Stops & Risers

Angle and straight supply stops, riser supply tubes and lavatory supply kits — the shutoff and connection between the wall and the fixture.

The inlet is what makes a stop fit, and there are three that look similar and are not. Compression seals on the outside of a copper stub with a ferrule. FIP threads onto a male adapter. Sweat is soldered, which means the stop body has to come apart or take the heat. Ordering the wrong inlet is the single most common mistake on this part.

Quarter-turn ball stops have effectively replaced multi-turn compression stops for one reason: a multi-turn stop that has not been operated in ten years usually will not seal again once it is moved, and the repair becomes a wall opening. A quarter-turn stop left untouched for the same decade still closes.

Outlet is almost always 3/8" compression, and the riser is chosen by fixture — 3/8" x 1/2" FIP for most lavatory faucets, 3/8" x 7/8" ballcock for toilets. Braided stainless is more forgiving of a slightly off measurement than rigid chrome or copper, which has to be bent and cut to length.