Can I still use my Kenmore side by side without connecting the water lines

Yes, the water line connection for your ice maker and for the in door drinking water will just not work obviously, but all other functions will work fine and no damage will occur by not hooking up to water.

Where you hook the house water line is to the water inlet valve which is a one in two out solonoid controlled valve. One side goes to the water dispenser in the door and the other hooks to the ice maker connection.

So I suspect the long water line you are talking about has had the lines switched at the valve and needs reversed. The long line probably goes up the back of the unit and connects to the ice maker. The one for the water dispenser should hook to the water chiller resevoir and then to the water dispenser.

If you are taling about tool thast hooks to water line under the sink you use a peircing tool that you can buy at any harware store for about 5.00 it fits on the cold copper line and when connected. tyou turn in to peirec the line and it remains on the line.

You should push water line in valve firmly until you feel it snap into place. You should not be able to pull it out once it's inserted correctly without pressing the little button around water line opening.

I am not an expert on refrigerators, but generally you hook a 1/4" (copper or plastic) line to a solenoid valve to the back of your refrigerator, which you then hooks up to a filter, which then ties into an existing compression fitting, or saddle tap on a cold water line (usually on the kitchen sink). Some refrigerators have a place for a filter to fit which runs to the cold water, and not an exposed rear solenoid.

white connector on the valve connects to the icemaker fill line
gree connector on valve to water in the door
blue connector to the filter or house connection

yes you need to hook up a line froun the cold water supply of the house to the water valve that is located at the back of the ref to the water valve that is down at the botton right corner
follow the water line from the top going into the icemaker down to the bottom there is where the valve is located behind the back cover

Just like my kenmore
Thats normal with some ref

I am having the same problem, it leaks with a filter and without a filter, I even tried making it really really tight. What else could it be?

When installed some debris may have gotten into your water valve and partially clogged it which is located where the water line hooks to your frig. Stargazer