When we finished a playroom in the basement a few years ago, we had
pointed out the on/off valve/faucet thing that was in the basement
ceiling. I think it goes to the icemaker in our refrigerator upstairs.
We marked it and asked them to leave an access panel. They neglected
to do this!

In two days, we have to move our refrigerator so they can put hardwood
floors down in the kitchen. We will not be getting a new refrigerator
for a few weeks. How do we disconnect the icemaker and move the frig
without having a "flood"? We don't want to tear apart the playroom
ceiling looking for that pipe. Must we turn off the main water line to
the house? Can we clamp off the pipe or icemaker somehow? I wish we
could just move it 3-4 feet to the front hall without diconnecting it
so we could keep it there until our new one is delivered and installed,
but I doubt it would reach that far... We do have room for it in the
mud room, and could certainly live without the icemaker until the new
one arrives in a couple weeks ~ BUT we can't leave the main water off
for that long!?

What is the best way to solve this problem? Thanks!

call the plumber and have him install the ice cube water lines to the
mud room and to the kitchen in convenient places for your future uses.
various service panels at www.hdsupply.com
otherwise you will be gambling with visegrips.

if this is a DIY project and your willing to live without the icemaker
while the fridge is relocated

locate main home water shut off and turn off, carefully remove solenoid
valve from rear of fridge, disconnect electrical connectors and water
OUTPUT!

Tape over electrical connectors remaining on fridge and move it to new
location, you dont want anyone shocked like small kids by exposed
electrical connections.

the solenoid valve now attached to the water line shouldnt leak, and
the fridge with a non functional icemaker can now be moved to a new
location.

push the icemaker control to the off position.....

you really need to address the long term access issue of the valve,
frankly i hate plastered basement cielings or this reason

On 11 Apr 2006 03:03:19 -0700, "sarapamela"
wrote:

When we finished a playroom in the basement a few years ago, we had
pointed out the on/off valve/faucet thing that was in the basement
ceiling. I think it goes to the icemaker in our refrigerator upstairs.
We marked it and asked them to leave an access panel. They neglected
to do this!

In two days, we have to move our refrigerator so they can put hardwood
floors down in the kitchen. We will not be getting a new refrigerator
for a few weeks. How do we disconnect the icemaker and move the frig
without having a "flood"? We don't want to tear apart the playroom
ceiling looking for that pipe. Must we turn off the main water line to
the house? Can we clamp off the pipe or icemaker somehow? I wish we
could just move it 3-4 feet to the front hall without diconnecting it
so we could keep it there until our new one is delivered and installed,
but I doubt it would reach that far... We do have room for it in the
mud room, and could certainly live without the icemaker until the new
one arrives in a couple weeks ~ BUT we can't leave the main water off
for that long!?

What is the best way to solve this problem? Thanks!


Go get an inline compression fitting or saddle valve from the home
center. Turn off the water main. Install the new valve (takes maybe
ten minutes), close you new valve and turn the water main back on.
Forget you ever had another valve lost in the ceiling.

Add another shutoff valve where you can see it.
Turn of the water main first.
Should take you 5 minutes using a compression fitting.

There's a specific circle of hell for people who do this.
Yeah, turn off the house water and add another valve in line.
Alternately, there's a plumbers' tool for copper tubing like a big pair
of pliers, when you squeeze it one way it squishes the tubing flat,
shutting it off; then you move the tube and it squishes it back into
round again, opening it again. I guess copper can stand a bit of this
kind of treatment, but I'd still take the opportunity to put in a
valve, and move the filter holder to an accessible place too. All
praise to Maytag, who put the filter in the fridge front where you can
get to it!

sarapamela wrote:
When we finished a playroom in the basement a few years ago, we had
pointed out the on/off valve/faucet thing that was in the basement
ceiling. I think it goes to the icemaker in our refrigerator upstairs.
We marked it and asked them to leave an access panel. They neglected
to do this!

In two days, we have to move our refrigerator so they can put hardwood
floors down in the kitchen. We will not be getting a new refrigerator
for a few weeks. How do we disconnect the icemaker and move the frig
without having a "flood"? We don't want to tear apart the playroom
ceiling looking for that pipe. Must we turn off the main water line to
the house? Can we clamp off the pipe or icemaker somehow? I wish we
could just move it 3-4 feet to the front hall without diconnecting it
so we could keep it there until our new one is delivered and installed,
but I doubt it would reach that far... We do have room for it in the
mud room, and could certainly live without the icemaker until the new
one arrives in a couple weeks ~ BUT we can't leave the main water off
for that long!?

What is the best way to solve this problem? Thanks!

sarapamela wrote:
When we finished a playroom in the basement a few years ago, we had
pointed out the on/off valve/faucet thing that was in the basement
ceiling. I think it goes to the icemaker in our refrigerator upstairs.
We marked it and asked them to leave an access panel. They neglected
to do this!

And it sounds like you neglected to remember what you told them to do
and have them make it right before you paid them, 'eh?

Jeff (The Devil made me say that...)


--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

On 11 Apr 2006 03:03:19 -0700, "sarapamela"
wrote:

ceiling looking for that pipe. Must we turn off the main water line to
the house? Can we clamp off the pipe or icemaker somehow? I wish we

If you do that, by adding more hose, let the hose end at the
refrigerator or firmly tied IN the sink, so that if the clamp fails,
it will drain into the sink.

could just move it 3-4 feet to the front hall without diconnecting it
so we could keep it there until our new one is delivered and installed,
but I doubt it would reach that far... We do have room for it in the
mud room, and could certainly live without the icemaker until the new
one arrives in a couple weeks ~ BUT we can't leave the main water off
for that long!?

Sure you can. How far is the nearest stream?


What is the best way to solve this problem? Thanks!

Thank you all for your suggestions. I am glad we seem to have a few
options to try and that we will not have to "resort to using the
closest stream"!?

Yes, we paid the contractor before realizing that, in spite of our
pointing out the valve and putting up a sign, the ceiling guy failed to
provide the access to that area...