Honestly, I get the urge to go all-in with copper or braided lines, but I’ve had decent luck with the newer reinforced plastic ones—at least for short runs. Maybe I’m just rolling the dice, but as long as you check ‘em every so often, they seem to hold up. Compression fittings are solid, but man, I’ve stripped a few in tight spots and had to start over. Sometimes it feels like there’s no perfect answer... just degrees of “less bad.”
Copper’s my go-to for anything permanent, but I get what you mean about the plastic lines. I’ve seen them last years, then suddenly split out of nowhere—usually at the worst possible time. Had one job where a plastic line let go behind a fridge and flooded the kitchen overnight. Since then, I always double-check the fittings and try to avoid over-tightening, especially in those cramped spots. Honestly, it’s a gamble either way, but at least with copper, you usually see the trouble coming before it gets ugly.
Man, those plastic lines are like ticking time bombs. I had one split on me during a holiday weekend—came home to a mini swimming pool in the kitchen. Copper’s a pain to work with in tight spots, but at least you don’t get that sudden “surprise, you’re mopping at midnight” moment. I get why swapping out an ice maker costs so much though… half the time it’s not the part, it’s crawling around behind the fridge and dealing with whatever mess is lurking back there.
You nailed it—those plastic lines are just waiting to fail at the worst possible time. I’ve seen way too many flooded kitchens from folks thinking “it’ll be fine, it’s just a little water line.” Copper’s definitely more of a hassle to bend and fit, especially behind those monster fridges, but I’d rather wrestle with that than risk another 2am leak.
Honestly, most people don’t realize how much grime and random junk collects back there until you have to move the fridge. Half the job is just cleaning up before you can even get to the ice maker. And then there’s always that one bolt or fitting that refuses to budge...
Curious—has anyone tried those braided stainless steel lines? I’ve swapped a few in for clients who wanted peace of mind, but I’m not totally sold on them yet. They seem sturdy, but I wonder if they’re really worth the extra cost over copper in the long run.
Why does swapping out a busted ice maker cost so much?
I’ve wondered about those braided lines too. They look tough, but I always get sticker shock when I see the price compared to copper. I mean, if I’m already crawling around behind the fridge and getting covered in dust bunnies, I kinda want to save a few bucks. That said, I’ve had one of those cheap plastic lines split on me before… not fun mopping up at midnight. Still, copper’s lasted decades in some houses, so unless the stainless ones magically last forever, I just can’t see paying double or triple for ‘em. Maybe I’m just cheap, but it adds up fast.