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clevere1
Premium Member
join:2002-01-06
Vancouver, WA

clevere1

Premium Member

[Appliances] How to clean out fridge water lines?

Hi All! I have a Maytag side-by-side fridge with built in water dispenser. The dispenser has been sitting a couple of months unused (it needed a new filter and I was being lazy). I am concerned that the water sitting in there all this time might have caused some bacteria build up. So I am curious, what's the best way to clean out the water line?

The ice dispenser has been working all this time btw.

skipon11
Premium Member
join:2005-06-09
Pittsburgh, PA

skipon11

Premium Member

Just let water run through it, until you feel that it is fresh.

Boricua
Premium Member
join:2002-01-26
Sacramuerto

Boricua to clevere1

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to clevere1
On the filter packaging it will tell you whether to run the new filter for certain amount of time or certain amount of water (a gallon or two).

clevere1
Premium Member
join:2002-01-06
Vancouver, WA

clevere1

Premium Member

So no needs to worry about the water that was sitting in the line for a few months? That's my biggest concern.

John97
Over The Hills And Far Away
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join:2000-11-14
Spring Hill, FL

John97 to clevere1

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to clevere1
said by clevere1:

The ice dispenser has been working all this time btw.

You do realize that the water for the icemaker also goes through the same filter, right?

clevere1
Premium Member
join:2002-01-06
Vancouver, WA

clevere1

Premium Member

said by John97:

said by clevere1:

The ice dispenser has been working all this time btw.

You do realize that the water for the icemaker also goes through the same filter, right?

yup. It's not the filter I am concerned about it. It's the water line from the filter to the water dispenser, which I think is different than the ice maker. (I could be wrong)

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

Anonymous_ to clevere1

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to clevere1

you know these lines can be replaced if that worried

Pacrat
Old and Cranky
MVM
join:2001-03-10
Cortland, OH

1 edit

Pacrat to clevere1

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to clevere1
My oldest daughter is a dental hygienist... and her office cleans their rinse water lines everyday with an antibacterial fluid to ensure cleanliness. If your lines sat idle for any length of time, I'd advise that they be disinfected in about the same way. Hydrogen peroxide may be the way to go! I'll see if I can find out what they use.

A quick phone call yielded this: a 1:10 solution of common chlorine bleach(Clorox), followed by a clear water rinse.

chip89
Premium Member
join:2012-07-05
Columbia Station, OH

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Just run vinegar though & rinse with water after. It works what's what Keurig says to do to clean out there stuff.

robbin
Mod
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX

robbin

Mod

Vinegar is for an entirely different purpose. Chlorine bleach would be the thing to use.

mityfowl
Premium Member
join:2000-11-06
Dallas, TX

mityfowl to clevere1

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to clevere1
So how are you proposing to run the bleach through the lines?

Gravity?

chip89
Premium Member
join:2012-07-05
Columbia Station, OH

chip89 to robbin

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to robbin
Still running Vinegar though would be a good thing to do while it's open due to the build up in the lines.

Jack_in_VA
Premium Member
join:2007-11-26
North, VA

Jack_in_VA to clevere1

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to clevere1
replied to wrong post. Sorry.
Jack_in_VA

Jack_in_VA to chip89

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to chip89
said by chip89:

Still running Vinegar though would be a good thing to do while it's open due to the build up in the lines.

Build up of what in the lines? Mine are just as clean inside as the day they first had water applied to them.

Pacrat
Old and Cranky
MVM
join:2001-03-10
Cortland, OH

Pacrat

MVM

Those of us with hard water are plagued by mineral (lime) buildup on most plumbing fixtures. Count your blessings if you're not subject to it.

chip89
Premium Member
join:2012-07-05
Columbia Station, OH

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I see you don't have hard water. Lime build up.

Jack_in_VA
Premium Member
join:2007-11-26
North, VA

Jack_in_VA

Premium Member

I have hard water but I have a water softener that works very well. No problems with buildup anywhere.

mildline
@comcast.net

mildline to clevere1

Anon

to clevere1
you are right to be concerned. mildew or algae or other growth can occur in any line or valve that has been left sitting.

e.g. - with one of those water dispensers with the 5 gallon bottles, they can get green growth slime etc in just a week of regular use.

vinegar is weak acetic acid, about 5%. good for dissolving white deposits.
bleach is weak sodium hydroxide, typically 6%. pool bleach is 12%. good for dissolving mildew and algae etc.

as mentioned, run bleach through that line. perhaps you can disconnect that short line itself, and clean it alone.

another option not mentioned is running boiling water through the line.
or boiling the line itself, to sterilize it.

note too that you will want to clean the valve itself.
Moffetts
join:2005-05-09
San Mateo, CA

1 recommendation

Moffetts

Member

Bleach is a solution of sodium hypochlorite, not sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide is in drain cleaner.

mityfowl
Premium Member
join:2000-11-06
Dallas, TX

mityfowl to clevere1

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to clevere1
I repeat How are you guys going to get any solution in a 1/4" line?

DarkHelmet
join:2014-02-21

DarkHelmet

Member

said by mityfowl:

I repeat How are you guys going to get any solution in a 1/4" line?

The fridge has a pump. Turn the water off and detach the line. Put it in a bucket of cleaner then push the water button on the fridge. Or do something like this article says.
»www.huffingtonpost.com/2 ··· 646.html

Jack_in_VA
Premium Member
join:2007-11-26
North, VA

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Of the millions of refrigerators with ice makers and water dispensers just how many actually worry about cleaning them much less "trying" to do it?
lutful
... of ideas
Premium Member
join:2005-06-16
Ottawa, ON

lutful

Premium Member

said by Jack_in_VA:

Of the millions of refrigerators with ice makers and water dispensers just how many actually worry about cleaning them much less "trying" to do it?

Very few people in USA bother to regularly sanitize all water paths in appliances.

*** Note for OP, we discussed some methods in: »[Appliances] sanitizing ice makers

printscreen
join:2003-11-01
Juana Diaz, PR

printscreen to DarkHelmet

Member

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Perhaps I am mistaken and some do but never heard of a refrigerator with a pump for the water dispenser. At least mine does not have one.

DarkHelmet
join:2014-02-21

2 edits

DarkHelmet

Member

said by printscreen:

Perhaps I am mistaken and some do but never heard of a refrigerator with a pump for the water dispenser. At least mine does not have one.

Something like this.
»www.ebay.com/itm/D-Kenmo ··· 92847812

Jack_in_VA
Premium Member
join:2007-11-26
North, VA

1 edit

Jack_in_VA

Premium Member

Deleted. Trying to limit the MAYHEM on this topic.

DarkHelmet
join:2014-02-21

DarkHelmet

Member

said by Jack_in_VA:

BS I just tested this incorrect information. I unplugged my unit and the water dispenser works just fine. Drew out a lot just to be sure there was not a pressurized vessel. A pump requires electricity, unplugged there is no electricity. Water dispenser works.

Unplugged mine doesn't work. How do I know? Let's say they engineered the fridge poorly so the water line freezes a few times a year and I need to hook up a compressors to blow out the line. But again this is an internet forum so believe whatever you want.

Jack_in_VA
Premium Member
join:2007-11-26
North, VA

Jack_in_VA

Premium Member

Yes It is and posters can make all the outlandish claims they want.

A pump would hinder blowing out the line with compressed air.
Expand your moderator at work

printscreen
join:2003-11-01
Juana Diaz, PR

printscreen to DarkHelmet

Member

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Re: [Appliances] How to clean out fridge water lines?

That is a solenoid valve, not a pump. The seller has this wrong. There are actually two valves there. One for the ice maker and one for the water dispenser.

And also this is why the dispenser does not work with the refrigerator unplugged. The solenoid valve will not work without power because it is an electromagnet that opens the valve when you push the dispenser handle or when the ice maker controller fills the ice tray with water. There are separate valves because they serve separate lines.