Refrigerator Water Line

[extrachrispy]

I have a 2015 Jayco Pinnacle 36REQS. I noticed that the water line that feeds the ice maker in the refrigerator is external and has no insulation (it runs beside the wiring along a hinged arm under the slide). It's thus vulnerable to freezing even when you have the rest of the camper toasty warm and the fan on to warm the underbelly.

Given that this line has to flex a lot to move the kitchen slide in and out, I'm looking for suggestions to protect it. The best I've come up with so far is a piece of foam pipe insulation that I can put on when the slide is extended and remove when it's time to retract the slide (and hope I don't forget).

Thanks for any ideas.

[Radar57]

Foam pipe, similar to what you put on A/C lines would help. However, if it is cold for any length of time it would eventually freeze. That line is like a garden hose. I don't think it would rupture if if did freeze. If you use a foam cover put some type of streamer on it to help you remember to remove it before retracting the slide.

[ARoamer]

You may have more water lines to protect than just that one. If it's a lp/ electric rv fridge, inside the fridge cabinet rear there's a line and solenoid valve that would also be subject to freezing. My rant follows... I am not a ice cube lover. IMHO, I feel the hassles of a rv icemaker aren't worth having one. Ours has never been turned on. It's fed by the 5 gallon drinking water jug and 12v pump connected to a 120 vac adapter (really Jayco??) that I also do not use. I pulled the ice cube bin out for more freezer storage space. No winterization hassles or worries of freezing in cold weather. I do have 2 silicone ice cube trays if the need arises.

[extrachrispy]

Originally Posted by ARoamer

You may have more water lines to protect than just that one. If it's a lp/ electric rv fridge, inside the fridge cabinet rear there's a line and solenoid valve that would also be subject to freezing. My rant follows... I am not a ice cube lover. IMHO, I feel the hassles of a rv icemaker aren't worth having one. Ours has never been turned on. It's fed by the 5 gallon drinking water jug and 12v pump connected to a 120 vac adapter (really Jayco??) that I also do not use. I pulled the ice cube bin out for more freezer storage space. No winterization hassles or worries of freezing in cold weather. I do have 2 silicone ice cube trays if the need arises.

Now to find that valve...the owner's manual is long on "do this, do that," but very short on "where the hell is that?"

[TxLoser]

My Eagle is setup the same. Or similar at least. When my line wasn’t a water feature as it now, I kept it winterized during the cold months by isolating it via a valve in the island and also behind the lowest drawer next to the oven. This was with rv antifreeze in the lines. Now that it just feeds a water feature behind my fridge I keep it isolated year round, throw a bag of ice in the ice maker and call it good. RV water pressure was too low to feed the water dispenser as I’d like and it took too long to start birthing ice on a short weekend trip.

[ARoamer]

Originally Posted by extrachrispy

Now to find that valve...the owner's manual is long on "do this, do that," but very short on "where the hell is that?"

So true! My Pinnacle also has a icemaker manual shutoff valve in the kitchen island, one behind a drawer in the kitchen slide and the solenoid valve behind the fridge. Still wondering why 2 manual shutoff valves are used. Manual gave no location or quantity info, it's generic and vague at best.

[tee-bone]

We had a few days of hard freezing and had line behind the actual fridge crack. We don't use ice maker or water, so for time being I have just shut off line to fridge. It's going to be fun to fix....... NOT!

[TxLoser]

Originally Posted by tee-bone

We had a few days of hard freezing and had line behind the actual fridge crack. We don't use ice maker or water, so for time being I have just shut off line to fridge. It's going to be fun to fix....... NOT!

Mine has been that way for almost 2 years. It’s less hassle to buy a bag of ice for the ice maker than to fix. No one drank the water from the dispenser anyway.

Either I didn’t winterize it good enough or the dealer tested it after fixing the cracked hose under the slide and didn’t re-winterize. Not sure which and it would’ve been a draw pointing fingers at each other. it’ll stay that way.

[Flashdman11]

Well I guess we are the odd ones because we use the ice maker and water. Just turn it off during cold months but love it for summer use.

[Yooper906]

Originally Posted by Radar57

Foam pipe, similar to what you put on A/C lines would help. However, if it is cold for any length of time it would eventually freeze. That line is like a garden hose. I don't think it would rupture if if did freeze. If you use a foam cover put some type of streamer on it to help you remember to remove it before retracting the slide.

It can and will crack under a deep freeze. It's nothing like a garden hose. And ask me how much of a pain it is to access and replace.

[jetlag]

Originally Posted by Flashdman11

Well I guess we are the odd ones because we use the ice maker and water. Just turn it off during cold months but love it for summer use.

X2

[Rall1986]

We have an Eagle 334RLOK with the 5 gal water system. Back in January the temp did get into the teens and since then the ice maker makes ice but the water dispenser is very sluggish and only puts out a quarter of the water it used to. We did turn off the water system for a few days during the freeze but I have not been able to figure out what happened. I never used a filter since the water is from the 5 gal water jug. Any thoughts?

[Bigdog]

Originally Posted by Rall1986

We have an Eagle 334RLOK with the 5 gal water system. Back in January the temp did get into the teens and since then the ice maker makes ice but the water dispenser is very sluggish and only puts out a quarter of the water it used to. We did turn off the water system for a few days during the freeze but I have not been able to figure out what happened. I never used a filter since the water is from the 5 gal water jug. Any thoughts?

Try removing the filter from the refrigerator. Ours did the same thing, but the water flow is now back to normal.

[Flashdman11]

Originally Posted by Bigdog

Try removing the filter from the refrigerator. Ours did the same thing, but the water flow is now back to normal.

x2

We did the same thing; those things cost too much and don't last long for what they are worth. We have a filter coming into the camper so don't need another causing issues.

[rkymntsno]

I put foam piping on the line under the slide and it stays on. I winterize the fridge's water dispenser and ice maker. 2019, never had a problem freezing. 355mbqs