Leaking ice maker line

I got a new refrigerator a week ago. The ice maker is hooked up with 1/4" copper. The installer wrapped teflon around the threads on the compression fitting, but it leaked. I told him you don't use teflon on compression fittings, so he did it without and it seemed fine. A week later there is a small amount of water behind the fridge; so obviously it leaked. (I put a water detector back there, and I guess it paid off) The instructions say to use new fitting (he reused the old one) and to tighten it by hand and then one additional half turn. He really cranked it down.

I cut off the old fitting and reinstalled it. I couldn't really finger tighten it at all, but tried to follow the directions and not over tighten. It leaked. I gave it another quarter turn. It seemed fine, but in 30 minutes I saw some water, so it was leaking.

1) Do the directions make sense? I have to disconnect my 1/4" copper line to my humidifier at least once a year to replace the inline filter. I have always used the old fitting and cranked it as tight as I could using 2 wrenches. It has never leaked. What is the proper procedure? Should I give it another quarter turn, or will that risk damaging it?

2) I bought a braided steel line 10 years ago but never used it. Is it going to be okay to use, or does it get old just sitting there? If I use a braided steel line, what do you do with the extra when I push the fridge back in? (not knowing that might be why I never used it)

For the moment I have the water turned off.

 

Braided line still has rubber in it. That 10 year old piece should be scrapped.

You connect the braided line to the valve at the bottom of the fridge. Split the difference between the solenoid and where it connects or goes thru the floor. Tie a string to the line in the middle and put a loop on it. Set a hook in the wall behind the refrigerator as high up as will remain hidden. When you push the fridge back..... hang the string loop on the hook or use the string to help hang the braided line on the hook. Depends on what length you have.

 

Personally I always use copper for water lines, they will never break down and crack like I have seen with plastic.

First make sure the copper line is in good shape where the compression fitting it going, not bent, beat up!

Second, just get a new fitting but make sure it's not the cheap krap from China, get a good brand, NIbco etc.

I had some China copper fitting a few years ago and they were pitted and out of round, all that to save a few pennies!