Five Things To Know When Installing A New Water Line To An Appliance
Installing new water lines to the appliances in your home is a simple task for most plumbers, but each job is a bit unique. The following are things to keep in mind if you need to have new lines installed.
1. Location of Existing Plumbing
The easiest way to run a new water line to an appliance is to connect to a nearby line. For instance, if you want to run a water line to an ice maker in the fridge, it is much simpler if the fridge is on the same wall where the water lines run to the kitchen sink. If the fridge is on the opposite wall, it will take more work and longer lines to hook the fridge into the existing plumbing, This can affect both installation cost and speed.
2. Type of Appliance
The type of appliance will also affect the cost and speed of installation. Simple appliances that require nothing more than a single line in and a basic drain line are much easier to install. On the other hand, if the appliance needs both a hot and cold water supply as well as the ability to drain a lot of water at once, such as with a washing machine, then a more involved water and drain line installation will be necessary.
3. Material Options
Depending on the appliance and your home, you may be provided with options when it comes to line materials. This is one way you can lower the cost of the installation project. Generally, you will have an option of copper piping or PEX pipes. Copper is typically the more expensive option. In some cases you may also have options like flexible tubing or metal flex lines. Weigh the benefits of the different materials against their varying costs when making a decision on what to use.
4. Need for Camouflage
If you need to hide the new water supply lines, expect to invest a little more. Running a line through a cabinet, such as to hook into a countertop ice maker, may cost extra in labor and time as well as in the length of line used. If bump-outs have to be installed to hide new lines, then expect both labor costs and completion time to go up.
5. System Requirements
Every system varies. Depending on the location, type of appliance, and your home's current plumbing, you may need to have additional diverters or pressure regulators installed on the current lines. Your installer may even need to update secondary systems, such as the drains. If you have older drain pipes, for example, they can be more narrow than modern pipes. This means you may need to have new drain lines installed to handle the supply flow from the new water line.
Contact a plumber if you need help with water line installation to a new appliance.