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Last year I got an idea - why not install an ice maker!  I love conveniences and having my own ice maker is one of the best.  Now with many refrigerators you are able to install an after market ice maker, only mine was not one of them.  But my refrigerator was getting on in years and since we have been talking about getting a new one I decided that we would get a new top-of-the-line double door, fully loaded fridge and to save some money I would install my new ice maker.

My installation however was more difficult than most because my refrigerator was not close to the cold water line.  If you are considering installing one for yourself, you may not have to follow all of the steps that I have outlined here. That said, here is how I went about it;

First I was going to need some supplies.

1. 14 feet of half-inch copper tubing

(This is what made by job more difficult than most.  I ran 14′ half inch pipe between the tee that I spliced into the main cold water line and the valve.  Had my cold water line been closer to the refrigerator I could have connected the valve right to the tee and the copper tubing from the valve to the refrigerator and skipped this step.)

2. 10 feet of flexible quarter inch copper tubing
3. a three-quarter copper tee that reduced to a half an inch at the outlet for my new water line
4. a half-inch shut off valve that reduced to a quarter-inch for my flexible copper tubing that would eventually connect to the back of my refrigerator.

Often people will use what is known as a saddle valve instead.  A saddle valve is good because it allows for installation without the use of solder making it easier for the do it yourselfer.  However, I do not like to recommend using a saddle valve because I find over time they are subject to leaks.

Now since I have done plumbing before I had the necessary tools, but if you have never done soldering, you’re also going to need a propane torch, solder, flux, a wire brush and some emery cloth along with a pipe cutter.  All of these items are available in the Your Online Handyman Store on the front page or by clicking here.

Once I had all of my supplies I began by dry fitting everything - that is everything except for cutting into the main.  I began cutting my half inch copper pipe to the necessary length.  For me this was going to be 14 feet, which meant that I would need one whole length and a piece of another.  A pipe cutter made this job easy.  You can use a hack saw, but a pipe cutter is a better choice because it makes a better cut.

Once I saw that everything was going to fit together it was time to cut into the main.  At this point I made sure that I turned off the valve to the water supply! I cut into the main exactly the same way that I cut my new 14 feet of pipe with my pipe cutter.

Next I began cleaning the two ends of the main. To remove any burrs I used the small blade on my pipe cutter.  This process is called reaming.  There are special tools made for this, but often you will find a small blade on your pipe cutter that does the job fine. Then I cleaned the ends of the pipe with my emery cloth.  It was amazing how as soon as I began cleaning the color of the copper came back to life.  I also cleaned the inside of the pipe with a wire brush.

It’s very important to make sure that your connections are free of all dirt before you begin to solder. So I then applied flux to approximately 1/2? of all the pipe ends to prepare them for soldering.  I also began mounting the new pipe to the joists under the kitchen floor to get them in place.  Next I fit my new tee into the main line and then attached the 14 foot length that I had previously cut making sure to clean and flux all the ends as I went along.  I also fit my valve on the other end.

I began soldering by lighting my propane torch and applying heat to the end of the pipe that the other pipe fit into. Once my pipe became hot enough, after about 10 - 15 seconds I applied solder to the joint.  You will know when the joint is hot enough because it’s at this point that the solder will melt.  Begin applying your solder on top and let it be pulled around to the bottom side of the joint by a capillary action.  Then once I had soldered completely sealing the joint, I cooled it using a rag making sure never to touch the pipe.

Once I was finished soldering the three ends of my tee, the coupling in my 14 foot length and the valve at the other end it was time to install the flexible copper tubing that I used between the valve and the back of the refrigerator. I began by drilling a hole through the floor slightly larger than my quarter-inch tubing.  After feeding the tube up through the floor it was time to attach one end to the back of the refrigerator using a compression coupling and the other end to the valve also using a compression coupling.

Using a compression coupling is not as difficult as it sounds.  I simply inserted my copper tubing into the coupling and turned the hex nut.  By turning the nut I compressed the joint which made it tight.

At this point it was time to open the valve that I had installed, turn the water back on at the main and wait for ice.  No more making ice for me! 

One job that almost anyone can do is replacing an old worn out faucet.  It is not as difficult as you may think.  All it takes is a little know-how, which is readily available, some hand tools and the confidence to try. 

Faucets for the kitchen and bath come from many different manufacturers in many different styles.  The good news is that most install the same way.  There is usually some type of mounting hardware held in place by nuts that hold the faucet in place from the underneath side of the sink.

To begin you are going to need a basin wrench.   Being that you are working in a very confined area between the sink and the wall you will need a very specialized wrench.  A basin wrench is made specifically for this kind of job.

Before you can install a new faucet, you are going to have to remove the old faucet so the first thing that you are going to need to do is turn off the water supply.  This can usually be done by going under the sink and turning off the two valves that you will see on the wall. 

If by some chance you do not have cut off valves under the sink, stop right here - you will need a plumber to install them for you.  Then you can change your faucet.  Its okay to let your plumber install your cut off valves, but unless he’s a relative tell him that you are going to install the faucet yourself.  By doing the faucet yourself you will still save a couple of hundred dollars.

The next step is to go below the sink and disconnect the hot and cold water supply lines that are connected to the valves that you’ve just turned off.  The water supply lines are the flexible or copper tubing connected to the valves that you just closed.  They are connected to the valves by a nut that you need to turn counterclockwise.
  
Once you have the water off and the supply lines disconnected place a pale below the supply lines and open the water supply.  This will allow any remaining water in these tubes to drain out.   It’s now time to separate the old faucet from the sink.  Usually this is the most difficult part of the job.  Depending on the materials that the faucet was originally installed with will determine how easily it will come away from the sink.

Loosen the nuts on the mounting hardware counterclockwise with the basin wrench.  At this point and with some luck your faucet should lift right off.

Now you are ready to install your new faucet.  Begin by taking it out of the box and make sure by checking the instructions that you have all the parts.  Then follow any assembly instructions from the manufacturer.  This step is a lot easier than it sounds.

Place the faucet over the holes in the sink according to the manufacturer’s directions.  Usually this will involve at least placing plumbers putty between the faucet and the sink to create a water tight seal.  Then place any mounting hardware over the valves on the underneath side of the sink  and tighten it all together with the nuts provided with the faucet.   At this point it’s just a matter of reversing the procedure with the hot and cold water supply lines.

Check for leaks, congratulate yourself - and you didn’t think you could do it.