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

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.

Comments

  • +8

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

  • 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

  • +2

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

  • +5

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

    • +2

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

      • +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!"

      • +4

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

        • What are parents in this Spartan like free market world?

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

      • +2

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

        • We had woodworking and homemaker/cooking classes back then.

          • @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.)

        • 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.

  • Airtasker?

  • +2

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

  • 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.

  • YouTube + Bunnings.

  • 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.

  • 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.

    • 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.

      • +1

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

      • +1

        Depends on your definition of an average ozbargainer

  • +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.

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

  • 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

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

  • 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..

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