Had a similar situation in one of my rentals—fridge was only about 2 years old, plastic line split right at the connector. Tenant didn’t notice for a few days, so I ended up with water under the flooring and a repair bill around $600 (plumber, minor floor patching, and a new line).
- Stainless braided lines are now standard for me, regardless of fridge age.
- Cost is minimal compared to water damage headaches.
- Not just an “old house” thing—installation and how tight the fridge fits matters a lot.
Honestly, I wouldn’t call it overkill. Once you’ve dealt with water damage, the $30 upgrade feels like cheap insurance.
Tenant didn’t notice for a few days, so I ended up with water under the flooring and a repair bill around $600 (plumber, minor floor patching, and a new line). - Stainless braided lines are now s...
Never thought about switching out the plastic line until I read stories like this. But honestly, I’m still on the fence. My fridge came with a plastic one, and it’s been fine for three years—maybe I’m just lucky? Part of me wonders if it’s more about careful installation than the material itself. I get the “$30 upgrade feels like cheap insurance” angle, but sometimes I feel like I’m just being sold on fear of worst-case scenarios.
Yeah, I hear you. I’ve had the same plastic line for a couple years now and no issues either. Sometimes I wonder if swapping it is just fixing something that isn’t broken. But those horror stories do make me pause... tough call.
Honestly, I get where you’re coming from. I used to think the same thing about my old plastic line—if it ain’t leaking, why mess with it? But then a buddy of mine had his split right behind the fridge and it soaked the floor before anyone noticed. That kind of freaked me out a bit. Still, I figure a lot of people run those lines for years without any issues at all.
I swapped mine out for braided stainless just for peace of mind, but I probably overthink this stuff. The plastic ones are cheap and easy to replace if you ever do see a problem. If yours is holding up and you keep an eye on it, you’re probably fine. Sometimes it feels like half of home maintenance is just deciding which “what ifs” are worth worrying about...
I hear you on the “if it ain’t broke” logic, but I’ve seen way too many water damage calls from those old plastic lines splitting out of nowhere. Stainless is a little more upfront, but it’s cheap insurance compared to fixing floors or cabinets. Out of curiosity, did you have any issues with the shutoff valve when you swapped lines? Sometimes those get stuck or start leaking after being untouched for years...