Help finding 1/4" compression ice maker fitting

[Justintime2]

I've got an ice maker outlet box setup behind my fridge but the thing points straight out 90d from the wall which impacts the fridge pushing far enough back to still maintain ventilation but not be out any farther than needed. I'm looking to find a 90d elbow that I can't seem to locate.

Need a 1/4" female compression thread to a 1/4" male compression thread 90d elbow. I'll include a pic so if I'm not describing it properly you guys can translate for me. I want the SS braided line in the photo to elbow up instead of coming straight out.

 

[Spunks]

I just ran into this same issue with an apartment I just remodeled. Had no luck locally but came across this site. https://www.doityourself.com/forum/plumbing-piping/586131-right-angle-fitting-fridge-water-line.html

The "special" fitting is what your looking for.

 

[Walkers]

I just turned the valve 90 degrees more.

 

[Killer95Stang]

Without a picture taken farther back showing everything you have to work with, we are all just guessing. But... it looks like you have a 1/2"fpt x 1/4" compression angle stop with a built in water hammer arrestor as part of the assembly. Get a crescent wrench or small pipe wrench and give that angle stop another 90 degree turn clockwise, so the 1/4 compression side now faces to the left inside the box. Simple...

 

[Justintime2]

There's nothing more to see, you're looking at the entirety of it.
No way to simply turn the valve/water hammer assembly further clockwise as it just moves/tiwists (with heavy resistance) what I'm presuming is pex pipe below it and returns to the same spot. Like the housing it's mounted to is just sandwiched between the bottom and top flats to keep it upright and in place. Can't really believe that an adapter of this sort isn't easy to find but I will try the link above (thanks for that!)

 

[Justintime2]

The link to that fitting above (which was the one I needed) says it's been discontinued by the manufacturer. Ugh...

 

[Justintime2]

Believe this is the one, anyone confirm?

 

[619DioFan]

Home depot has 1/4 inch brass elbows. As well as various adaptors. Perhaps I am missing something but the pic looks pretty straight forward as far as adding an elbow that hd carries

 

[Justintime2]

It's possible I missed something at HD but they don't carry this.

 

[619DioFan]

Believe this is the one, anyone confirm?

Hd has those.

 

[619DioFan]

At the hd I use the small brass fittings are by the sprinkler type fittings

 

[Justintime2]

I'll check HD again tomorrow, thanks!

 

[619DioFan]

Everbuilt model # 802039 or 802099

 

[Justintime2]

Neither of those HD ones are correct, they're not compression on both ends

 

[Justintime2]

That plumbing link I posted only goes to a pic, it's 4th up from the bottom, left column

Brass Compression Fittings for Potable Drinking Water

Purchase the brass compression fittings that are compliant with the 2014 Federal Safe Drinking Water Act for your project application.

www.plumbingsupply.com

 

[619DioFan]

Does the stainless line thread on ? If so an elbow should as well

 

[Justintime2]

Yes the stainless line threads on, male valve side, female line side, standard ice maker setup. Problem is finding a 90d elbow that is compression thread on both sides with one being female and the other male.

 

[yatg]

https://www.plumbingsupply.com/compression-fittings.html
1/4 female comp x 1/4 male comp, 90

 

[finn]

Ace or True Value would both have them here.

 

[Justintime2]

Neither Ace or True Value have it, not even an commercial plumbing Co locally had one. Think lots of folks are mistaking 1/4" pipe thread 90's which won't work for compression ones.

 

[Justintime2]

https://www.plumbingsupply.com/compression-fittings.html
1/4 female comp x 1/4 male comp, 90

That's the same one I linked to above from another poster who linked to a thread that ended up finding it. Thanks for confirming, so strange it's that difficult to find.

 

[619DioFan]

I am confused as to the difference between the above posted pic and the ever built ones sold at hd. I can see no difference in thread design between the the two. When I think compression fittings they are for plastic water line and have a sleeve and ferrul. Can someone explain the difference as related to the pictured unit and hd offering ?

 

[Justintime2]

Different threads, ones tapered and ones parallel but they are not compatible with each other.

 

[rlitman]

https://www.plumbingsupply.com/compression-fittings.html
1/4 female comp x 1/4 male comp, 90

Close, but with that fitting, you can't determine where it stops. I could swear I've seen these with a collar nut on the female side (like how a female hose end works) that allows you to clock it correctly (though I guess pretty much angle angle would work with a hose). I'd try my local Ace and give up if it isn't there.

The alternative would be to find a female compression to male NPT fitting, and a female NPT to male compression street elbow. It'll stick out maybe only 1/2" more.

But before you go there, having the compression face straight out is crazy. It should be at a 45 degree angle so you don't have this issue. Can you somehow pull the box out? If it's supplied by PEX, you WILL be able to rotate the PEX on the fitting so long as it's not sharkbite or compression. Expansion, crimp and cinch fittings can all be forced to rotate a little, yes, even under pressure (just be gentle, and maybe a drop will escape while you're turning it). Compression can be loosened (with the water off) and then turned.

 

[iamrfixit]

Hard to tell from the pic but it looks like you have a compression adapter fitting screwed into the valve. Take the braided line off and then remove that adapter fitting from the valve. It's probably just pipe thread in the valve so the elbow should be easy to find.

 

[619DioFan]

Different threads, ones tapered and ones parallel bu they are not compatible with each other.

Thanks , learn something new here every day

 

[rlitman]

Hard to tell from the pic but it looks like you have a compression adapter fitting screwed into the valve. Take the braided line off and then remove that adapter fitting from the valve. It's probably just pipe thread in the valve so the elbow should be easy to find.

GOOD EYE!!!

That's a brass 1/2 male NPT to 1/4 compression adapter screwed into the side port of the tee. Take it out and put a street elbow in the middle, and you're GTG. Or do like I said above and turn it 45 degrees.

After further research, I need to retract this.

 

[crazylunker]

if you go back to home depot, check near the toilet/sink faucet fittings, not the brass fitting area. also an appliance repair business may have one they could sell you.

 

[inyoyote]

the fitting your looking for is included with an ice maker installation kit which includes a line and the elbow. I have a couple on my truck but I’m sure I’m nowhere near you. Ace hardware definitely sells them and they come with a new stainless braided hose. $20 or so for various lengths. It’s probably time to replace your hose anyway. i can get an item number tomorrow if you need it.

 

[Justintime2]

Hard to tell from the pic but it looks like you have a compression adapter fitting screwed into the valve. Take the braided line off and then remove that adapter fitting from the valve. It's probably just pipe thread in the valve so the elbow should be easy to find.

Yes that's a good catch, we thought it may be but the commercial plumbing outfit compared it to their ice maker kits and believe it may be an integral part of the valve assembly, in essence forming part of the ball valve capturing system as the whole things pretty compact. Decided against trying to remove it after that as if it was and self destructed then I would have to figure out a solution to a bigger problem then the hoses direction.

 

[Justintime2]

the fitting your looking for is included with an ice maker installation kit which includes a line and the elbow. I have a couple on my truck but I’m sure I’m nowhere near you. Ace hardware definitely sells them and they come with a new stainless braided hose. $20 or so for various lengths. It’s probably time to replace your hose anyway. i can get an item number tomorrow if you need it.

It would be great if Ace carried them but I couldn't find anything other then pipe thread street elbows and none that came with a line kit. Hose is brand new for what it's worth!

 

[rlitman]

Yes that's a good catch, we thought it may be but the commercial plumbing outfit compared it to their ice maker kits and believe it may be an integral part of the valve assembly, in essence forming part of the ball valve capturing system as the whole things pretty compact. Decided against trying to remove it after that as if it was and self destructed then I would have to figure out a solution to a bigger problem then the hoses direction.

Yeah, I kind of see what you mean. I found the LSP 0504 (visible in your picture) spec sheet:

https://s22970.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/MIMB_SpecS_2082021_Digital.pdf

And I have bad news. According to the sheet, the 504 is copper sweat by compression, so yeah, that part probably is integral to the valve, and even if you can get it out, it will not have an NPT thread inside. However, also according to the spec sheet, the 504 doesn't have a hammer arrestor, so something isn't quite right, and maybe it still is actually PEX underneath?

You can take the surface trim off the box, and try to take a look in the gap at the bottom with a light. If it's PEX, and not tightly secured, there's a chance you can actually pull the box out to turn the fitting. If it's copper, forget about twisting it!

 

[Justintime2]

It's PEX below, can't see it through any gap at the bottom as it's fitted behind the sheet rock and too tight but I found it below in the crawl space. Think the easiest fix here is getting one of those female/male compression elbows and call it a day. Here's a pic from below, it's the white one And there is no slack or service loop in it below to be able to pull up even if I could pull the valve or wall box. It's in their like a puzzle, box to stud with flange around it like an outlet box, Sheetrock over it and then the cover snaps on. So all the plumbing connections were done before Sheetrock went on and trapped the whole assembly in there. Ugh...

 

[rlitman]

It's PEX below, can't see it through any gap at the bottom as it's fitted behind the sheet rock and too tight but I found it below in the crawl space. Think the easiest fix here is getting one of those female/male compression elbows and call it a day. Here's a pic from below, it's the white one And there is no slack or service loop in it below to be able to pull up even if I could pull the valve or wall box. It's in their like a puzzle, box to stud with flange around it like an outlet box, Sheetrock over it and then the cover snaps on. So all the plumbing connections were done before Sheetrock went on and trapped the whole assembly in there. Ugh...

That's normal for plumbing. It shouldn't have a service loop like electrical, because motion in PEX leads to rubbing, which is bad. I just wish I knew what sort of connection was in there and whether it could be made to rotate or not. Oh well. Yeah, that elbow should work for you.

 

[yatg]

Close, but with that fitting, you can't determine where it stops. I could swear I've seen these with a collar nut on the female side (like how a female hose end works) that allows you to clock it correctly (though I guess pretty much angle angle would work with a hose).

Think in this case, when you're just using the male/female threads, that its sealing on the threads and not compressing anything. Use some tape and dope and clock it.

 

[rlitman]

Think in this case, when you're just using the male/female threads, that its sealing on the threads and not compressing anything. Use some tape and dope and clock it.

Maybe, I'd have to see one close up, and the pictures online aren't helping. But the add-on-tee compression fittings I'm familiar with that also screw onto a compression end are a metal to metal seal that works like a union. So my guess is it has what looks like an inverted flare on the inside that mates with the compression chamfer.

 

[iamrfixit]

Yes that's a good catch, we thought it may be but the commercial plumbing outfit compared it to their ice maker kits and believe it may be an integral part of the valve assembly, in essence forming part of the ball valve capturing system as the whole things pretty compact. Decided against trying to remove it after that as if it was and self destructed then I would have to figure out a solution to a bigger problem then the hoses direction.

I wondered that as well, couldn't see enough info on the valve assembly for any attempt to research the valve for comparison. Don't think you'll find an elbow to connect directly to a compression fitting, I doubt anyone makes a fitting like that for standard water line connections, I know I've never seen one. This type of fitting does not seal with the threads, but rather with the flare. In order to tighten and get a particular orientation the elbow would need to have a swivel nut. Something more like a hydraulic fitting, but those fittings are not interchangeable with this.

Since you have PEX water lines, the easiest would be to just try and clock the valve. No matter whether they used crimp ring, clinch ring or an expansion type connection, the fitting should turn inside the tubing without creating a leak.

Pull off the plastic trim ring around the box to gain some access. If the gap between the box and drywall is too tight, you can carefully trim the drywall back to gain access to the lock ring that secures the valve to the box. If you don't trim too much the flange of the trim ring should still be able to cover the gap.

 

[DJF3]

Have you tried any of your local plumbing wholesalers? That's where I ended up finding a specialty fitting. They should have icemaker kits etc.
Another option would be to either purchase or make a new hose with a 90 fitting....

 

[Justintime2]

Checked every imaginable place in our large city/county I could and nothing, even commercial plumbing Co's. Think that linked female/male 90 compression fitting is the only thing in existence for this apparently.

I did not think of finding an 1/4" SS braided compression line with a right angle on one side but have never run across one.

 

[Justintime2]

What I've done so far.
I put a wrench on the base of the valve inside the box and rotated it clockwise as far as I thought I could without feeling like the PEX was going to be compromised below. In essence giving it a bit of a new memory point. It settled back into an angle bringing the line out the corner of the box instead of straight out. This situates it much better. I also found out the valve is getting slow leak by when closed which won't be a problem with the line hooked up and attached the fridge so I'm going to leave it. Someday it's gonna beed to be replaced though.