*This post may have affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclaimer for additional details.
Depending on your kitchen configuration, it may be too much trouble to hook up your water line to your ice maker. Maybe you don’t want to spend the money to extend a water line or it’s too complicated to find a suitable plumbing solution.
Not everyone wants a refrigerator that dispenses ice and water from the door.
These days, though, most fridge models come with water line options for automatic ice making and other functions that require water to be pumped into the appliance.
There are ways that you can make ice and even use an ice maker without a water line. All it takes is a little bit of preplanning and remembering to notice whether you’re getting low on ice.
Here are some workarounds to make sure you’ve always got fresh ice in the freezer without an external water line hooked up.
Table of Contents
Modern Refrigerators and Automatic Ice Makers
If you take a trip to the appliance store, you’re going to see that most refrigerators have water dispensers and automatic ice makers. They can be a fantastic benefit of having a modern appliance, but they’re not for everyone.
Can such a refrigerator be used without a water line?
Fridges with the capability for water dispensing and ice making can be used without a water line installed.
Some people choose to invest in a modern fridge despite not using the water line because maybe they’re planning on installing or extending a water line in the future. They don’t want to have to buy another appliance when the time comes.
However, for water dispensers and auto ice makers to work, they have to be connected to water. If you don’t have a water line attached to the fridge, you’re going to have to think of other ways to make your ice.
Making Ice Manually
If you’re wondering, “Can a fridge make ice without a water line?”, the answer is yes!
People have been making ice without automatic ice makers for centuries. If you’re an adult, you probably remember your younger days when you had plastic ice trays in a corner of your freezer.
If your freezer has an automatic ice maker without an attached water line, you can still make ice.
How to use the ice maker without a water line?
Well, one way is to add the water in yourself. It’s not complicated.
All you have to do is fill a cup of water and pour it into the ice-making receptacle. Usually, this is located on top of the automatic ice maker in the corner of your freezer.
You just pour the water over the area where the ice is made and the ice maker will do the rest.
How to Use the Ice Maker Without a Water Line
Water dispensers and ice makers are a feature, not a requirement.
If for whatever reason, you can’t connect your appliance to a water line, you’ll still get plenty of use out of your fridge. It will still keep things cool and you can still make ice with a bit of extra work.
If you’re unsure about pouring water into the automatic ice maker, there are other ways to keep your freezer stocked full of ice whenever you need a cold drink.
Here are two ways to do it.
Use Traditional Ice Cube Trays – You can buy traditional ice cube trays. They come nowadays in all sorts of configurations and shapes.
These can be a ton of fun for kids.
Use Ice from the Store – Another option you can use for when you either don’t have a water line or don’t want to hook your fridge up is to buy ice from a store and simply pour it into your ice cube box (also called your ice hopper) in your freezer.
Reasons Why Some People Don’t Want a Water Line
Even people who have the waterline option available may end up not hooking it up or disconnecting it.
The reason is that with a connected water line you are more likely to run into maintenance issues like leaks or excess condensation.
Left alone or missed for too long, water leaks can damage tile or wood floors and end up costing you more money in repairs down the line.
It will take you only a few minutes every week to manually make ice, so it’s a minor inconvenience most people have no issue dealing with.
Another option you can pursue is to buy a portable ice maker that you can stick on your counter. You simply fill it with water every now and then and it does the rest.
You get all the perfectly shaped ice that you need without any maintenance worries about leaks. You can even use a countertop model to fill your freezer’s ice storage and then keep using it as needed if you have a large number of guests or a party.