Plumbing Question Braided Hose or Copper for Water Feeds (granite countertops, sink, installing)
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I am changing out by bathroom lavatory faucets. I currently have copper water feeds from the shutoff to the faucet. I was told by a big box store that braided steel rubber pipes are a better option than copper.
Which will hold up better copper or braid steel rubber hose? I am inclined to beleive the copper.
flexible supply lines are a lot more user friendly and hold up excellent. about the only time i use hard copper supplies are when i am installing a pedestal sink and they will be visible.
I'm not a licensed plumber, but have done plumbing work for many years.
If the supply tubes are copper, they may be pretty old. If reused, they would need to be cleaned up and the top part inspected. Also, you probably have a compression fitting and brass Ferrel on the bottom of it going into the shut off. I usually do not like to reuse a compression fitting that has already been compressed. Most of the time they do not leak, but they can.
Also, the chances of having the new faucet be the same size down from the sink as the old one is slim.
Personally, I prefer using a braided supply line simply because it screws down OVER the shut off without using a compression fitting. It is also flexible, which makes it much easier. It may be a moot point, as many faucets nowadays have the supply lines already as part of the faucet with new plastic compression fittings. I always recheck plastic fittings, (more with DWV fittings) after a day or so to check for any loosening.
The copper is less two years old, and I am using the same faucets. I am having granite countertops installed. Someone mentioned that you shouldn't use the copper again because of the compression fittings...hmmm
granite counters are usually a bit thicker than the tops that they are replacing, so you may have to change them anyway. 5-7 bucks for new supplies is worth the piece of mind for me.
The flex lines are user friendly and really alot easier to use copper lines can have corrosion flex lines would insure clean water after years copper can have a chemical reaction in them and at times alot harder to line up if you take the copper lines out you can sell the copper and get sone of the money you spent on the flex lines back you would kinda be getting a dicount if you have gavanized pipes in your house change all that are accessable with wosrebow or pex to keep your water clean if you have galvanized piping let the water run for at least a minute before drinking with all the chemicals the city puts in the water it eats up the interior of the galvanized pipe
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