In February the master bath toilet supply line in my unoccupied house
failed. By the time the next-door neighbor noticed water coming out of
the house, all rooms but the front two bedrooms were flooded, and the
drywall was damp as high as 8" in some places.

This line was installed by the builder in 1998, and has a plastic
coupler at the toilet end. This coupler is what failed - it split open.
The result was approximately $25K in damage - most of the carpeting,
vinyl floors in both bathrooms and laundry, all of the MDF baseboards,
and repainting of rooms except the previously-mentioned front bedrooms.

State Farm took great care of us, and between the work done by a local
company to remove ruined stuff, dry everything out and do some of the
repairs, plus the work I did myself, we were able to move back into the
house starting in May.

But here's the thing: I inspected the coupling on the hall bathroom
toilet, and it was starting to crack too. So when I replaced them, I
tried to find supply lines that had metal couplings, but no joy.
They're ALL plastic now. But I noticed the new ones are made with more
solid thicker plastic than the ones that failed.

So my advice is this: Check those toilet supply lines, and replace them
if they look like they're starting to crack - it'll save you a lot of grief!

--Steve

Steve wrote in message ...

So my advice is this: Check those toilet supply lines, and replace
them
if they look like they're starting to crack - it'll save you a lot of
grief!

--Steve

Thanks for the heads up, I wouldn't have thought to check those.


Cheri

On 2008-07-18, Steve wrote:

So when I replaced them, I tried to find supply lines that had metal
couplings, but no joy. They're ALL plastic now.

If you want all metal construction, try a corrugated stainless steel
water supply connector. Here's one manufacturer of them, there are
others: http://www.falconstainless.com.

Cheers, Wayne

On Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:49:07 -0700, Steve
wrote:

So my advice is this: Check those toilet supply lines, and replace them
if they look like they're starting to crack - it'll save you a lot of grief!

The may even crack when installed, so don't over tighten. Same with
any of the plastic fasteners.

On Jul 18, 2:49*pm, Steve wrote:
In February the master bath toilet supply line in my unoccupied house
failed. *By the time the next-door neighbor noticed water coming out of
the house, all rooms but the front two bedrooms were flooded, and the
drywall was damp as high as 8" in some places.

This line was installed by the builder in 1998, and has a plastic
coupler at the toilet end. *This coupler is what failed - it split open..
* The result was approximately $25K in damage - most of the carpeting,
vinyl floors in both bathrooms and laundry, all of the MDF baseboards,
and repainting of rooms except the previously-mentioned front bedrooms.

State Farm took great care of us, and between the work done by a local
company to remove ruined stuff, dry everything out and do some of the
repairs, plus the work I did myself, we were able to move back into the
house starting in May.

But here's the thing: I inspected the coupling on the hall bathroom
toilet, and it was starting to crack too. *So when I replaced them, I
tried to find supply lines that had metal couplings, but no joy.
They're ALL plastic now. *But I noticed the new ones are made with more
solid thicker plastic than the ones that failed.

So my advice is this: *Check those toilet supply lines, and replace them
if they look like they're starting to crack - it'll save you a lot of grief!

--Steve

I bought a chromed hard line from my local plumbing supply; it has a
brass nut on it. I think that that was actually two separate pieces,
so you could probably buy the brass nut separately. I assume you're
talking about the nut that attaches to the bottom of the fill valve,
yes?

nate

Steve wrote:
In February the master bath toilet supply line in my unoccupied house
failed. By the time the next-door neighbor noticed water coming out
of the house, all rooms but the front two bedrooms were flooded, and the
drywall was damp as high as 8" in some places.

This line was installed by the builder in 1998, and has a plastic
coupler at the toilet end. This coupler is what failed - it split
open. The result was approximately $25K in damage - most of the
carpeting, vinyl floors in both bathrooms and laundry, all of the MDF
baseboards,
and repainting of rooms except the previously-mentioned front
bedrooms.
State Farm took great care of us, and between the work done by a local
company to remove ruined stuff, dry everything out and do some of the
repairs, plus the work I did myself, we were able to move back into
the house starting in May.

But here's the thing: I inspected the coupling on the hall bathroom
toilet, and it was starting to crack too. So when I replaced them, I
tried to find supply lines that had metal couplings, but no joy.
They're ALL plastic now. But I noticed the new ones are made with
more solid thicker plastic than the ones that failed.

So my advice is this: Check those toilet supply lines, and replace
them if they look like they're starting to crack - it'll save you a lot of
grief!

That, and turning off the water to an unoccupied house...

Here's some better advice. Turn off the water when you leave the house.
Even if it just to go to the store. To leave it on in an unoccupied house
was just asking for a disaster.

s


"Steve" wrote in message
...
In February the master bath toilet supply line in my unoccupied house
failed. By the time the next-door neighbor noticed water coming out of
the house, all rooms but the front two bedrooms were flooded, and the
drywall was damp as high as 8" in some places.

This line was installed by the builder in 1998, and has a plastic coupler
at the toilet end. This coupler is what failed - it split open. The
result was approximately $25K in damage - most of the carpeting, vinyl
floors in both bathrooms and laundry, all of the MDF baseboards, and
repainting of rooms except the previously-mentioned front bedrooms.

State Farm took great care of us, and between the work done by a local
company to remove ruined stuff, dry everything out and do some of the
repairs, plus the work I did myself, we were able to move back into the
house starting in May.

But here's the thing: I inspected the coupling on the hall bathroom
toilet, and it was starting to crack too. So when I replaced them, I
tried to find supply lines that had metal couplings, but no joy. They're
ALL plastic now. But I noticed the new ones are made with more solid
thicker plastic than the ones that failed.

So my advice is this: Check those toilet supply lines, and replace them
if they look like they're starting to crack - it'll save you a lot of
grief!

--Steve

I actually do this if I'm leaving for more than a day. Too much
"vintage" plumbing in the house that hasn't been completely checked out
by Yours Truly yet.

nate

Steve Barker DLT wrote:
Here's some better advice. Turn off the water when you leave the house.
Even if it just to go to the store. To leave it on in an unoccupied house
was just asking for a disaster.

s


"Steve" wrote in message
...

In February the master bath toilet supply line in my unoccupied house
failed. By the time the next-door neighbor noticed water coming out of
the house, all rooms but the front two bedrooms were flooded, and the
drywall was damp as high as 8" in some places.

This line was installed by the builder in 1998, and has a plastic coupler
at the toilet end. This coupler is what failed - it split open. The
result was approximately $25K in damage - most of the carpeting, vinyl
floors in both bathrooms and laundry, all of the MDF baseboards, and
repainting of rooms except the previously-mentioned front bedrooms.

State Farm took great care of us, and between the work done by a local
company to remove ruined stuff, dry everything out and do some of the
repairs, plus the work I did myself, we were able to move back into the
house starting in May.

But here's the thing: I inspected the coupling on the hall bathroom
toilet, and it was starting to crack too. So when I replaced them, I
tried to find supply lines that had metal couplings, but no joy. They're
ALL plastic now. But I noticed the new ones are made with more solid
thicker plastic than the ones that failed.

So my advice is this: Check those toilet supply lines, and replace them
if they look like they're starting to crack - it'll save you a lot of
grief!

--Steve





--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

There are two type of homeowners. Those that have had a washer hose or
water heater fail, and those who will. Those of us who have already
experienced the action, turn the water off when we leave.

s


"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...
I actually do this if I'm leaving for more than a day. Too much "vintage"
plumbing in the house that hasn't been completely checked out by Yours
Truly yet.

nate

Steve Barker DLT wrote:
Here's some better advice. Turn off the water when you leave the house.
Even if it just to go to the store. To leave it on in an unoccupied
house was just asking for a disaster.

s


"Steve" wrote in message
...

In February the master bath toilet supply line in my unoccupied house
failed. By the time the next-door neighbor noticed water coming out of
the house, all rooms but the front two bedrooms were flooded, and the
drywall was damp as high as 8" in some places.

This line was installed by the builder in 1998, and has a plastic coupler
at the toilet end. This coupler is what failed - it split open. The
result was approximately $25K in damage - most of the carpeting, vinyl
floors in both bathrooms and laundry, all of the MDF baseboards, and
repainting of rooms except the previously-mentioned front bedrooms.

State Farm took great care of us, and between the work done by a local
company to remove ruined stuff, dry everything out and do some of the
repairs, plus the work I did myself, we were able to move back into the
house starting in May.

But here's the thing: I inspected the coupling on the hall bathroom
toilet, and it was starting to crack too. So when I replaced them, I
tried to find supply lines that had metal couplings, but no joy. They're
ALL plastic now. But I noticed the new ones are made with more solid
thicker plastic than the ones that failed.

So my advice is this: Check those toilet supply lines, and replace them
if they look like they're starting to crack - it'll save you a lot of
grief!

--Steve





--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Turning off the water can cause problems too if you have a hot water heater
in the attic.

A neighbor turned his off and apparently left the valves to the washer open.
The selenoids on his washer apparently need pressure to work properly so
they started leaking and the caused siphoning out of his water
heater.........


"Steve Barker DLT" wrote in message
...
There are two type of homeowners. Those that have had a washer hose or
water heater fail, and those who will. Those of us who have already
experienced the action, turn the water off when we leave.

s


"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...
I actually do this if I'm leaving for more than a day. Too much "vintage"
plumbing in the house that hasn't been completely checked out by Yours
Truly yet.

nate

Steve Barker DLT wrote:
Here's some better advice. Turn off the water when you leave the
house. Even if it just to go to the store. To leave it on in an
unoccupied house was just asking for a disaster.

s


"Steve" wrote in message
...

In February the master bath toilet supply line in my unoccupied house
failed. By the time the next-door neighbor noticed water coming out of
the house, all rooms but the front two bedrooms were flooded, and the
drywall was damp as high as 8" in some places.

This line was installed by the builder in 1998, and has a plastic
coupler at the toilet end. This coupler is what failed - it split open.
The result was approximately $25K in damage - most of the carpeting,
vinyl floors in both bathrooms and laundry, all of the MDF baseboards,
and repainting of rooms except the previously-mentioned front bedrooms.

State Farm took great care of us, and between the work done by a local
company to remove ruined stuff, dry everything out and do some of the
repairs, plus the work I did myself, we were able to move back into the
house starting in May.

But here's the thing: I inspected the coupling on the hall bathroom
toilet, and it was starting to crack too. So when I replaced them, I
tried to find supply lines that had metal couplings, but no joy. They're
ALL plastic now. But I noticed the new ones are made with more solid
thicker plastic than the ones that failed.

So my advice is this: Check those toilet supply lines, and replace them
if they look like they're starting to crack - it'll save you a lot of
grief!

--Steve





--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

One of my customers had a capped off iron water pipe. The cap was
plastic and split during the night. So check any such caps, not just
those on toilets.

Depends on how long it was unoccupied, but I'm suprised SF paid this
claim. The homeowner has a 'responsability' to prepare the home during
extended absenses. Those are often defined as 10 days or more.

I shut off my water for anything more than a day...Power down the HW
heater etc etc..