Refrigerator Water Line

bnyosemite · 02-05-2018, 02:03 PM

I'm wondering if anyone has had an issue with their refrigerator water line. I have a 340 RB. I've been away for a month and connected to city water last night. I woke up to water all over the floor. I found the source to be the water line to the ice maker. On my unit the water line comes in under the dinette seat. That's where the leak was. I thought maybe it was due to a freeze but I found a tiny pin hole leak in the tubing which I can't see coming from a freeze. The tubing is wrapped in a blue foil with two electrical lines running down it. I'm assuming this is some sort of heating element. I had to tear it apart to find the leak and can't get to the end the foil without a lot of work and don't need to do so to fix the leak. I'm just wondering what this is and how it works. Have I destroyed it by stripping the foil? I would think not, that the foil is just used to conduct heat around the tubing. Does that mean the the two wires heat up? And when would power be sent to the wires? It's not like there is a switch unless it runs off the switch to the tank mat heater.

Any ideas?

5picker · 02-05-2018, 02:09 PM

Do you have a photo?

bnyosemite · 02-05-2018, 02:11 PM

I guess I answered my own question. I stuck a meter on the two wires and got a connection on the ohm meter. When I turned on the tank heater the connection was broken and one of the wires started to get warm.

Now I'm a little worried about the whole setup. There is some discoloration of the tubing where it was wrapped in foil. I inadvertently left the tank heater on for a month when I left my unit last time. I wonder if the thing got too hot and weakened the tubing resulting in my pin hole leak.

bnyosemite · 02-05-2018, 02:32 PM

Picture showing heating element, foil, and where the heating element connects to the coach wiring.

Click image for larger version

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5picker · 02-05-2018, 02:53 PM

What make/model is the refrigerator?

bnyosemite · 02-05-2018, 10:46 PM

It’s a Whirlpool residential. Not sure what difference that would make.

5picker · 02-06-2018, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnyosemite

It’s a Whirlpool residential. Not sure what difference that would make.

It will help those trying to answer your questions find pertinent information on that specific model.

Whirlpool residential is of no help. Whirlpool makes hundreds of models and when trying to be helpful to someone else, it's best not to guess.

The internet can be a great source of information when troubleshooting but without specific make/model data, there isn't much hope finding anything that might be helpful.

I'll let you carry on from here.
Best of luck.

bnyosemite · 02-06-2018, 06:40 PM

The key here is "pertinent information." If I were to ask a question about the refrigerator I would certainly include specific information. But I was asking a question about a good old fashioned generic 1/4" OD plastic tube that developed a pin hole leak and which Forest River had wrapped with a wire that heats when the tank heat switch is on. What that would have to do with the specific model of refrigerator is beyond me.

I agree that the internet can be a great source of information and that's why I posted this here in the LEGACY sub-forum where other LEGACY owners would see it and why I provided detailed information about the tube and heating element including a picture. I think that's pretty freaking specific.

I'll let you carry on from here.
Best of luck.

tmartin · 02-06-2018, 11:19 PM

My ice maker waterline broke on my legacy last summer, it was not heat traced. We were in the coach camping and caught it before it flooded everything. Mine was a small crack in the tubing. I think the line was pinched in the flooring behind the refrigerator. I was able to wrap the tubing in electrical tape and continue to use it for the remainder of my trip. I did turn off the water pump when it was not needed in case my repair leaked. I purchased the stainless branded line and replaced it. I was able to pull the new line through the walls and floor with the old line My unit is the 340kp and the water connection was in the bathroom. Yours is heat traced and the foil is the insulation. I think once it has failed, you have a high probability of another leak. If you can, replace the entire tubing and reuse the heat trace. It’s easy to pull through the foam and you can buy more spray foam at the big box stores. Hope this helps.

bnyosemite · 02-06-2018, 11:55 PM

Thanks, that's helpful. I'd like to replace it but I'm afraid that will be a job. In the 340RB the fridge is on the big slide next to the dinette. The water line comes under the slide under the dinette seat and then to the fridge. I'm sure this is why it is heated as it is exposed under the slide. Tracing it all the way back underneath the slide (it's with two bundles of electrical cable, each bundled in black plastic protective tubing) and then to the source is going to be a challenge.

For the time being I've replace about 18 inches (until I reached well past any discoloration). I'm still baffled as to how I'd get a pin hole leak. You would think if it failed it would be a split.

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