[gatorbill1]

Originally Posted by jrref

Of all the crazy things i've seen here in the Villages homes i can't figure out what they were thinking by installing the round Flowtite water enclosure and valve for the refrigerator ice maker/water. The problem is the hose from the valve to the Refrigerator will not last forever. Typically they need to be replaced every 5 years to avoid a hose failure. The way it's set up there is no way to replace the hose without replacing the valve and to do that it appears you need to remove the housing in the wall.

Has anyone replaced this yet and if so can you give me some tips on how to do this without damaging the wall behind the refrigerator?

Needed to replace this in order to have new refrigerator with ice maker hooked up last year.
Did it myself, not a tough job.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by jrref

Do your research on water supply lines. Do you ever change your washer hoses?

Water supply hoses whether they are connected to your washer, refrigerator, sink, etc, most have a rated lifespan where they are not likely to leak or burst of around 5 years. Do many last longer, yes but you will never know when there will be a problem. That said if we had "normal" valves where you could easily unscrew the old hose and install a new one, it's relatively inexpensive mainentance that can be done by most homeowners or by a plumber or handiman.
From my experience working as a plumbers helper many years ago we found that the hose connector and or the valve could start leaking and in most cases homeowners didn't see it, especially behind the refrigerator and depending on the type of floor or under the sink it would usually do damage. Some hoses would just plain burst. When that happens depending on if you were home or not would depend if you needed to call a company like Service Pro or not to get all the water out of your house and repair the damage. So that said, you can do whatever you want. Be proactive and try to avoid a problem or just let it go and deal with the consequences large or small when it happens, and it will happen eventually.

From what i'm reading i'll have to try and pull the existing valve out and either replace it with the same or try to connect another type. Worst case i can cut the whole thing out of the wall and replace it.

For those who did or going to have the work done, any recommendations on someone who has done this before?

Just a reminder for all of us you get a distorted view depending on your profession.
A plumber see a ton a leaks. A cop sees a ton of criminals.

Far as washing machine hoses failing, how many people shut off the valves to the washing machine? You may have saved us a problem. We did have one fail many years ago the washing machine was in the basement which was unfinished. We not home and came home to several inches of water in the basement. I put on my waders walked through the water and turned off the power-perhaps dumb. I had a boat at the time.
We did not have a floor drain. I pumped out all that water using a plastic bilge pump and the battery from my boat.

Personality, I do not worry about everything that might go wrong, i deal with what does go wrong. My wife on the other hand worries about everything. I sleep well-she does not. We eat the same food. I have low cholesterol-she does not.

[Topspinmo]

If I had to replace that valve I’d use shark bite brand, (which the plumber will probably use or similar brand?). easy to install following instructions on Utube. they can also be easily be removed with the dollar removal tool. No damage to PVC tubing. Very easy once you get the Accr valve off. This has been brought several times before and in the do it yourself section. If can’t do it yourself call plumber.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Laker14

Well, that explains why I've never seen it.
I just bought this place last winter and haven't needed it, or to move the fridge yet.
When I have to change the water filter, and shut off the water supply, I guess I'll do it at the main. I'm not going to try to move that fridge if I can avoid it. It's a heavy sucker.

It’s probably on rollers?


You’re well over due for refrigerator to be pulled out, coils cleaned floor mopped and i ice maker filter replaced. This prevents refrigerator from over heating and ice to not taste like swamp water. Eventually it will not cool enough cause it overheating from all the dust/lint/hair on coils and fan. Mary take few years, but eventually it will happen.

[jrref]

Originally Posted by DAVES

Our previous home was built in 1948. We had all copper plumbing and valves. Replacing valves every 5 years? They only lasted 73 years are are still working fine. A leaking faucet? There is no way this plumbing or likely these homes will last 73 years.
But, then neither will I.
You rebuilt it with a five cent rubber washer. Even the seats were replaceable. I did replace the ball cocks with the plastic ones but they too were originally made of metal and you could simply replace the rubber parts. Oh and parts. They were universal, you did not have to find the one made by your toilet manufacturer or faucet manufacturer.
Yup, a lot has changed. A lot of it is filling landfills.

Right but i'm not saying to replace good copper or brass valves every 5 years. It's the hose that's the problem and with these push pull valves we have here in the Villages most of the hoses are crimped to the valve so you need to replace the valve to replace the hose. That's the problem. Once you replace the valve with a new one that let's you screw on a new hose then every 5 years or so you can just simply change the hoses.

[Malsua]

Originally Posted by jrref

Right but i'm not saying to replace good copper or brass valves every 5 years. It's the hose that's the problem and with these push pull valves we have here in the Villages most of the hoses are crimped to the valve so you need to replace the valve to replace the hose. That's the problem. Once you replace the valve with a new one that let's you screw on a new hose then every 5 years or so you can just simply change the hoses.

So I swapped out this exact valve for the fridge at my sisters house about 3 hours ago.

Rather than scoring the CPVC, I used my dremel with a rasp bit and cut it off, grinding it on two sides and essentially just peeled it off. Bit of a mess, but the CPVC was unharmed although you can see where the flow-tite teeth were resting.

I pushed a shark-bite valve over it, no leaks, all done.

I have twisted them off before, but that was in places where I had extra pipe and could snip off down to clean pipe. With this fridge valve, if the part that's stubbed out of the fridge housing is no good, I'm into a wall repair.

[70 Challenger]

I have replaced all the cheap push/pull valves in my house. They are easy to do. Just cut the hose off close to the valve, twist counter clockwise & pull at the same time. Then glue on a new one.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by DAVES

Our previous home was built in 1948. We had all copper plumbing and valves. Replacing valves every 5 years? They only lasted 73 years are are still working fine. A leaking faucet? There is no way this plumbing or likely these homes will last 73 years.
But, then neither will I.
You rebuilt it with a five cent rubber washer. Even the seats were replaceable. I did replace the ball cocks with the plastic ones but they too were originally made of metal and you could simply replace the rubber parts. Oh and parts. They were universal, you did not have to find the one made by your toilet manufacturer or faucet manufacturer.
Yup, a lot has changed. A lot of it is filling landfills.

1948? that must have been before the development of the disposable home.
About 15 years ago I had a lawnmower I bought at Lowe's. Admittedly I wanted the cheapest gas mower with a Briggs & Stratton engine I could find. I had a small yard. A few years later it was ear-splittingly loud. I found out the muffler was a "stamped" unit that could not be replaced. The idea was to throw it out after it got too loud.
WTF???
As I get older I think more and more in terms of "well, if it last a few years it won't be my problem anymore"...WTF?

[jrref]

Originally Posted by Malsua

So I swapped out this exact valve for the fridge at my sisters house about 3 hours ago.

Rather than scoring the CPVC, I used my dremel with a rasp bit and cut it off, grinding it on two sides and essentially just peeled it off. Bit of a mess, but the CPVC was unharmed although you can see where the flow-tite teeth were resting.

I pushed a shark-bite valve over it, no leaks, all done.

I have twisted them off before, but that was in places where I had extra pipe and could snip off down to clean pipe. With this fridge valve, if the part that's stubbed out of the fridge housing is no good, I'm into a wall repair.

Thanks, this is the information i was looking for. I'm going to try and twist off the flowtite valve and see if it comes off. Because it's in that box in the wall it may not work but taking a dremel to it, agreed i can probably take it apart without damaging the CPVC.

[frose]

low quality building cheap components.. they don't care how long they last, just get out of warranty