Little trick—finger tight, then a quarter turn with a wrench. That’s it.
Nailed it. Way too many folks think tighter is better, but that’s just asking for trouble. I’ve used the braided stainless kits a couple times—honestly, they’re pretty forgiving and save some hassle, especially in tight spots. Not as bulletproof as copper, but for a quick fix, they do the job.
Funny you mention the braided kits—I’ve had my share of wrestling with copper lines behind fridges, and honestly, those stainless ones have saved my knuckles more than once. They’re not indestructible, but for most folks doing a quick swap or repair, they’re a solid choice. Over-tightening is a classic rookie move... seen plenty of leaks from that. You’re spot on with the “quarter turn” rule—less is more when it comes to compression fittings.
Yeah, I totally get what you mean about the copper lines. I tried to reuse the old one when I swapped out my fridge a while back, and it was a nightmare—kinked it twice and ended up with a tiny leak I didn’t notice for weeks. The braided stainless lines just make life easier, and they seem to last longer too. I do wonder though, have you ever tried one of those “eco” plastic lines? I read somewhere they’re supposed to be recyclable, but I’m a bit skeptical about how safe or durable they are compared to stainless.
Also, on the over-tightening thing—guilty as charged. First time I did my own ice maker install, I cranked down way too hard and stripped the fitting. Lesson learned. Curious if anyone’s run into issues with hard water clogging up their lines? Seems like mine gets gunked up faster than it should, but maybe that’s just my local water being weird...
I tried one of those plastic “eco” lines once when I was being cheap, but honestly, I didn’t trust it after seeing how thin it felt compared to stainless. Ended up swapping it out after a few months—just didn’t want to risk a leak under the kitchen floor. Hard water’s a pain here too. I ended up putting in a little inline filter before the fridge, and that seems to slow down the buildup, though I still have to clean things out every year or so. Not perfect, but better than replacing lines all the time...
I get the hesitation with those plastic lines. I tried one a while back, too—looked fine at first, but after reading a few horror stories about leaks, I swapped it out for braided stainless. It cost a bit more up front, but honestly, peace of mind is worth it. For the ice maker, I paid around $120 for a new valve and line (did it myself). Hard water’s brutal here as well... I flush the filter every six months just to be safe. Not perfect, but at least I’m not mopping up water at 2am.
