Icemaker/fridge supply box depth...

Spaceball1 · Sep 12, 2011

Sometimes I swear that Big Orange (Home Depot) exists just to make my life miserable..

I'm installing 1/2" copper from a supply line in my lower level utility room to the wall behind my fridge (in the upper level kitchen)

I bought their standard icemaker box/valve, drilled a hole in the middle of soleplate, and soldered the copper pipe to the bottom of the valve. And whaddya know... when I drop the supply pipe through the hole in the sole plate, the front of the box is more than an inch behind the finished drywall. By the looks of it, I would've had to drill at the front edge of the sole plate for the box to end up flush with the drywall where it belongs. Stupid cheap junk... And I can't take it back because I soldered to it..

Anyway.. From what I've read here, a box/valve/hammer arrestor is the way to go. Who makes the box that's recommended here? Where can I get it? Will the front face of the box line up with my finished drywall with my supply line coming up through the middle of the sole plate?

It looks like the box shown in the 2nd post of this thread would work..
https://terrylove.com/forums/showthread.php?33349-Icemaker-Shutoff-Valve&highlight=icemaker+box

JohnjH2o1 · Sep 13, 2011

You have to move the water line. Take a look at your link and you will see that the water line is in the front of the plate.

John

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

hj · Sep 13, 2011

Do you mean you drilled the hole and connected the water line to it WITHOUT measuring where the hole should be? If so, it was NOT Home Depot that "made your life miserable", because NO ONE else would have had the problem. Most boxes have a "tab" that fastens to an adjacent stud and automatically positions the BOX in the correct position, THEN you drill the hole for the water line.

Spaceball1 · Sep 13, 2011

johnjh2o1 said:
You have to move the water line. Take a look at your link and you will see that the water line is in the front of the plate.

John

I could be wrong, but to me, that picture looks like 2x6 framing with the front of the pex about 1" away from the front edge of the sole plate. If the sole plate in the picture were a 2x4, the pex would be closer to the middle of it..

The box at HD is so shallow that it looks to require a notch in the front of the sole plate rather than a hole through it. Is this correct?

Spaceball1 · Sep 13, 2011

hj said:
Do you mean you drilled the hole and connected the water line to it WITHOUT measuring where the hole should be? If so, it was NOT Home Depot that "made your life miserable", because NO ONE else would have had the problem. Most boxes have a "tab" that fastens to an adjacent stud and automatically positions the BOX in the correct position, THEN you drill the hole for the water line.

Yes I did drill the hole before putting the box on the wall, and I don't think that putting the hole in the middle of the sole plate was an unreasonable assumption, either.

In instances of running a wire, pipe or anything else through framing, (joists, studs, sole plates, top plates) you go though the middle of the structural member so that the lumber retains as much strength as possible, right?

Because of that, I think that most other people doing this for the very first time would have had the exact same problem, especially considering that there was no indication about depth in the instructions or drawings included with the box.

Sure, if I'd done this before I would've known. But if I'd done this before, I wouldn't be here asking for help either.

Terry · Sep 13, 2011

When we buy anything to install, we take it from the wrapping and measure first, and then drill.

We don't assume anything.

If you have already soldered on the pipe, you can also heat it and unsolder it.
If you have space, you can use some fittings to move the line. Or you can move the hole in the wood.
You have quite a few options here.

Just make it happen.

Spaceball1 · Sep 13, 2011

I know, I know.. measure twice and all that.

It's just frustrating because in some instances you hear how you can only drill through the center section to prevent structural weakness, and you can't remove any more than __% of the material, and if you notch, it can only be __", and so on and so forth..

Oh, but wait... none of that applies for an icemaker box and there's no indication of that AT ALL in the instructions for the product.

Anyway... on to making it happen..

I'd rather not drill another hole in the sole plate because I'd only have like an inch of un-drilled sole plate left.

I guess I could use 45's to rough out an "offset" which would bring the pipe forward a little. I was just hoping to minimize the number of my own potentially leaky soldered connections behind the wall.

BobL43 · Sep 13, 2011

Spaceball1 said:
I know, I know.. measure twice and all that.

It's just frustrating because in some instances you hear how you can only drill through the center section to prevent structural weakness, and you can't remove any more than __% of the material, and if you notch, it can only be __", and so on and so forth..

Oh, but wait... none of that applies for an icemaker box and there's no indication of that AT ALL in the instructions for the product.

Anyway... on to making it happen..

I'd rather not drill another hole in the sole plate because I'd only have like an inch of un-drilled sole plate left.

I guess I could use 45's to rough out an "offset" which would bring the pipe forward a little. I was just hoping to minimize the number of my own potentially leaky soldered connections behind the wall.

That sole plate is not much to worry about unless maybe some heavy person falls hard into the wall behind the fridge, and if you're really worried about that, drive a couple of extra nails through it into the subfloor.

Terry · Sep 13, 2011

The sole plate isn't a concern. With a 3" pipe, there is nothing left of the sole plate.

If it were a floor joist, then you would have to worry about placement.

Jadnashua · Sep 13, 2011

Not all walls are load bearing, either...it's not a big deal. You do want to install a nail plate over it, though.

Gary Swart · Sep 13, 2011

If you for some reason completely removed the sole plate between the studs, you would not affect the strength of the wall. As Terry pointed out, it's not the same a a floor joist. But, if your really worried about it, drill the new hole in the proper location and fill the old hole with rock putty. Cover it up and no one will ever know.

hj · Sep 14, 2011

quote; , especially considering that there was no indication about depth in the instructions or drawings included with the box.

You had the BOX, you did NOT have to rely on ANY "instructions or drawings", and you know what happens when you "assume". Even when I read the installation directiions, I MEASURE the actual valve because quite often the instructions were written by someone who had never installed the valve and are incorrect. We go "through the middle" of framing members to PROTECT the wires and pipes from damage, NOT to insure the integrity of the framing. (And I have "cursed" many electricians for doing it when they knew my pipe had to go past them in that same space. Some have had to rewire after I cut their wires to fit my pipe in because they had pulled the wires so tight there was no slack to deflect them.)

Spaceball1 · Sep 14, 2011

hj said:
We go "through the middle" of framing members to PROTECT the wires and pipes from damage, NOT to insure the integrity of the framing.

Whether for integrity or protecting wires/pipes, the typical installation still goes through the middle of the framing. This box is set up for something different, and there's no indication that it's different. The product could be more user friendly.

BobL43 · Sep 14, 2011

Spaceball1 said:
Whether for integrity or protecting wires/pipes, the typical installation still goes through the middle of the framing. This box is set up for something different, and there's no indication that it's different. The product could be more user friendly.

ipso facto

JohnjH2o1 · Sep 14, 2011

Spaceball1 said:
Whether for integrity or protecting wires/pipes, the typical installation still goes through the middle of the framing. This box is set up for something different, and there's no indication that it's different. The product could be more user friendly.

Take a closer look at the box. If the line came through the center of the box it would be very difficult to turn the valve as the handle on the valve would hit the back of the box.

John

Terry · Sep 14, 2011

It's pretty rare that we run water lines in the center of a stud space.
Normally we have waste and vents to deal with, and the smaller water lines have to find their way around those.

hj · Sep 14, 2011

quote; Whether for integrity or protecting wires/pipes, the typical installation still goes through the middle of the framing.

Actually, I SELDOM put the water pipes in the "center of the framing" because that is WHERE the drain lines are and I have to go past them. The typical water line is about 1/2" back from the face of the wall to the front of the tubing, and sometimes even less. Which appears to be the "perfect" location for the water line to your box. Which is also WHY we have to put "protection plates" over most water lines, (it would NOT be necessary if the lines were in the "center" of the wall).

Spaceball1 · Sep 14, 2011

Well, whatever the case.. I was able to get it all in. I sweated on a 45 and a 45 street elbow to make an offset. That brought the box forward enough to get the trim plate on. So far, all joints are holding. I did turn off the root valve where I tapped into my main for the night tonight. I want to keep an eye on things for a few days just to make sure everything's good..

Icemaker/fridge supply box depth...

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