Do I Need a Plumber to Connect My Fridge with The Existing Tap (and Water Line)

Austin 316 on 26/11/2018 - 09:02

I have just bought a new fridge (with water and ice dispenser) and am now looking at getting it connected to water.

I already got a water line plumbed in and a tap for the fridge at the time of building my house a few years ago since I was planning on getting these type of fridge.

My intention was to connect the fridge with tap by myself but the assistant at the retailer (Hardly Normal) told me that I have to be careful about the water pressure and might need to ask a plumber to do it.

Being an OzBargainer, I thought of asking here. If anyone else has any experience with this situation, I would greatly appreciate your advise. Ta.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Sunny84 on 26/11/2018 - 09:06
    +8

    If you know how to connect a hose to your garden tap then you should be okay :)

  • SmiTTy on 26/11/2018 - 09:22

    I used to work at a retailer that sells fridges and we used to get the delivery driver to connect it up for the customer.

    So I suppose as long as you figure out how, no reason why you can't

  • altomic on 26/11/2018 - 09:28
    +2

    DIY. YouTube is your friend. Plenty of Teflon plumbers tape on the connection every. Good. At least half a dozen turns

  • big1964 on 26/11/2018 - 09:28
    +5

    He is probably covering himself if something goes wrong !!!

    • whooah1979 on 26/11/2018 - 09:51
      +2

      What may go wrong? Doesn't the Australian education system teach basic life skills anymore?

      • sghetti on 26/11/2018 - 10:02
        +1

        "You said it would be fine and I could connect it myself! There was a slow leak as I've now been told I installed it incorrectly! My wall is soaked and needs to be replaced and it's all your fault!"

      • HighAndDry on 26/11/2018 - 10:10
        +4

        I don't think it ever taught basic life skills. That was supposed to be taught by those things called parents.

        • orangetrain on 27/11/2018 - 09:50

          What are parents in this Spartan like free market world?

          • HighAndDry on 27/11/2018 - 09:52

            @orangetrain: What are you talking about? Australia isn't Europe, but we've got pretty hard hand-holding by the government here.

      • djkelly69 on 26/11/2018 - 10:10
        +2

        Has the education system ever included home handyman skills in the curriculum??

        • whooah1979 on 26/11/2018 - 10:36

          We had woodworking and homemaker/cooking classes back then.

          • altomic on 26/11/2018 - 11:06

            @whooah1979: i did metal work/ wood work. my wood work teacher in year 7 taught the class how to change a washer - thanks Mr Hudson. (this was private school - but also last century.)

        • sghetti on 26/11/2018 - 11:46

          Applied Physics here! Pulled apart a car motor and transmission, learnt about the combustion engine and atomic bombs.

          Also Applied Mathematics. Specifically doing tax returns, learning how to calculate repayments on home loans etc. Didn't equate to a uni score but supplied so many life/practical skills.

  • Nalar on 26/11/2018 - 09:30

    Airtasker?

  • MAB on 26/11/2018 - 09:32
    +2

    you need a tap connection with a stop tap done by the plumber. connecting the fridge is easy to that

  • hawkeye on 26/11/2018 - 09:43

    He's talking about something like this https://www.filtersystemsaustralia.com.au/filtration-compone…
    If you don't have one can void water damage as part of your insurance.

  • whooah1979 on 26/11/2018 - 09:48

    YouTube + Bunnings.

  • geech on 26/11/2018 - 09:49

    My last fridge came with a pressure reducing valve. They're also available at Bunnings.

    The connection itself is really straightforward - and any honest plumber would probably tell you as much when you tried to book them in.

  • Austin 316 on 26/11/2018 - 09:56

    Thanks for all the responses. I am more than comfortable doing it myself (that was my original plan anyways), but as someone above said, the sales rep might have meant that it will void warranty if there is no pressure limiting valve.

    Makes more sense to me now on why he was hesitant in telling me that I can do it myself. Thanks again for the replies.

    • Pharos5 on 26/11/2018 - 10:07

      The average ozbargainer is also more competent than the average retail shopper.

      I wouldn't be surprised if he was hesitant to recommend most people tie their own shoes.

      • HighAndDry on 26/11/2018 - 10:12
        +1

        Makes sense. There's no upside to recommending someone do it themselves, and all potential downside.

      • savage bargain on 26/11/2018 - 17:01
        +1

        Depends on your definition of an average ozbargainer…

  • giventofly on 26/11/2018 - 10:15
    +1

    My intention was to connect the fridge with tap by myself but the assistant at the retailer (Hardly Normal) told me that I have to be careful about the water pressure and might need to ask a plumber to do it.

    Yes, you might need a plumber. Water fixtures have a rating on the maximum amount of pressure (kpa) they can operate at. They might operate fine at a higher pressure, however, their lifespan will be reduced.

    I believe most taps, etc are rated to 500kpa. My street, due to all the new buildings on the blocks, had its pressure upped to 900-1000kpa.

    If I am to get new taps, dishwasher, etc, I need to have a plumber install a Pressure Control Value to reduce the pressure to the required pressure.

  • elgrande on 26/11/2018 - 11:05

    OP did not mention tbat he was the one that originally soldered the copper pipes for the outlet.

  • bremo on 27/11/2018 - 08:48

    I did my own with a bit off Teflon tape, 6 years later it’s still doing fine, but it has always played on the back of my mind that one day I might get home from work to see the house flooded. Paying a professional will give you peace of mind but you can probably DIY

  • farknos on 27/11/2018 - 09:38

    as it has been stated above just purchase and install a pressure limiting valve, its a small price to pay for peace of mind

  • dimitryp on 27/11/2018 - 13:04

    Anyone know how long these connections generally are good for? We're replacing an old (14yrs) fridge that has a tube running to it, but it looks all yellow and gross. Any easy way to clean? Or best replace it? A bit of a hassle..

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join