Bit of broken washer clogged my fridge line!!!

budhoff66

I was replacing the washer on the valve under the sink and must have left a piece of the old broken washer. It clogged the line, I tried blowing it out from the fridge end to no avail. this is a copper line that goes up into the attic and down the wall behind the fridge. I was thinking of borrowing an air compressor and blowing it out. Can anyone offer an alternative?
Thanks in advance.

Just Bill

Air compressor should do the job, next option is to replace the line. Are you sure it is on that line and has not migrated to the frig???

Grampa Bud

What part of the states do you live in Bud? Unless you live in the deep South you should never run water lines up into an attic and back down another wall. If for no other reason than the line may leak at some point and destroy almost anything below it. Also if you are in a colder clime the 1/4" line that feeds your refrigerator may freeze, ending your water supply, or burst (leak) up in the attic and cause more damage. Do you have a 1/4" stop just for the refrigerator or is it a 3/8 x 1/4 stop for the kitchen sink? Have you tried turning the stop on carefully with the line disconnected? The debris could be caught in the small port in the stop for the 1/4" line.

budhoff66

Thanks Bill, it's definitely in the line, I am 100% sure a bit of the rotted washer broke off and went in there as water flowed for a second then slowed to a drip while the other end was disconnected from the fridge. Its just too much of a pain in the butt to replace this line! Thanks Grampa Bud, I live in South Florida, there is no threat of freezing, the line is about 10 years old and has no internal corrosion. It starts off as a 3/8" from the valve under the sink, and steps down to a 1/4" (soldered) before it goes into the wall, I was thinking that the bit might be caught thereat the stepdown. My lungs, unfortunately don't have enough power to blow forcefully back through 25' of tubing! :o)