American Fridge contamination - help please!

[Daizylindsay]

Hello all, this is my first post!
My husband is a builder and has recently been doing up our house (well gradually since 97!), in October, after 18 months, we finally fitted the American fridge freezer - a Samsung plumbed one. Since then we have found a chemical taste in the ice and water in the fridge, after three engineer visits we have realised that the problem isn't within the fridge itself - we have fitted new tank and filters etc to no avail. The problem must be in the plumbing to the fridge itself.

Over the past week we have noticed a knocking sound from the pipe between the kitchen sink and the new fridge, it has got my husband thinking thatayne we need a non return valve between the fridge and the sink. The dishwasher/outside tap and kitchen sink all T off under the sink, does it sound viable that the contamination could be from these as we haven't got a non return valve?

 

[secret squirrel]

Sounds like the knocking noise is water hammer, the pipe to the fridge is either not clipped or has come loose,

you could put a non-return valve in but this would not be causing the contamination,

chemical taste in the water, check the pipework to make sure its connected to the right sourse first!

I'd physically check the pipework not just think, yes its connected to the cold mains!

 

[Daizylindsay]

Sounds like the knocking noise is water hammer, the pipe to the fridge is either not clipped or has come loose,

you could put a non-return valve in but this would not be causing the contamination,

chemical taste in the water, check the pipework to make sure its connected to the right sourse first!

I'd physically check the pipework not just think, yes its connected to the cold mains!

Thanks for your reply, we know that it is connected correctly to the cold main as he went under the floor yesterday and checked it. The pressure etc is really good it's just the chemical taste which is horrible. The engineer tested the taste before it went into the fridge by disconnecting it and letting some spray out and it still smelled foul.

 

[SimonG]

Was new pipework installed to the fridge or was it 'recycled'? Although all the ones I've piped up have an indepenant filter.

 

[Daizylindsay]

It's all new pipe work and the filter is internal.

 

[secret squirrel]

If the water is fine at the kitchen sink, disconnect the wate from the back of the fridge, taste the water from the copper pipe not the connector to the fridge. If this tastes fine and I'm sure it will there is a contaminant getting in from somewhere on the fridge side.

 

[Gray0689]

Do you use chilled water from fridge or just for ice?
Some filters you have to draw a lot of water through the filter to clear the carbon first

 

[Daizylindsay]

Yes we use chilled water and ice. We have drawn buckets and buckets out but taste still there. Husband has tasted water in pipes before fridge and they are nowhere near as bad but still tainted.

 

[nysk2008]

Have you had a look at the supply line after the filter but before the valve? Something may have worked through?

 

[so-solar]

How long is the pipe run from the cold main to the fridge? not sure how you could be cross contaminating from another appliance as they are only connected to the cold main? Try disconnecting all of the other appliances and run it through the fridge to see if they are causing the problem,

 

[jtsplumbing]

Is it only your house that has this problem ?? have you ask'd next door, Call local water board !

 

[clivetheplumber]

Had the same problem a few years ago and was due to the fridge being connected via a washing machine hose, rather than soft copper or hose supplied by manufacturer.

 

[street elbow]

Hi,

Have to agree with clivetheplumber, Do not use a washing machine hose, they are no good for potable water, use a dishwasher hose, they are normally black and thinner than a washing machine hose.

I think you will find this will cure the problem.

David