Are stainless steel braided supply lines really better?

[Norminn]

Well, we had about 1" of water in the kitchen, adjoining the laundry room, and I didn't want to think of the plywood cabinets with brand new facing beginning to expand or warp, hence my degree of hysteria :o) My husbands always move fast when I am approaching hysteria....that particular one divorced me. Fine with me.

Done, about a year before the flood. New tile and paint job in D.R. We were pretty much done with renewing/replacing/refreshing....hubby got mad when I tore up faded, old wool carpet in guest room without his permission. I had been pretty much out of the habit of seeking permission for about ... oh, 40 years.

[krw]

Some dishwasher give no room underneath to work (maximize interior space). Connecting the tubing after installation is impossible. The supply can't be connected before installation because there is too much chance of kinking the supply line, without knowing it's kinked. Stainless is the best alternative.

[nestork]

No, I meant soft copper tubing that comes in rolls, not lengths.

It's just that I never use the stuff, and so the correct terminology never came to mind.

[nestork]

I hooked up both sister's dish washers, and both of them had a kick plate at the front of the machine that could be removed to allow access to the motor and pump under the dish washer. In both cases, the water valve was right at the front of the machine (just behind the kick plate) so that you had good access to the water valve for connecting a water supply line to it. One sister had a Maytag Performa dish washer, which was a builder's brand, and I forget what the other sister had.

Braided stainless steel would certainly be a bit easier because of it's greater flexibility, but there's no reason why soft copper tubing wouldn't work well and last just as long. You just have to make a compression connection, that's all.

Perhaps what would sway my choice the most is that with a braided stainless steel water supply, you can disconnect and reconnect the supply tube to the water valve a gazillion times, but you can't do that more than a few times with a compression connection without concern that the connection is going to leak even when fully tightened. I don't know if the braided stainless steel dish washer supply hoses are different, but other stainless steel supply hoses have a gasket built right into the 3/8 end that seals off any leaks, whereas with a 3/8 inch compression fitting relies entirely on metal-to-metal contacts to prevent water leaks, and I'd trust a gasket to stop a leak better than metal-to-metal contacts.

[micky]

It must be late. I read the line above as sister's death wishes.

[krw]

Right. Some have oodles of space underneath to work. Some don't. The higher-end tend not to. They want to squeeze every square inch (and particularly every vertical fraction of an inch) into interior space and insulation. Contractor grade units are trivial to install.

It'll last, alright, if it's installed correctly. Unfortunately, you often can't tell if it gets kinked when the machine is slid back. It's not usually such a problem with a 'fridge because you can see it as it's slid back. It still happens, though.

[dave]

How safe is the water coming through braided steel lines (what is the risk of chemicals leaking into the water from the inner plastic tubing)?

[Ed Pawlowski]

I don't see where it would present a problem. No worse than any other plastic that is used for water supply.

BTW, my last house was built in 1948 and had a lead water main from the street into the house. No one living there ever had a problem, nor did anyone from the other few hundred houses built that way.

[gfretwell]

Most of that just depends on the pH of the water. Hard water with a high pH will coat the inside of the pipe and sequester the lead to some extent. If you have mildly acidic water, the lead is coming along for the ride.

All that said, most lead is actually traced back to kids eating paint.

[philoÂÂ]

I think the stainless steel braided lines have a rubber or plastic interior anyway. I just installed one a few days ago but did not examine it closely.

If it is stainless steel all the way through it's fine.

Stainless steel fixtures and work areas in the food industry are usually a requirement.

BTW: My house was built in 1898 and the incoming water line is lead.

I had my water tested and was told first to use NO water for 12 hours so it could stand in the pipes ...then a water sample was taken. Next a second sample was taken after I just let the water run until cold.

The first sample had a tiny trace of lead in it...but the 2nd was lead free. I was told that the simple act of flushing a toilet was enough to clear the lines.

As a precaution though I put a filter on the kitchen sink and have a filtered spigot.

Side note: Most of my adult life I have been living in old apartments which were certainly fed by lead pipes. ...and finally: For my job...I worked with industrial batteries which are made of lead...so I was required to have lead tests every six months. My lead level was almost immeasurable...certainly well below anything to think about.

[Ed Pawlowski]

I get up in the middle of the night just to clear the water lines.

[philoÂÂ]

Yep...due to my age and the inflexibity of my bladder I am usually up at

4am. No lead accumulating in my water lines :)

Now a BIG QUIZ for anyone interested:

I figured it was about time I replaced that leaky water hose. Even though the hardware store had one of the correct length...why did Philo's brain select this one?

Hint: It was not simply because a shorter hose would have a sharper bend and possibly crack (eventually).

[Ed Pawlowski]

Possibilities: It was the same price so you got more for your money You liked the nice curve The curve lessens water hammer You for got the measurement so figured longer is better You just had this lifelong desire for a longer hose (understandable)

[clare]

Or leaded fuel residues

[ericjwelch]

[gfretwell]

No

[trader_4]

No? I just bought some to install a sink faucet. They also have "flood sa fe" ones, where if there is an attempt at huge volume, eg a total burst, th ey shut off. I've heard of some people having problems with them here I thi nk. Also, copper can be used with a dishwasher, that's what I have. Conne ction is made at bottom front, after its in.

[Wade Garrett]

Yeah, I installed flood-safe hoses on my washer several years ago and soon after, it quit filling properly. I didn't connect the two events and since the washer was real old, decided to replace rather than yet another repair.

In casual conversation, the washer sales guy asked why were shopping for a new one and I mentioned it stopped filling. He asked if I'd recently installed flood-safe hoses. When I said yes, he asked if I still had the old hoses around and I said I did. He said to try sticking them back on and see if the problem went away.

It did- and I went back to the same store to buy new regular hoses from the guy, thank him, and gave him a bottle of good bourbon.

[clare]

They won't bulge and burst - but the liner can still deteriorate and crack. "generally speaking" braided lines ARE a better protection against catastrophic failure.

[clare]

Actually "yes" but generally sold as hydraulic lines. Just about anything is more vibration and fatigue resistant than "soft copper" which work hardens.