# Toilet supply line broke.



## WestEndReno (Jan 31, 2010)

what's the code for a toilet supply hose to a toilet. the supply is 3/4" copper. a neighbour just finished a complete home reno and the plastic nut broke on their toilet. The homeowners were away and it completely flooded the main floor and basement, everything ruined. Should the plumber used a hose with both ends metal?

thanks,


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

In many cases, the tank fitting that the line connects to is plastic or nylon. Given that fact, what difference would it make?

I hope they had insurance.


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## rex (Jul 2, 2007)

that sucks....


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## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

What supply line is code approved?

The only supply tubes code approved where I work are plated copper.


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

Tinstaafl said:


> In many cases, the tank fitting that the line connects to is plastic or nylon. Given that fact, what difference would it make?
> 
> I hope they had insurance.


Great point. In Ohio there is no code for toilet supply lines. I always metal hard pipe them because of looks and longevity.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

First I have ever heard about a flex line failing. Did the plumber over tighten it or tighten it with grips of some kind. They only have to be hand tight and even then you don't have to go silly as you will crush the rubber washer.

It may be a good time to get them to install a system that shuts the main off when there's a water leak seeings they sound like they are away from home at times. They make a few different systems. Some have sensors that check for flooding and some are timed so that if water is running for anymore than a set time then water will shut off until you reset it.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

That is too funny. For 3 more dollars they could have put in the auto shutoff lines and the problem would have been avoided. I laugh when people cheap out and get burned. $3 vs $30,000....hmmm.

Hire a different plumber for the repairs.


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

TNTSERVICES said:


> That is too funny. For 3 more dollars they could have put in the auto shutoff lines and the problem would have been avoided. I laugh when people cheap out and get burned. $3 vs $30,000....hmmm.
> 
> Hire a different plumber for the repairs.


How does the auto shut off work, and where is it installed?


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

I gotta say, those flood safe toilet supply lines aren't a bad idea.













A true story - my wife and I came home from a weeks vacation out of the country, I put the key in the front door, stepped inside and two feet into the foyer, I heard a pop sound up stairs in the bathroom at the top of the stairs, I heard it, but didn't immediately do anything, then I could hear what sounded like water running. I ran up the stairs, the damn plastic connector at the bottom of the tank had sheared off!!! I could see it at the end of the supply line, the supply line that was shooting water everywhere.

A lot of people don't know it, but most toilets have a warning sticker in them about not putting any chlorine based cleaners in the tanks because they can weaken the tank parts. I can only guess, that, that is what happened to us.

I can't believe the timing of this one going bad, nothing stopped it from popping 7 days earlier and running for a week while we were gone. We were damn, damn lucky.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Mike Finley said:


> I gotta say, those flood safe toilet supply lines aren't a bad idea.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Had something very similar happen. We was about ready to leave door Florida from UK. I went for a number 2 in the bathroom and whilst sitting there I got shot with hot water. Very hot water infact. Jumped up of the seat and looked around and noticed a pin hole had appeared in the radiator. Lucky we caught that as we was in florida for 6 weeks vacation. It was a gravity system as well so it would have kept filling.


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## tcleve4911 (Mar 26, 2006)

WestEndReno said:


> the supply is 3/4" copper


Does that seem out of place to anyone?
Isn't it usually 1/2" ?


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## WestEndReno (Jan 31, 2010)

yes, it should be 1/2". Maybe I should have stressed that point. the homeowner jumped through hoops with the city to increase the main supply from 3/4 to 1" and all the lines in the house are 3/4". they wanted to ensure that there would be enough pressure (crazy as its an average size bungalow). it was a master plumber that installed the standard cheap hose and i would think that with a 3/4" supply a better hose would have been used. its shocking to see the damage a plastic nut can do. the flood restoration company says they see it all the time :sad:.


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## painterman (Feb 5, 2005)

Can you say Made In China...you are going to see more and more of these types of leaks with all the imported junk we get.


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## Timber Jockey (Nov 12, 2010)

Like all mechanical fittings, there are good ones, bad ones, and good ones installed badly! It happens. No sense in insulting people or discussing import markets and their flaws. I do tend to use the more costly brands, with metal fittings. Never had one fail yet, that I know of. As already stated, an extra few dollars applied at installation save a few thousand dollars later!

Just Sayin'...

-T.J.-


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## Timber Jockey (Nov 12, 2010)

WestEndReno said:


> yes, it should be 1/2". Maybe I should have stressed that point. the homeowner jumped through hoops with the city to increase the main supply from 3/4 to 1" and all the lines in the house are 3/4". they wanted to ensure that there would be enough pressure (crazy as its an average size bungalow). it was a master plumber that installed the standard cheap hose and i would think that with a 3/4" supply a better hose would have been used. its shocking to see the damage a plastic nut can do. the flood restoration company says they see it all the time :sad:.


BTW....The line pressure into the house is what it is. By changing the line size, you don't increase or decrease the pressure, you increase or decrease the rate of flow. Water through a 1/2" line travels faster then water through a 3/4" line at the same pressure. So, all you do is change the velocity of flow, not the pressure. The city should have explained that to the HO. To prove it, take the volume of a 1/2" line, 3 feet long, and the volume of a 3/4" line, 3 feet long. It all comes down to fluid dynamics or hydraulics. The volume of water in a 3/4" line is greater, but its velocity is less, due to the lack of resistance. Basically the cubic feet per minute will change, while the pressure remains constant. By going to a 1" supply, the HO increased the CFM of water coming into the home, not the pressure. Because the water meter reading is actually based on C.F.M., I wouldn't want their water bill!!!


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## WestEndReno (Jan 31, 2010)

thanks timber, bottom line, don't use a cheap supply hose.


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## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

TNTSERVICES said:


> Why are you not surprised that a GC would use them? What do you have against GC's?


A lot of tradesmen dislike GC's because they do work they are not licensed to do. That is without going into how many trades contractors get ripped off by GC's that are either crooked or too stupid to know what they are doing at the expense of the subs.


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## Electric_Light (Nov 25, 2007)

I think stainless braided flex lines are better than rigid lines for this particular use. Whenever a weigh is placed on the toilet, there will always be some motion and it puts strain on the fittings if you have a rigid line. 

They have a shut-off hose for washer too and it has a spring loaded check valve. If the output side loses pressure suddenly like the hose coming off or bursting, the supply water pressure causes the ball to seat and holds it in place. 

It doesn't work when the leak is caused by anything else, let's say you had a cabinet door fall off and break the tank while you're away. The shut-off hose won't know see it any different from normal fill. 

I think Fluidmaster makes special fill valve that will not activate water valve unless the flush lever is activated though. This limits the leakage to whats in the tank if the tank leaks at the connection or develops a crack.


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## Electric_Light (Nov 25, 2007)

KillerToiletSpider said:


> A lot of tradesmen dislike GC's because *they do work they are not licensed to do.* That is without going into how many trades contractors get ripped off by GC's that are either crooked or too stupid to know what they are doing at the expense of the subs.


Is that really it, or is it more like why auto workers in Michigan don't like foreign brand cars? 

Some tradesmen here even feel threatened by DIYers. He thinks DIYers take away his job and I'm sure he's not the only one to think that way. 

http://www.contractortalk.com/f6/quick-re-thermostat-wiring-87592/index2/#post1051737

I don't think it has anything to do with others doing something they shouldn't be doing. I think its more of dispute over territory and fear of competition.


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## stp57 (Dec 12, 2007)

I used one of those once, but the instructions said that high water pressure would make it inoperable. No one like a slow filling toilet, so I swapped it out with a standard hose.
You make a good point about the rigid lines. Fill valves are alot easier to replace with flexible lines too.
Steve



Electric_Light said:


> I think stainless braided flex lines are better than rigid lines for this particular use. Whenever a weigh is placed on the toilet, there will always be some motion and it puts strain on the fittings if you have a rigid line.
> 
> They have a shut-off hose for washer too and it has a spring loaded check valve. If the output side loses pressure suddenly like the hose coming off or bursting, the supply water pressure causes the ball to seat and holds it in place.
> 
> ...


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## Tech Dawg (Dec 13, 2010)

Sheesh, I'm trying to figure out which category can be the most brutal... Plumbing or Ceramic & Stone...
And the 2010 award goes to ........
PLUMBING!!!!!


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> Its the truth guy wait a while and your precious supply tubes will take a sh!t. Hacks use them get that thru your head.... no real supply house sells them


You mean those things that will shut off the water supply every time you flush the toilet but won't shutoff if there is a small leak? :laughing:


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## Electric_Light (Nov 25, 2007)

One of our old cars had rust everywhere in the battery bay. Turns out mechanic used a bolt that punched through the side mount bolt and punctured into acid filled housing. It wasn't "crappy battery". 

I had to replace the entire 20 year old pop-up drain, because I couldn't get the pop-up actuating lever to stay. I thought it was just the nut, but it wasn't. It was the male thread on the assembly that was stripped out. 
It wasn't 

That section screwed off, but supply houses said you can't just buy that piece. Ended up buying whole new pop-up assembly. I didn't do the work on it, but clearly, someone did something careless to cause the screw to strip.

If the plastic cracked because it was overtightened or it shot out because it was cross threaded and shot out, its user error, not "crappy part". 

If I dropped a plastic cup in cafeteria and nothing happens, but if I dropped a glass at home, it doesn't mean the glass is poor material. It means that it was abused.


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## rex (Jul 2, 2007)

hey guy check this post out.....http://www.plumbingzone.com/f22/watts-floodsafe-not-so-flood-safe-hits-again-11635/

if i wasnt banned from that site for telling the truth id be all over the thread :donatello:


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## painterman (Feb 5, 2005)

I had that exact supply line pull apart in my hands as I was tightening it on and I was not over doing it. Like I said Made in China junk. :furious:


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