How to Hook Up an Ice Maker in the Garage

Run a water line to your garage icemaker for a steady supply of ice whenever you need it.

An icemaker needs an electrical connection to chill the condenser, as well as a steady supply of water for freezing. Hooking up an icemaker in your garage ensures ice whenever you need it. You can place the appliance anywhere you have access to an electrical outlet, but for ease of installation you should locate the icemaker as close as possible to a cold-water pipe, such as below the sink in a laundry room or the kitchen, if it is adjacent to your garage. Buy a standard water supply line kit for icemakers at a plumbing or hardware store.

Things You'll Need

• Teflon plumber's tape
• Water line kit
• Pliers
• Electric drill and bits

Instructions

1. Close the knob on the cold water pipe below your sink, turning the knob clockwise until tight.

2. Wrap Teflon tape on the pipe section approximately 2 inches below the cut-off knob.

3. Slip the crescent-shaped saddle valve supplied with your water line kit over the Teflon-wrapped pipe. Tighten the flat screw head on the saddle valve until the pointed tip punctures the Teflon tape and the water pipe. Continue tightening until the saddle valve is seated firmly on the pipe.

4. Attach one end of your water line to the nozzle on the saddle valve. The ring on the end of the water line screws onto the nozzle.

5. Route the water line into the garage, drilling a 1/2-inch hole through the wall, if necessary, to reach the icemaker.

6. Thread the connector on the end of the line to the intake nozzle on the back of your icemaker and tighten with pliers.

7. Open the valve on the cold-water pipe and check for leaks at the saddle valve as well as the icemaker connection. Tighten each connection with pliers to stop any minor leaks.

8. Plug in the icemaker power cord and press the machine's toggle switch to the "On" position.

References

• PlumbingKnowledge.com: How to Install an Ice Maker Line