“Had a tenant once who thought a cheap plastic line would be ‘just fine’ for their fridge—fast forward six months, and I’m ripping up warped floorboards.”
Been there... I used to think those copper lines were solid until I saw one kink and split behind a fridge. Since then, it’s braided steel or nothing. Haven’t seen anything better yet, honestly. Maybe overkill, but I’ll take peace of mind over another flooded kitchen any day.
I get the love for braided steel, but honestly, I’ve seen those fail too—usually at the crimped ends. Not super common, but it happens.
“Since then, it’s braided steel or nothing. Haven’t seen anything better yet, honestly.”
I still think copper’s fine if you’re careful with bends and don’t cheap out on fittings. Plastic lines are a hard no, though. Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes “overkill” feels like paying for peace of mind that’s not always necessary... unless you’ve got a history of leaks, then yeah, I get it.
I’m with you on plastic lines—just not worth the risk, especially if you care about water damage or, honestly, wasting resources. I’ve swapped out a few ice maker lines over the years and always lean toward copper for that reason. If you use those compression fittings right and avoid sharp bends, copper can last decades. I get the appeal of braided steel, but like you said, the crimped ends are a weak spot. I’ve actually seen one fail behind a fridge and it was a mess.
One thing I’ve wondered: has anyone tried PEX for ice maker lines? It’s supposed to be durable, and it’s what a lot of new builds use for main water lines now. I haven’t seen it in a kit, but maybe there’s a reason for that? Maybe it’s overkill or just not flexible enough for tight spaces behind a fridge. Curious if anyone’s had luck with that or if it’s just not practical for this kind of hookup.
I’ve actually wondered about PEX too. It’s everywhere in new builds, like you said, but I haven’t seen it used much for fridge hookups either. My guess is it’s just a bit too stiff for those tight bends behind a fridge, and maybe overkill for such a small line. Copper’s always worked for me—never had a leak as long as I was careful with the bends and fittings. Braided lines are tempting for the flexibility, but after seeing one burst, I’m not going back. If anyone’s managed to make PEX work in that space, I’d be interested to hear how they pulled it off...
Copper’s always worked for me—never had a leak as long as I was careful with the bends and fittings.
I hear you on copper. It’s kind of the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” solution for fridge lines. I tried running PEX once behind my old fridge, thinking I’d be clever and future-proof things, but getting it to cooperate in that cramped space was like wrestling a garden hose in a closet. Ended up kinking it so bad I just gave up and went back to copper.
Braided lines are nice until they’re not—had one pop on me at 2am and let’s just say my kitchen floor got a surprise rinse. Honestly, PEX is great for runs inside walls or under floors, but those tight bends behind appliances seem like its Achilles’ heel. Maybe there’s some trick with special elbows or adapters, but I haven’t cracked the code yet... If someone has, I’d love to know what magic they used. For now, copper’s still king in my book, even if it takes a little more patience.