I get the appeal of flex pipe—my last plumbing adventure ended with me lying on the floor, PVC glue in my hair, and a pipe that still didn’t line up. But honestly, I’m a little wary of mixing materials.
I tried that once and the flex part started leaking after a few months. Maybe I overtightened it? Or maybe I just have bad luck. Either way, I’m starting to think it’s worth the extra headache to get the rigid stuff lined up right, even if it means a few extra trips to the hardware store... and a bruised ego.“use a short section of flex just at the offset, then rigid everywhere else”
Honestly, I’ve seen more leaks from flex than I care to admit—usually from folks cranking down those slip nuts like they’re torquing lug nuts on a semi. Flex has its place, but
only works if you treat it gentle. Still, nothing beats the satisfaction (and silence) of a perfectly lined-up rigid run... even if it means crawling under the sink for the fifth time and inventing new curse words.“use a short section of flex just at the offset, then rigid everywhere else”
When Your Bathroom Sink Ends Up Off-Center
Had to laugh reading this, because I just redid the drain under our guest bath and swore I’d never touch another slip nut again. The old setup was one of those “creative” previous-owner jobs—flex snaked everywhere, and I’m pretty sure one of the connections was held together with hope and Teflon tape. I figured, how hard can it be to swap in rigid? Turns out, a lot harder when your sink is an inch off from where the drain stub comes out of the wall.
I tried the “short flex at the offset” trick, but my first attempt leaked right away. I didn’t crank down crazy hard, but maybe I was too gentle? Either way, water found its way out. Ended up redoing the whole thing with rigid and a couple of those weird offset slip joints, crawling under there so many times I thought about just moving in under the vanity for good.
Honestly, flex seems so much easier until you realize it’s super picky about how you treat it. I get why people use it—sometimes there’s just no way to line things up perfectly without tearing into the wall. But man, nothing beats that moment when you finally get all the rigid pieces lined up, finger-tighten everything, and not a single drop comes out on the test run. Even if it does mean a few scraped knuckles and a new vocabulary of curse words.
Still not sure if I trust myself enough to go full rigid every time, especially in tight spots. But after that last adventure, I’m definitely a little more skeptical of flex than I used to be.
I feel this one deep in my lower back. Been there, cursing at a slip nut that refuses to thread or leaks just to spite you. Those offset slip joints are a lifesaver, but honestly, I’ve had better luck with rigid over time—less chance for leaks if you get it right. Flex is tempting, especially when the wall stub is way off, but it always feels like a band-aid fix. Still, sometimes it’s the only thing that’ll fit without demo work, so I keep a couple in the toolbox... just in case I want to test my patience.
Yeah, I totally get what you mean about flex connectors feeling like a shortcut. I always worry they’ll start leaking after a few months, especially if there’s any tension on the line. Have you ever had issues with them loosening up over time? I’m always double-checking for drips after install, just in case.
