Supply line for kitchen faucet? Help!

pdxsk

Hello,

I need to replace my kitchen faucet. When looking under the sink, the hot and cold shutoffs appear to be polybutylene and say "Qest" on them and also the supply lines are gray and have "Qest" on them. Please see the attached pictures.

My house was built in 1996 and I'm in the Seattle area. I bought it in 1999.

My question is...can I keep the Qest shut off valves and use a different type of supply line for the hot and cold? Or do I have to use the same PB material supply lines? (I am assuming they are PB)

Or should have have new shut off valves installed? All of my bathrooms have the same Qest brand items. I've been under the house in the crawl space and all the pipes under there are copper. I read all of the info on polybutylene and lawsuits and it is making me wonder if these are prone to failure, although I do believe the house overall has copper, just under the sinks is PB.

Thanks for any input!

Seattle "just heard about PB problems" guy

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Just Bill

I am assuming the valve connects to 'quest' PB piping??? Not a good thing to find in a new house(new to you). I thought that most of those issues had been worked out over time, but yours may just be starting. Get rid if the PB risers, that part is easy. Use the stainless wrapped tubes, they have been very reliable for me over the years. Then pray a lot over the rest.

SULTINI

I second that.

pdxsk

The water pipe coming into underneath the kitchen sink is copper, and the Qest shutoff valve is attached to it. You can barely see the copper color in my out of focus photo.

I think I will have the valves replaced then. I had just hoped on putting in a new faucet myself this weekend, but after running into the PB...ruined my weekend!

LeakyMike

For me, if that Quest valve isn't a problem and IF I could get that tube nut off and replace with the ss braided supply as mentioned I'd chance it. That valve is out in the open if it ever gives a problem you could always replace it then. I do agree though that Quest buried in a wall or crawl space is an issue and not worth taking a chance on. Put in that new faucet and enjoy your weekend.

Bondo

Ayuh,... The only difference is,..
Now you need to buy new angle stops,...

Pretty much the same job, same tools, just the next nut upstream,...

pdxsk

I'm attaching a better picture of one of the angle stops under my kitchen sink. I'm a true DIY'er, and have not done this before, but am handy with tools.

Is it difficult to replace the angle stops? I am not sure what is keeping this Qest brand angle stop attached to the copper pipe as shown...were these compression fittings?

Please tell me if I'm wrong, but once I get the old Qest angle stop removed and have just the copper pipe showing, then I can use a new angle stop with a brass compression fitting?

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Bondo

Ayuh,... It's a plastic compression fitting now,+ the brass 1s are a plug & play replacement....