I'm doing a rough in for a powder room and am at the point of installing the supply lines. I understand the preferred way to do this is with drop eared els and nipples that will eventually connect to the shutoffs.

I see two issues with this method: 1) how can I be sure the threaded connection to the el doesn't leak after the sheetrock is up and, 2) how can I be sure to get the stop aligned vertically when I'm tightening the final connection?

How about just using copper stub outs and soldering a quarter turn ball valve for the shutoff? There is not much resistance when turning these shutoffs and I'd think the copper pipe would hold up well.

Thanks

If you are talking about roughing in the water lines for the sink and toilet, rough them in with copper and use compression valves in the vanity or under the sink and toilet. You can get angle or straight compression valves in chrome or brass.

I agree completely with puffmugs. Almost all water stub outs are done is copper and compression stops installed after sheetrock, paint, etc. You rarely see soldered stops these days, at least not from plumbers, and you really never see threaded stub outs for exactly the reason you mentioned. So, to sum up, stub out copper, and use compression stops. Can't go wrong with this method, and don't have to worry about burning anything with the soldered stops. Also, it is much easier to replace a compression stop vs a soldered stop in the event it ever needs to be replaced.

I agree with both experts. Using threaded connections is doing it the hard way. Stub out with 1/2" copper and install compression angle stops,(see image) for your shut offs. Good luck, Tom

Thanks to you all. That's what I'll do.

Very helpful for my project.

Oops. Now I'm coming into the home stretch and my wife asks how I'm going to make my copper stub outs match the chrome fixtures.

Maybe I should have mentioned something about a pedestal sink?

Do they make something I can slide over the copper to make it look like chrome?

They make what is called a chrome escutcheon or chrome wall plate. Slip escutcheon over copper stub out and cut copper stub out the length for the compression valve to slip on copper pipe flush against the chrome escutcheon.