Can I use flexible supply lines from shuttoffs to shower valve?

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hawksnest

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Is there any good reason not to use those steel braided flexible fawcet supply lines to run the 30 inches from my shutoff valves up to the shower control valve. The Moen single control shower valve has 1/2 inch male threaded outlets for hot and cold. If I already need threaded connections top and bottom anyway why sweat copper to a threaded fitting. Plus if the threaded fitting leaks after you've soudered your pipe you can't loosen it,then what? It seems a whole lot easier, more manueverable and removable to connect it this way.
What do you think?

Thanks for your advice.

PS> There will be an access panel exposing that area.
 
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Finnegan

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If you had an access panel, I guess you could. I do not think that is a common installation, but I guess it would work just fine.
 

Lancaster

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What Moen valve has MIP Inlets? Delta or Kohler maybe,Every Moen IPS valve I know is female.
 

HANDYHACKERinFL

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plumbing is getting easier

I have seen a lot of products coming out that make plumbing repairs easier for the plumber who is open to new ideas and especially the DIY'er. Like cpvc, cpvc to copper unions, sharkbite couplers, flexible supply lines, I think this is the beginning of a new era for hackers, handymen, and DIY'ers. Copper is from a different era. Plastic is the future. Just a matter of time for the building codes to accept the new technology. and for the new technology to prove itelf...remember the gray crap? :rolleyes:
 

Dunbar Plumbing

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HANDYHACKERinFL said:
I have seen a lot of products coming out that make plumbing repairs easier, I think this is the beginning of a new era for hackers, handymen, and DIY'ers. Plastic is the future. Just a matter of time.


One perfect example of how plastic indirectly is and will always be my friend in this business:


Service call 2 days ago customer calls to get a plumber to fix a leaking shower and toilet.

Someone installed a incorrect flush valve in the toilet....cracked and was leaking. Plastic of course = Total rebuild.

Customer decided to take on replacing the waste and overflow. Assembly is plastic and is "easy" to install....just add glue and your done. ???

He couldn't get the drain piece out of the fiberglass tub and the sawzall jumped and cut the bottom of the tub flange opening right past the edge.

I was called the first time to remove a partially broken plastic MIP out of a galvanized tee and install a new one. The plastic broke because he tried to move the plastic slightly and years of being heated and cooled allowed for brittle piping. I removed that short piece of broken threads in 2 minutes for $70 and on my way.

I reworked the toilet, installed what was left over of the tub drain and glued it all together and we are standing at $300 so far what he's paid me.

Tub still leaks. Apparently it wasn't the tub drain leaking initially after all; it was small scratches in the bottom of the tub that was allowing water to seep through the fiberglass netting under the tub between the two surfaces and dropping out right near the tub shoe.

When I removed the white vinyl supply tube to the toilet, the bottom plastic barb broke from being under a stressed angled position all the time it was hooked to the toilet. More than once I've seen these break off completely and do tremendous property damage.


So I guess my point is quite a hilarious one. I see people buying this stuff off the shelves like they've robbed a bank thinking they've beat the odds by not hiring the plumber to do the work because it is just sooooooooo simple to do it yourself!

That's fine. I'm the janitor who's following the mistakes and doing the cleanup work that is so painfully obvious that some people have no chance to do their plumbing correctly. My gain entirely. This guy could of called me and instantly I could of diagnosed the problem for a great deal less.

He worked on that plumbing from 10:30 until 3 in the morning and gave up. The tub is severely damaged as it is not holding water now that there is a saw cut beyond the drain opening. He probably paid me in 3 hours what took him the entire week to make.

I can fix my plumbing all day long and do it efficiently without error and save the most. I go work on my computer and I'll spend 3 days trying to do what a computer tech can do in minutes.

So, anyone feeling special that does their own plumbing thinking there are gains to be made.....remember one valid point;

One way or another even though you are saving on one particular profession........somewhere else you are paying the full monte for services. Might not touch electric or drywall or even painting. Unless you can do it all efficiently like the licensed professionals, your advances are limited exactly like mine. Like an idiot I've tried to fix my computer.....even do mechanical work to my trucks.....pffffffft! Too stoopid and too impatient to say I'm nothing but thumbs when I step out of my profession to do something I'm not familiar with.

That poor guy is probably going to spend another $100 to have me do a fiberglass repair patch on that tub just so there isn't rainfall in his basement everytime someone uses the tub. Staggering at a $400 tally and the same old toilet, same old shower connected to completely clogged galvanized and all because it is easy for everyone to fix their own plumbing...

Just call me Cuba Gooding Jr

Show me the money!!!!
 
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hj

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supplies

1. Their internal diameters are very small so your flow would be affected.
2. They are not "eternal" so they will eventually rupture.
3. Those male connections are also 1/2" copper insert sockets, so you do not need threaded adapters.
 

OldPete

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RUGGED said:
Unless you can do it all efficiently like the licensed professionals

God Bless You. All the "licensed professionals" I've had the "honor" of "hiring" do the work 1/2 as well as I would have done and at 5 times the cost. I need to find more guys like you.

God Bless You!

:)

P.S. And that's why I read, learn, practice, and enjoy being what the "other" licensed proffesionals" don't like. A self-sufficiant person. ;) (Present company not included) ;) ;)
 

Kordts

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Old Pete

Why do you hang around plumbing forums? You seem to dislike plumbers and like to slag us an awful lot.
 

hj

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old pete

He likes to tell us how good he is compared to the "licensed professionals" he has had, and how much money he saves by asking for help from these "licensed professionals" and then doing it himself.
 

OldPete

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I don't like to "slag" you at all. In fact I wish I could pick up the phone and have you do the work. It would be most welcomed. To be able to pick up the phone, and say, "Hi, I need such-and-such done"... and have the guy come to house, give a quote, say when he can do it, and then actually... get ready now... DO IT! 9/10 they either don't come when they say they will or when they DO come they do the job and it is either not right or needs to be done again.

Sorry, but I assure you, if I could get the work done well the first time I have no desire to do your job. I would rather spend the time in my own trade making money.

Do I get "reward" by doing it myself? You bet. But if *I* don't do it, who will?

It seems that some people just assume that they are the ones I'm talking about. :rolleyes:

As far as you sounding upset that you give advice, I'm sorry, but I'm certain this is a DIY forum, not a trade-only forum. I think you must feel the same way about me as I feel about you when a person posts and your only reply is "Call a plumber". I don't think that's the spirit of the forum. If it was it would be a plumber's only forum.

Those are my 2 cents, and not meant to flame. I have a great respect for people that actually do their job and do it well. I appreciate the members here that help and don't just say negative things about DIY'ers.

My guess is this reply will be edited to protect the people that *do* say negative things about DIY'ers, but let's see...

:)
 

hj

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If everyone you call either does not come, or does the work poorly so it has to be done over, then you are definitely calling the wrong group of people and if it is a 100% problem, then you might look at what your parameters are when you look for these guys, and/or gals.
 

Cass

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OldPete said:
My guess is this reply will be edited to protect the people that *do* say negative things about DIY'ers, but let's see...

:)

Keeping it in context, please tell us why you think this.
 

OldPete

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Cass said:
Keeping it in context, please tell us why you think this.

Well, it wasn't and I was wrong. And I couldn't be happier to be wrong on this one! I came from a forum where any of the more complicated questions by a DIYer were met with "Call a pro"... usually by the people who frequent the board (plumbers). Although this does happen here it is to a much lesser degree and I can't express how much I appreciate that fact. I've learned a lot from reading here... and really do appreciate hj ad the others that have answered questions and helped me brainstorm ideas.

:) Pete
 

OldPete

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hj said:
If everyone you call either does not come, or does the work poorly so it has to be done over, then you are definitely calling the wrong group of people and if it is a 100% problem, then you might look at what your parameters are when you look for these guys, and/or gals.

My parameters are pretty simple. Do the job you say you're going to do for the price you say you're going to do it when you say you're going to do it. Within reason.

To sit and wait home all day for a guy who says he is going to show at 9AM and then doesn't show at all or return messages is not a "pro".

I recently had a roof and soffit done. The soffit got done 3 times before it was right. The roof was fine, but I had to sit there the whole time and watch them. I wasn't able to be there for the soffit. My experience has been that most (NOT ALL) "pros" are in business to make money so they want to do it as cheap and fast as possible. A SMART (NOT ALL) DIYer is in it for pride and quality, so they do it the best. After all, it is their house. I can't stress enough that it is NOT all pros, just like it isn't all DIYers. There are PLENTY (if not most) DIYers that SHOULD just call a pro.

I'll give you a classic example. I know a guy (he is a handyman as his job) who gave me a 5 minute speech on why it doesn't matter which way you wire a light fixture (outdoor/frontdoor light) -- he went on to explain what AC stands for, etc. and thus it doesn't matter... Any way, I tried to explain to him about Line, Neutral, Ground, etc. But it didn't sick in. I tried explaining to him that you need to protect the exterior of the fixture from current, etc. Not of it sunk in. To this day, the moron still does it wrong.

Moral of the story. Their are people, on both sides (pro and DIYers) that are, IMHO, morons.

Just my 2 cents,

Pete
 
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