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An ice maker is a beautiful addition to whatsoever kitchen. It makes the hot summer months more than endurable and helps with many tasty drink recipes. Unfortunately, not every model of refrigerator comes automatically equipped with an water ice maker. This leaves many homeowners left to wonder if they can add an ice maker to their refrigerator themselves.  Well, nosotros have researched these questions and more for you and written on it downwardly below.

You'll demand to configure your fridge to take an ice maker auto. This includes the proper mounting holes for the freezer compartment, inlet ports for h2o lines, and harnesses for electrical connections. Make sure to buy an water ice maker kit specified for your blazon of refrigerator model and installation should become just fine.

Many details go into making sure this procedure goes smoothly and safely, so continue reading below as nosotros break the process down further for you.

Interior of an ice maker with ice inside, Can You Add An Ice Maker To Your Fridge?

Installing an ice maker onto your refrigerator

Some models of newer refrigerators forgo installing ice makers equally a affair of economy. This allows dealers of refrigerator models to sell them at a discounted price, at the efficiency toll. Information technology's quite likely, nonetheless, that later purchasing i, you're going to want all the benefits of an ice machine. That's where installing an ice motorcar yourself comes into play.

Up close photo of ice inside an ice maker

Thankfully, provided yous follow prophylactic instructions and pay close attention, the installation procedure is a relatively uncomplicated one. You have to mountain the ice maker in your freezer compartment and plug in the water and electrical components.

Equally mentioned above, you can but install an water ice maker on an apparatus configured to accept it. Your showtime pace should be consulting the brochure of your refrigerator to see if it can accept an water ice maker in the first place.

A quick note on safety

When installing your ice-making auto, take care not to identify your easily in the motorcar'southward moving parts. Even when non turned on, the pieces are incredibly sharp. The risk of injury is extremely loftier if you're careless.

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What is needed to install an ice maker?

Firstly, y'all'll demand the ice maker kit, every bit sold by your refrigerator's manufacturer. This will include the ice maker unit of measurement, the water supply valve, and the necessary tubing and hardware to secure the unit. In terms of your equipment, the requirements are pretty uncomplicated.

A screwdriver, a nut driver, a small razor knife, and a pair of pliers will get the task washed. With both the kit and these tools in hand, yous're ready to start installing.

How do I install an ice maker in my refrigerator?

An ice maker photographed up close

First, you're going to want to uninstall your fridge from the wall outlet and then open your freezer. Remove any freezer shelves, and open up your workspace every bit much as possible. Now y'all tin begin.

Installing The Maker

Locate the plastic plugs on the back and side of your freezer

Gently remove them with your directly blade screwdriver. The ii on the side of the freezer are the mounting holes for the ice maker, while the one on the back is the wiring cover plate. The round plug is where the water fill tube volition enter through the back.

Next, you're going to want to expose the water inlet

On the dorsum of the refrigerator, yous should be able to locate a sticker marking where to install the water inlet tube. Yous'll see a small Ten where y'all're meant to cut through with a razor knife. Bend the sticker back and pull out the foam insulating plug. This serves equally a temporary barrier between the room air and the cold refrigerated air. Pull it out to betrayal the pigsty.

Now comes connecting the ice maker wiring

To install it, you'll need to observe the wiring connection point. In the larger pigsty you uncovered at the back of your freezer, you'll find the plug-in wiring harness. These two harnesses volition snap together and lock. Replace the covering on the wire harness opening.

At present it is time to mount the ice maker

To practice then, start by partially mounting the two driving screws into the screw openings on the side of the freezer cabinet.

Hang the ice maker on these mounting screws and then tighten them downwards with a nut driver. Locate the leveling bracket, attach it to the lesser of the water ice maker, then install the water ice trays and drop the ice-lever down to the lowest level.

Installing the tubing

Side by side comes installing the tubing

Brainstorm by inserting the h2o tubing into the pigsty in the back of the fridge y'all opened upward previously. Rotate the tube slightly to the left, so back again to lock information technology into identify. In one case locked in place, return the cream insulation over the tube, pressing it firmly in place.

Connect the water tubing by attaching the plastic tubing by screwing the terminate connector onto the threaded fitting at the end of the fill tube. Using pliers, securely tighten the force per unit area nut. Now attach the two self-agglutinative water tube clamps to the back of the refrigerator.

Skin away the bankroll, so apply them to the refrigerator then they are applied evenly. Clip the tubing into the clamps and then that it extends downwards to the bottom of your refrigerator, so punch out the perforated opening where the water valve will fit. Push the ending of the tubing into the inlet opening on the water valve, making certain it'due south firmly attached.

Locate the Wiring Harness

On the bottom right of the refrigerator, locate the wiring harness. Information technology volition be a white plastic plug-in connector with 2 wires coming out of it. Pull information technology out and plug information technology into the h2o valve's electric connection, pressing the harness over the brass terminals. No other electrical connection is necessary.

Mount the water valve

Attach it to the refrigerator frame using mounting screws driven into the holes in the back of the appliance. Once mounted, reinstall the dorsum cover. The water valve should extend through the opening.

Finish installation

With the ice maker installed, all that remains to do is run a water supply tube from a cold h2o supply pipe to the water inlet fitting on the top of the refrigerator'south make full valve. After this, merely plug in your refrigerator, plow on the h2o, await for information technology to become cold, and exam the freezer'due south operation.

Do fridges with ice makers need to be plumbed in?

If you programme to use the water ice maker in your refrigerator, or you've just installed i in your fridge for use, yous're going to need to plumb it into your water line for use. This is how your fridge gets the h2o for use in making ice and dispensing water.

If these features are unused in your current setup, plumbing is unnecessary and volition likely crusade problem downwardly the line that typically comes with plumbing and pipes.

Can a refrigerator have an ice maker without a h2o line?

Some people might prefer not to install a water line in their fridge but still want ice. There are several reasons for this, such as not wanting to fence with leaks and performance issues.

There are several ways you can make ice without attaching h2o lines, such as alternatives like ice cube trays and countertop water ice maker machines. These are portable, piece of cake to clean, and volition save yous the hassle of dealing with plumbing.

Click here to view the countertop ice-making machine.

How much is an ice maker for a fridge?

Installing an ice maker in your refrigerator for the outset time tin cost upwardly of 420 dollars. Professional installation is going to run you lot more than doing it yourself.

Still, you risk doing more than plush harm if you try installations you aren't prepared for. Repairs for already installed ice makers generally price less, ranging from 90 to 300 dollars, depending on the nature of the repair.

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In Closing

Installing an ice maker yourself can salve yous a lot of money in multiple ways. Both on the initial buy of a refrigerator that will exist less expensive due to not including the ice maker initially and on the installation itself if you lot're able to do it safely and correctly.

There are also enough of other ways to get refreshing ice if you lot want it without having to pay for an expensive water ice maker in your refrigerator while dealing with pipes.

Any selection you go for, we promise this article helped y'all detect a way to beat the oestrus and enjoy yourself.