Adding Cold Water Line

[Jacksnap]

I need a cold water line for an ice maker located against the interior of an exterior block wall (resi). Also, need to use this line for 2 exterior hose bibs. Some months ago, I had a plumber in to clear out a vent/drain. At that time I asked him how to get water to that location since overhead is out of the question and the foundation is slab. He said tap in the hose bib on the side of the house and run a 'line' along the buried cement footer, then come up where the ice maker is located and where the bibs are required.
Questions. I can tap the existing bib (comes out of the block wall) and add a tee, then down into the ground... all with copper pipe. Would it be better to then change to plastic underground on to where the bibs come up. Then going back to copper to exit the ground... or should I use copper all the way (about 60 feet with 90 deg corner)? Florida..no frost.
If copper all the way, is the coiled copper OK or do I need pipe?
Also, how deep do I have to bury the lines?
Also, If I do use plastic, do I have to sink a ground electrode to ground the ice maker water line feed?
What spec should the copper be?
What spec should the PVC be?
(Yes, I can solder copper)

[mdshunk]

I wouldn't change piping materials just because it's buried. Type K (best) or type L (good) would be the stuff to use when buried. Don't know crapola about florida's burial depths. Even if you did have isolated sections of copper pipe, driving a ground rod would serve no useful purpose. Isolated metallic piping sections are to be "bonded" and not earth referenced. Isolated metallic piping should connect to something else that is already bonded to the panel's ground buss such as the existing ground rod, footer rebar, different piping that's already bonded, etc. I'd suspect that the fitting on the frige that the line will connect to is already grounded by means of the equipment grounding conductor of the refrigerator's attachment cord.

A word about ice maker supply lines... don't use the crappy plastic supply line. Use copper line or a braided stainless steel ice maker supply line. Those coiled plastic lines are asking for trouble (meaning a flooded house).

[DUNBAR PLUMBER]

I use the braided stainless steel supply lines for the icemaker connection to valve so that customers can easily move the fridge without busting a copper or plastic line at the connection at solenoid valve.


Stick with the same materials that you have to begin with, makes for an easier install and eliminates needless worry down the road.


I landed a job today at sears; guy wants me to come in and tear out all the plastic piping in the home he just bought and switch it to copper. :D


Ahhhhh.........feels good being a walking billboard.

[Jacksnap]

I'd suspect that the fitting on the frige that the line will connect to is already grounded by means of the equipment grounding conductor of the refrigerator's attachment cord.
The ice maker solenoid/fitting is plastic! OK, I'll go with copper all the way on ya'lls advice; and use Dunbar's SS flex lines. Are type K and L fittings the same?The water pipes are embedded in the foundation slab and the water from the meter, 100+' away to within 16 inches of the house, is buried PVC. Also the water pipes previously were not bonded to the panel and are 24 feet away from each other.
When I discovered the PVC from the meter to the house about a year ago, I had sunk a second 8' copper clad rod at the entrance to the house and grounded the water. Just before my last inspection, I bonded the panel electrode and the aforementioned new electrode for the water with #4 bare copper; 25' (buried). The inspector said that was fine. Since the house was built in 1975, the inspector agreed that even though the piping is incased in the entire width of the slab foundation, there is no guarantee that back then it was bonded to the rebar.

[mdshunk]

Are type K and L fittings the same?
Fittings are the same for whatever wall thickness tubing you're using. The outside diameter of all those types of copper tubing is the same, but the inside diameter is different. Type K is extra heavy, type L is heavy, type M is crap. Most plumbers use L, but I use mostly K since that's what I got used to using when doing HVAC refrigeration lines. Once you use really heavy stuff for a while, using thinner stuff seems like you're doing something wrong. Type M is flatly banned in some jurisdictions.