insert the shut-off valve into the hole and secure with a pipe clamp from the kit provided. Tighten the screws with the appropriate screwdriver to secure the pipe clamp. Be careful not to over-tighten them, which can damage the pipe.

4. Run the plastic tubing from the back of the refrigerator to the shut-off valve, either along the floor or through a hole you drill in the wall to the water supply. Insert the tubing into the ferrule, through the 1/4-inch compression nut and into the the shut-off valve. Tighten the compression nut carefully with the adjustable wrench to secure the tubing.

5. Return to the main water supply valve and turn it on. Return to the shut-off valve on the water pipe and turn it on, allowing the tubing to be flushed out with at least one liter of water. Catch the water in the sink or in a bucket. Turn off the shut-off valve.

6. Connect the water supply tube to the back of the refrigerator and turn on the shut-off valve once more.

Tips & Warnings

• If you must connect the shut-off valve to a horizontal water pipe, only drill and connect the valve to the side or top of the pipe to avoid allowing sediment into the refrigerator's water piping.

References

• GE Appliances: Bottom Freezer Refrigerators Users Manual and Installation Instructions
• GE Appliances: Profile Side-by-Side Refrigerators Owner's Manual and Installation Instructions

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• GE Appliances: Frequently Asked Questions
• GE Appliances: Contact Us