What’s included
- Refrigerators connected to an existing ice maker valve or wall box
- Tee and quarter-turn valve added at an accessible cold supply
- Saddle valves removed and replaced with proper fittings
- Plastic or kinked copper tubing replaced with braided stainless
- Leaks at the fridge inlet fixed
- Fridge pulled out and set back level
What we don’t do
- Relocating a fixture or cutting in a new drain.
- Gas piping, apart from reconnecting the same flex connector.
- Main sewer lines, under-slab leaks and buried pipes.
In Alhambra homes
About 77 percent of Alhambra homes were built before 1980, according to a city housing report, so most kitchens never had a water outlet behind the refrigerator. Lines added later often run from the sink’s cold supply through a cabinet, held on by a saddle valve. The EPA’s Fix a Leak Week page says the average household’s leaks waste more than 9,300 gallons a year, and a slow drip behind a fridge is easy to miss.
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Get a quote in one text
Send photos behind the refrigerator and under the kitchen sink, and the fridge model. Our number for photos is (310) 628-9399, and the price comes back before any work is booked.
Checking for hidden leaks
The EPA suggests reading the water meter before and after a two-hour period with no water in use. If it changes, something is leaking.
Saddle valves
A saddle valve clamps onto a pipe and pierces it. The seal wears with time. We replace it with a tee and a quarter-turn valve that can be shut off cleanly.
Tubing
Thin plastic tubing turns brittle and can crack or slip off its fitting. Braided stainless line is sturdier and easier to move when the fridge comes out.
Service loop
We leave a loose loop of line behind the fridge so it can be pulled out for cleaning without straining the connections.
Condos
In a condo we connect within your unit from an existing valve or the sink supply. Shared building lines stay with management.
Softened water
If you have a softener, some people prefer to feed the fridge from a cold line before it. We tee off whichever line is reachable.
First ice
Many refrigerator manuals say to discard the first few batches of ice after a new hookup, while air and loose particles flush out.
Filters
Most refrigerators have a built-in filter. If yours does not, an inline filter can go on the line.
Wall boxes
A recessed ice maker box with its own valve can be replaced like-for-like if the valve leaks or won’t shut off.
Time
That depends on the job; we’ll tell you after seeing photos.
Where our part ends
A new line through walls or floors, or to an island with no supply, is outside our scope.
In older Alhambra houses this job often turns up next to hose bib and shutoff valve replacement, dishwasher installation, under-sink leak and P-trap repair and faucet repair and replacement, so mention those when you text and we can price them together.
Sources: City of Alhambra, housing needs report (age of housing stock); U.S. EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week.
Ice maker line installation questions from Alhambra homeowners
Why does my ice maker keep saying add water?
Low water pressure, a kinked line, a clogged filter or a closed valve. We check the line and valve before looking at the fridge.
Can a handyman install an ice maker water line?
Yes, from an existing cold supply or valve. New pipe through walls is outside our scope.
Why is my ice maker not making ice?
A frozen line, a closed valve or a bad inlet valve on the fridge are common causes. We check the water supply first.
Worth a read: what our low water pressure guide says about ice maker line installation.
Repair guides for this job
- Replacing a toilet without harming a vintage tile floorReplacing a toilet in an Alhambra bath with original 1920s or 1930s tile: measuring the rough-in, repairing the flange and protecting the old floor.
- Low water pressure at one faucet, shower or toiletWhy one faucet, shower or toilet in an older Alhambra house runs weak, the quick checks you can do first, and what a repair visit looks like.
- Replacing a garbage disposal under an older kitchen sinkWhat to check when a disposal hums, leaks or will not turn on, and how we fit a new one under the deep vintage sinks found in older Alhambra kitchens.
- Fitting a new faucet to an old sinkHow to tell which new faucets fit an older sink, why vintage wall-mount and widespread sinks need care, and what our faucet replacement visit involves.
Looking for a handyman in Alhambra for more than one job? Send the whole list and we’ll price it together.
We serve Alhambra first, plus Monterey Park, San Gabriel and other nearby cities. Have a question? See the handyman FAQ.