This is a very interesting thread- and I am amazed how much mis-information is out there and the amount of different opinions out there. I believe people each have their own experiences and I believe them. All have some risks and all have pluses and minuses. I have a 10 year old home I just moved into. Recently a braided Stainless Steel supply hose under the kitchen sink ruptured. Thank goodness I was home and shut off the water right away. A nearby home- built at the same time, in the same development, same builder- had a similar circumstance- but they were not home- causing tens of thousands of dollars to the home and a big insurance claim, plus tremendous hassle. I will NEVER use stainless steel lines under the kitchen sink- or any sink if I can, even though that is what the rage is. I DO use them for my washing machine, icemaker and dishwasher- although I am considering changing them out as well. But since they are brand new- I have some time. They are easy to install and strong when new yes- but the stainless steel corrodes in time due to the chlorine in the water (if water gets on the OUTSIDE of the hose- which is rare but possible - think about kitchen sink moisture and water running down the pull out line and onto the outside of the supply line for example. That is what happened to me- as I de-constructed what caused the rupture. Also an open container of COMET and other cleaners will corrode the stainless steel. Failure happened twice in my little development. That's enough for me. (see explain here:
http://www.werc.com/2014/11/10/common-plumbing-parts-cause-catastrophic-water-damage/) and (
https://subrogation.org/download/ar...idedWaterSupplyLineFailureSubrogation3715.pdf)
I put in the chrome plated copper under the bathroom sink and toilet. It was easy and took only about 15 mins longer than the braided line to install. That's worth it to me, as I previously lived in a house for 20 years with copper supply lines and no issues. My parents have been living in their house for 58 years and never had a copper pipe burst. Under my kitchen sink I used the PEX supply tubes (
https://www.brasscraft.com/product/38-in-o-d-pex-faucet-riser/) . [YES these are PEX. A number of years ago, there were a different kind of plastic supply lines sold (polybutylene maybe - but not 100% sure- and they were not good) so I understand people being concerned with them- but that was a different material. ] It was very difficult for me to get in there and the PEX supply tubes require only hand tightening at the faucet - which is why I wound up using them with the proper plastic compression ring on the valve end and careful installation. Time will tell- and just to be extra safe- I put water sensors under my sinks connected to my home automation hub-that can text me when there is an issue- as a last resort for safety. I hope this helps some of you struggling with this question. To the professional plumbers out there I respect your experience and mean no offence- especially those of you who have been doing this for years. What I see too often, is junior plumbers with little experience, using the braided lines, because its fast and therefore cheaper for the companies they work for (time=money) and a couple I've seen, I don't think even know what a compression fitting is! Hope this helps someone.