Had one kink on me once and it was a slow drip for weeks before I noticed.
That’s exactly my nightmare scenario—hidden drips quietly wrecking the cabinet base. I get why people like flex, but honestly, I’ll take the hassle of rigid every time just for peace of mind. Ever tried those braided stainless lines? I’ve heard mixed things, but they seem like a decent compromise between flexibility and durability. Curious if anyone’s had long-term luck with them, or if it’s just another ticking time bomb under the sink...
Braided stainless lines have actually saved me a ton of headaches over the years. I get the worry, but rigid lines aren’t foolproof either—seen plenty with pinhole leaks or bad joints. For rentals, flex lines (good quality ones) are just easier to swap out and spot issues with. Just check ‘em every turnover and you’re golden... usually.
I get where you’re coming from with flex lines, especially in rentals where you want quick swaps. But honestly, I’ve had more issues with braided lines than copper over the years. Maybe it’s just bad luck, but I’ve seen those stainless ones start leaking at the crimped ends—sometimes way before you’d expect. And if they’re hidden behind a vanity or tucked up tight, you don’t always spot a slow leak until it’s too late.
Rigid lines can be a pain to fit if your sink’s off-center (which happens more than it should), but once they’re in, they tend to last forever unless someone’s yanking on them. I guess it comes down to how often you want to mess with them and how much trust you put in the quality of the flex lines. For me, if I can make rigid work, I’ll go that route every time. Less stuff to worry about during turnovers... at least in my experience.
Funny, I’ve run into that same problem with the crimped ends on braided lines—especially the cheaper ones you get in bulk for apartment turnovers. There was a job a couple years back where we had three units in the same building start leaking at the crimp, all within a month or two. Just a slow drip, but it did a number on the particleboard vanities before anyone caught it. Ever since then, I’m way more cautious about what brand I grab, but even then, you’re still rolling the dice.
That said, rigid lines can be a puzzle when your shutoff and faucet are more than an inch or two off from each other. I’ve had to bend more than a few by hand and hope I didn’t kink them. It’s not always pretty, but like you said—they last forever if nobody messes with them. Guess it’s one of those “pick your poison” situations... Sometimes I’ll use flex just to save my sanity if the alignment is way off, but I always double-check for any tension or weird bends that could stress the fittings later on.
Yeah, those slow drips are sneaky—the kind that’ll rot out a vanity before you even notice. I’ve had similar issues with the cheaper braided lines, especially when they get twisted during install or if the angle’s just a little off. It’s like you’re just waiting for that crimp to give out.
Curious—have you ever tried those push-to-connect supply lines? I’ve only used them a couple times, but they seemed to handle weird offsets a bit better than the standard flex or rigid. Not sure about long-term reliability, though. I keep going back and forth between wanting the peace of mind with rigid lines and just wanting to get the job done quick with flex.
Also, when you’re dealing with an off-center sink, do you ever bother with offset shutoffs, or do you just work with what’s there? I’ve always wondered if it’s worth the extra hassle to swap those out, or if it’s just easier to adapt with the supply line.