My local hardware store carries white nylon and stainless water supply lines. Is one better/stronger than the other? I want to change my kitchen sink lines but i'm not sure which to choose.
- posted
17 years ago
Question about water supply lines
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- posted
17 years ago
I like the stainless But in reality there both just a fancy rubber hose. You can also use the chrome tubes with compression fitting but there more of a pain in the ass to do. Also it would be best to take your old ones with to make you get the right fittings on the ends.
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17 years ago
Sinks take one fitting type, toilets take the other. Unless they are some sort of commercial units, the tube diameter is all the same. Of course you need the right length, or a little longer.
Personally I prefer the solid chromed tubes with compression fitting. They wont rupture. I have seen the hoses rupture and that can be a real mess. It happened to a neighbor of mine, who was a very old widow who lived alone. She called me early in the wee hours of the morning in tears. The shutoff on her toilet was stuck so I I shut off her water main until the stores opened to get parts. She lost lots of carpeting, things were soaked in the basement, some floors warped, and the plaster on the wall behind her toilet was ruined. It was a real mess. I replaced it with a new valve and a chromed tube.
Of the two types, the stainless steel are hoses with that S.S. webbing around the hose to reinforce it. Thats probably the better of the two if you dont want to mess with a solid tube. I am a person who believes that all water under pressure belongs in a solid metal pipe. I dont use those supply hoses, wont install pvc or any plastic pipes (except for drainage). That's just me. I'm old and is the way I was raised. Now a days that PEX seems to be the latest trend. I would not even consider it. My house is all copper tubing with chromed tubes under sinks and toilets. My only hoses are the ones on the washing machine and I always shut the spigots off when not using the washer. I've seen enough garden hoses rupture outdoors and that thats enough for me. Of course outdoors in the summer is no big deal.
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17 years ago
I agree with most every thing you say. I also like the chrome tubes but most people don't have a tube bender or the skill to make it look nice. Also you will run into deferent size fitting needs on your sinks and some water closets. I even ran into a 5/8" ID water closet supply nipple old house. As for the stainless braided hoses I've seen a lot of pressure up against them in testing systems (125 PSI) they are also used in hydronic system for supply and return to coils so I feel they are a safe choice. But you are right if you have a failure chances of a small drip are slim. Now as for PEX advantages cheap to install, in one week you could master it no real skill level. Well I like to call it Garden hose plumbing, I can't believe they let them use this crap it's a disaster waiting to happen. But with the rising cost of copper I can see why they are getting it pushed into code. But one fact is the rodents love it and they will chew into it.