Had a similar situation in one of my rentals—sink was off-center by a good few inches thanks to a last-minute vanity swap. Ended up using a flex tailpiece just to get the place ready for move-in, but I kept an eye on it. Lasted maybe a year before it started leaking at the accordion folds. Not surprised, honestly.
I get why folks use them when things don’t line up, but I agree, they’re not built for the long haul. If you can, it’s worth taking the extra time to piece together rigid PVC, even if it means a couple extra fittings. Less hassle later. I’ve also used those metal pipe straps to keep things from drooping—zip ties work in a pinch but they don’t look great if you care about that sort of thing.
Sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got, especially in older places where nothing is straight. But yeah, flex is really just a temporary fix in my book.
- Ran into this with my main bath reno last year. Sink drain was way off, like 4 inches to the left.
- Tried a flex tailpiece first—cheap and quick, but yeah, those accordion sections are just leak magnets over time.
- Ended up piecing together rigid PVC with a couple 45-degree elbows. Took longer, but it’s been bone dry since.
- Used a pipe strap screwed into the back of the vanity to keep everything tight. Not pretty, but nobody sees it.
- Honestly, flex pipes are fine for a stopgap, but I’d rather spend an extra $10 and not worry about water damage down the road.
I get where you’re coming from with the flex pipes, but I’ve actually had one under my guest bath for like six years now—no leaks so far. Maybe it’s just luck or maybe it depends a bit on water pressure or how much the vanity gets bumped? I do agree rigid looks and feels more solid, but sometimes you just want to get the thing done and move on.
I hear you on the “just get it done” approach—been there more times than I’d like to admit. But I gotta say, flex pipes always make me a little nervous, especially after seeing one go bad in my old place. Woke up to a nice puddle under the cabinet... turns out the thing twisted just enough over time to start leaking. Maybe I’m just cursed, but ever since then, I stick with rigid whenever I can. They’re a pain to line up, but at least they don’t wiggle loose if someone elbows the vanity too hard.
That said, six years with no leaks is a pretty good run. Maybe it does just come down to luck—or maybe my house is haunted by plumbing gremlins.
Man, plumbing gremlins are real—I swear they wait until you’re finally relaxed to strike. I get the flex pipe paranoia though. Had one kink on me once and it was a slow drip for weeks before I noticed. Rigid is a pain, but at least you know what you’re dealing with. Still, six years without a leak? That’s basically a lifetime in plumbing years... maybe you just had a good one and the rest of us got duds.