As New York City plumbers, we get a lot of questions about home appliances and how they relate to your home’s plumbing. Summer is coming, or so we’ve been told, and that means it’s a good time to talk about that hard working appliance: the ice maker.
Most households who have ice makers have them integrated into their refrigerators, although portable ice makers are gaining popularity. This brings us to our first question:
Does an Ice Maker Have to Hook to Your Home Plumbing?
There are two types of ice maker: those which have a water chamber you fill manually as needed to produce ice, and those which connect to your plumbing to source water as needed for ice production. Ice makers that need to be filled manually tend to be smaller, portable units, such as countertop models. The majority of ice makers require being connected to your home’s water supply line.
Does an Ice Maker Require Drainage?
There are two types of ice maker: those which keep the ice frozen and those that don’t. If your ice maker keeps the ice frozen, the unit most likely does not have a drainage component to its design. However, for the majority of ice makers, which do not keep the ice frozen, drainage is required to carry away the melted ice.
Do I Need a Plumber to Have an Ice Maker Installed?
When you’re having a new ice maker installed, either as part of a refrigerator or as a free standing unit, having a plumber connect the appliance to your plumbing is strongly recommended. This is especially true when the installation involves drilling through cabinetry in order to access your existing water supply lines.
Because ice maker installations are not an emergency service, you can schedule them at a time that suits your schedule and budget.
