Replacing rigid supply line to toilet tank with flexible line for bidet

[topperdude]

When we built our home back in 2006, the plumber installed the Kohler toilets with rigid supply lines for 3 out of the 4 toilets (the basement one which was installed couple months later got a flexible line for some reason).

Anyway, we are now in the process of installing new bidet seats and so need to replace the rigid 3/8" O.D. supply line with a flexible supply line. I have already loosened the 5/8" compression nut(?) connecting the shutoff valve and the supply line:

At the other end of this rigid supply line (where it connects to the toilet tank), this is what it looks like before we started:

So I loosened the white plastic coupling nut and it looks like this:

As I understand, we should be able to slide the rigid supply line sideways to "disconnect it" at the black gasket / o-ring from the grey threaded portion of the toilet tank and then pull out the bottom portion of the supply line from the shutoff line.

Unfortunately, we are unable to budge the rigid supply line. I tried firmly pulling down on it initially. Second attempt was my wife trying to pull down and sideways on the supply line while I was also applying some "gentle" pressure upwards on the tank to see if it could be moved a fraction of a mm to decouple the supply line but no dice. With the second attempt we could hear a slight sound as if air was getting in and saw bit of the remaining water from the drained out tank trickle down the supply line but we gave up after about 10-15 seconds as we did not want to unintentionally damage any of the parts - especially the connectors on the toilet tank side.

Also, all of the videos we saw online seemed to suggest that replacing the rigid line was quite straightforward and since we were struggling, we weren't sure if we might be doing something wrong.

I have already purchased this Fluidmaster flexible supply line to connect between the existing shutoff valve and T-valve (connected to toilet tank) supplied with the Bidet:

Would really appreciate recommendations on how we can loosen the rigid line and its black gasket portion from the toilet tank? Hopefully we don't have to resort to destroying the rigid supply line by cutting it with a pipe cutter or hacksaw, etc?

Thank you so much in advance for any feedback / suggestions,
-Topper

 

[topperdude]

Anyone?
It would be nice to move past this stage and start using this toilet as it has been in this state since last weekend.

Thank you,
-Topper

 

[Sponsor]

 

[CameronG]

If you won't be using the rigid line you can simply cut it with a tubing cutter or even a saw. But I think you just need a bit more muscle there to give the tube a bit of a bend. It's plated copper, so it will bend. Grab it with both hands and just give it some slow steady pressure and it will bend out from under that fitting. Have a bit of faith and a sense of purpose and it will work. I'm surprised nobody has offered any help yet.

 

[Reach4]

You will probably have to cut. See https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?resources/non-flex-copper-supply-riser.23/ to see how they are installed-- not that you need to know that to remove them.

 

[Jeff H Young]

just saw post, should have the tips needed good luck!

 

[Myhouse]

I'd use PEX supply lines over the stainless-steel braided lines.

PEX - Toilet Connector - Supply Lines - The Home Depot

Get free shipping on qualified PEX, Toilet Connector Supply Lines products or Buy Online Pick Up in Store today in the Plumbing Department.

www.homedepot.com

 

[Jeff H Young]

I have very little experiance with pex supplys Im sure Ive installed 100s of braided to a single pex. I basicaly was forced into using braided supplys by contractors I worked for , and now thats all I use . I see almost no pex supplys here cant say much bad about them because I just dont see them much , I do stay away from them though

 

[Eman85]

Any brand of flexible lines better than another? Most common I see are Brasscraft, Fluidmaster and Eastman.

 

[Reach4]

I don't know why I am not finding this at more places: Falcon Stainless. https://www.ultimategarage.com/shop/part.php?products_id=7330

For

 

[DesiBean]

I'd use PEX supply lines over the stainless-steel braided lines.

PEX - Toilet Connector - Supply Lines - The Home Depot

Get free shipping on qualified PEX, Toilet Connector Supply Lines products or Buy Online Pick Up in Store today in the Plumbing Department.

www.homedepot.com

May I ask you a question about PEX? I have installed a bidet and it's nearly perfect, but my problem is my PEX line is a bit too long and I tried to bend it up into the adapter but it ends up turning sideways. Obviously leaks. I'm reading that these can be cut to fit. Can you tell me how to do that? Do I cut the end off that's up out of the floor or..? I was considering a flexible hose replacement but if I can cut it to fit and that works I'd rather do that. I hope it's not something I have to get under the house for.

 

[DesiBean]

I'd use PEX supply lines over the stainless-steel braided lines.

PEX - Toilet Connector - Supply Lines - The Home Depot

Get free shipping on qualified PEX, Toilet Connector Supply Lines products or Buy Online Pick Up in Store today in the Plumbing Department.

www.homedepot.com

 

[Jeff H Young]

Go for it its your house! (using PEX supplys) Several of us wouldnt but Its your house , we see them mainly on mobile homes Ive never seen them installed on a new home in my state or by a reputable or even just a licsenced contractor virtualy they are less t5han 1 percent of what I see so I avoid them . but go for it and let us know why you use them and if you are happy with them chances are y6ou wont have a problem but let us know good luck on it

 

[Reach4]

May I ask you a question about PEX? I have installed a bidet and it's nearly perfect, but my problem is my PEX line is a bit too long and I tried to bend it up into the adapter but it ends up turning sideways. Obviously leaks. I'm reading that these can be cut to fit. Can you tell me how to do that? Do I cut the end off that's up out of the floor or..? I was considering a flexible hose replacement but if I can cut it to fit and that works I'd rather do that. I hope it's not something I have to get under the house for.

Normally a toilet supply pipe to a stop valve that is in the bathroom, and the supply line to the toilet goes to the stop valve. When using one of those pictured supply lines, the big end goes to the toilet tank, and the narrow end goes into a 3/8 compression stop valve output.

There would be a plastic ferrule, just as you would have a metal ferule with a copper supply. The line is cut to length at the narrow end, the big end is attached to a toilet, and then the compression nut is tightened at the valve.

So in your case, is the plastic supply line going to a stop valve?

One more thing... when installing a stop valve, if you plan to use a copper or PEX riser, as pictured above, it is best to have the output of the valve point to the input of the toilet. If you plan to use a flex line, I think it is better to not have the output point to the toilet input, but maybe 30 degrees off. That way the flex line can drape the way you prefer.

PEX riser: https://www.supplyhouse.com/Oatey-34315-12-PEX-Toilet-Riser

For flex supply lines, I would consider https://www.plumbingsupply.com/flexes.html#megawc "WC (7/8" ballcock) x 3/8" comp" Mega-flow SUPER Water-flex™ Corrugated Stainless Steel Flexible Toilet Connectors.

 

[DesiBean]

Normally a toilet supply pipe to a stop valve that is in the bathroom, and the supply line to the toilet goes to the stop valve. When using one of those pictured supply lines, the big end goes to the toilet tank, and the narrow end goes into a 3/8 compression stop valve output.

There would be a plastic ferrule, just as you would have a metal ferule with a copper supply. The line is cut to length at the narrow end, the big end is attached to a toilet, and then the compression nut is tightened at the valve.

So in your case, is the plastic supply line going to a stop valve?

One more thing... when installing a stop valve, if you plan to use a copper or PEX riser, as pictured above, it is best to have the output of the valve point to the input of the toilet. If you plan to use a flex line, I think it is better to not have the output point to the toilet input, but maybe 30 degrees off. That way the flex line can drape the way you prefer.

PEX riser: https://www.supplyhouse.com/Oatey-34315-12-PEX-Toilet-Riser

For flex supply lines, I would consider https://www.plumbingsupply.com/flexes.html#megawc "WC (7/8" ballcock) x 3/8" comp" Mega-flow SUPER Water-flex™ Corrugated Stainless Steel Flexible Toilet Connectors.

I will save that link in case this one that I bought leaks, but I bought a Fluidmaster flex line ..one of the click type? So far so good. I saved the PEX line, I tried to keep everything I replace a repair since it's a rental. Thank you for the quick response!

 

[John Gayewski]

I'd just like to say whomever recommend the pex supply line should probably have installed a few hundred before recommending them. They are pretty universally risky to use. This house being a rental you need to go ahead and not use something that can be blown apart very easily and cause a flood with 10's of thousands of dollars in damage.

 

[Reach4]

Have you seen toilet supply line flooding failures? What kind were they?

 

[John Gayewski]

Have you seen toilet supply line flooding failures? What kind were they?

Pex supply line failure? Yes. I've discussed this before. It ruined a section of a hotel. Multiple floors had to be sectioned off and rented by the company I work for. Major insurance claim. A pex supply line that apparently had been holding for weeks just decided to blow off and was spewing water down the hallways. I wasn't involved and I didn't work here at the time, but apparently this is why pex supply lines aren't allowed at this company. If you really think about it a compression joint with plastic on plastic doesn't really make for a good night sleep. Especially without the stiffeners that should be used.

Unless the ferrule is molded into the plastic or your using a brass stiffener inside of the plastic tube I don't trust compression joints on plastic.

 

[John Gayewski]

I wonder why this exists?

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

I wonder why this exists?

That looks like the Delta faucets.. There is NO way in HE Dubble Hockey Sticks I would ever cut those lines. Factory placed ferrules or Nothing.

Nothing different about those and the old Qest supplies. People would cut off one end of the supply and use the factory end at the faucet. Seen several of those blow off and never touched them again.

 

[Reach4]

A pex supply line that apparently had been holding for weeks just decided to blow off and was spewing water down the hallways. I wasn't involved and I didn't work here at the time, but apparently this is why pex supply lines aren't allowed at this company. If you really think about it a compression joint with plastic on plastic doesn't really make for a good night sleep. Especially without the stiffeners that should be used.

Unless the ferrule is molded into the plastic or your using a brass stiffener inside of the plastic tube I don't trust compression joints on plastic.

Thanks. Blowing off of the compression port sounds scary. I had been thinking of a breach of the wall of the tube being the failure mode. I suspect that the nut was not adequately tightened, probably due to fear of the tube getting crushed.

I also expect that the chromed copper lines are the most failure-resistant, but also the most work to install.