Samsung Refrigerator Question?

[DutchmenSport]

I winterize and unwinterize my High Country several times over the course of the winter because we take too many trips, leaving frozen Indiana for warmer weather in the Southern states and then return again.

This year, we will be in Louisiana January, February, and March.

Meanwhile, we are back home, anchored down until then, attempting to get some things done, doctor visits, and pets all taken care of.

We are still sleeping in the Montana every night (it's just our thing to do). With that said, we still have the refrigerator running. But!

We're expecting a cold snap and I'm concerned about that water line that runs under the slide for the ice maker in the refrigerator.

Some time ago, I installed a low point drain on that line, right at the point where the pipe comes through the trailer frame. It works great for when I pump the pink. Helps purge the water from that line, so I don't have to stand at the refrigerator and push that little button 30 or 40 times to purge the water until the pink stuff run. Now, only about 4 or 5 times after purging to that point and the pink flows.

This year though, I have not winterized anything. But I am concerned about that one exposed water line.

So, I went ahead and cut the water off to that line under the kitchen sink. I opened the low point drain for that line (under the sink), and I opened the low point drain I put in, and I disconnected the little blue water line from the second cut of valve beside the refrigerator (on the floor). I also shut the water pump off, and opened the kitchen faucet (cold water). The open ends allowed all the water to drain from all the pipes under the trailer, outside the side and all is good there.

However, there is still water (vacuumed) in the line running from that second cut off (at the floor) to the refrigerator itself. With no water pressure to push that water out, is there any way to drain that line (without disconnecting it from the back of the refrigerator itself to break the vacuum?

Pushing the button on the ice maker to cause it to cycle does nothing, except try to dump the tray that has no water in it now, but it's not under pressure. And no.... I do not want to pump the pink.

The good side is, that line is all inside the camper and we're keeping the camper heated, as we sleep in it every night. Still, I'd like to know how to actually drain that blue little hose without using the pink stuff, which would probably require the entire camper would have to be winterized.

Thoughts anyone?

[MandK]

You could hook up an air line from your compressor (40 psi or so) and push your button on the ice maker or just let the ice maker run normally. After a few ice cycles, the line will be free of water. You will notice the ice cubes get smaller until the process finishes.

[Jay & Bobbie]

Is your refrigerator on a slide (mine is)?
The water line below the slide on mine has a union that can be disconnected to drain the water from the refrigerator and between the union and the low point drain. That way, I don't have to pump pink stuff into the icemake line at all.

[DutchmenSport]

Originally Posted by Jay & Bobbie

Is your refrigerator on a slide (mine is)?
The water line below the slide on mine has a union that can be disconnected to drain the water from the refrigerator and between the union and the low point drain. That way, I don't have to pump pink stuff into the icemake line at all.

Yes, it's on a slide. Where the water line comes through the frame, I hooked up a drain right there so I don't have to disconnect the water line under the slide any more. With that drain and the low point drain for that same water line under the kitchen sink, I can easily drain the water from the kitchen sink to the silver cut off (little blue tube) beside the refrigerator. Then keep the valve closed to that line under the kitchen sink. No need for pumping pink.

But my concern was draining the residual water left in that blue line connected to the refrigerator and the water that might remain in the ice maker. The refrigerator has a heater to keep that line from freezing. That's how the water will continue flowing inside the freezer compartment. But, if the refrigerator is unplugged (completely off), any water remaining in there, because of the vacuum effect, could potentially freeze and cause damage.

When pumping the pink, all the water is displaced. When simply draining, there is still water in the ice maker. No problem as long as the refrigerator is still running and heat is on inside the camper. Shut everything down and then there could be a potential problem when things freeze up.

So, I was wondering if there was some way to drain the water from the ice maker to the end of that blue tube water line, because it's under a vacuum with no opening.

I did push the button on the ice maker several times and caught a little bit of water at the end of the blue tube in a coffee cup. Maybe when the ice maker tried to cycle, it opened the internal valves just enough to let air in, break the vacuum and let it actually let gravity drain it. So, maybe it is drained, I just don't know it.

That's why I was asking.

[Jay & Bobbie]

The only sure way to completely drain that water supply line would be to disconnect it on the other end at the refrigerator. That would require sliding the refrigerator out, and I know you don't want to do that.
I would take comfort in knowing that the PEX pipe will expand and contract without bursting as long as you have done all you can to relieve water pressure from the pipes.
Mark's compressed air solution may work, but I have no experience doing that.

[JABURKHOLDER]

Vacuum pump