2

My plastic ice maker water hose broke and I decided to switch it to a stainless braided hose. The stainless braided hose needs a larger hole to pass through. While I have access to drill larger holes through the cabinets the tubing also passes behind a dishwasher and range. I'd rather not have to pull the dishwasher out so how can I drill a larger hole while still leaving something I can use to snake the new water line through?

Improve this question
3
  • 1
    FYI, dishwashers are usually very easy to pull out. Two screws is all that's holding most in place. It only gets complicated if there's flooring running in front of the dishwasher feet and no room under the countertop to lift it.
    – isherwood
    Aug 2, 2017 at 19:41
  • @isherwood I replaced my dishwasher myself recently. There isn't enough slack in the drain hose (or maybe the supply hose) to get the dishwasher out far enough to get behind there and drill. I know disconnecting it and reconnecting it isn't difficult but it would be time consuming and opens up another area where something can go wrong, which tends to happen in older homes.
    – OrganicLawnDIY
    Aug 2, 2017 at 19:46
  • The braided SS is just an armoring. The hose inside is plastic.
    – Jim Stewart
    Aug 2, 2017 at 20:47

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
4

As I was typing my question I had a thought so I'm answering my own question.

My plan is to make a hole at the end of the tubing and tie some cable pulling line (polypropylene string) and snake that through the original holes by pulling out the old tubing.

Next I'll tape or hold down the string so it's away from the hole and drill a hole next to the original hole that's the right size, slightly overlapping the old hole. That will allow me to pass the string from the small hole to the larger one but keep the string far enough away from the drill to keep it from snagging on the bit.

enter image description here

Then I can tie the end of the stainless braided tubing to the line and pull it through.

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    I don't understand why snaking something requires additional holes. Drill holes the size you need for your tubing, use a rod of some sort to fish a pull string, attach the string to the tubing, and pull it through. Presto.
    – isherwood
    Aug 2, 2017 at 19:40
  • @isherwood trying to find the whole blind is a pain and time consuming. I don't have enough space to use a long enough rod so I'd have to use something flexible like fish tape. By fishing the string using the tubing then the new tubing using the string, I don't have to worry about finding each hole for the 4 that would be difficult to do. Will save a lot of time. Then it's the problem of drilling a hole that has a string in it.
    – OrganicLawnDIY
    Aug 2, 2017 at 19:43

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.