I've been called out at 10 PM because a handy man tried to fix a leak on a copper line with a shark bite, spent all day on it and couldn't stop the leak. I had it fixed in 15 minutes with a tourch and a roll of solder
@@trentlanders5852 man that's just plain wrong. I've used them for years(only accessible areas) and have only had a few times where they didn't work properly. We use Pex with brass fittings mostly.
Shark bite failed on a third story apartment caused $65,000 worth of damage in 30mins. Turns out it was installed correctly, had a manufacturing default on the teeth inside it. As a plumber I will go out of my way to replace or remove a sharkbite when I see it.
SiFiFreak no what I’m saying is a defective shark bite caused that much damage in an apartment building, And it cost about $65,000 to repair it. That’s all.
@@SiFiFreak Obviously any plumbing defect can cause any amount of damage. I've seen some pretty horrible stuff in 30 story towers in the Dallas area. Generally speaking, copper pipe from the manufacturer thats been making copper pipe for 80+ years is pretty solid stuff and doesn't fail quickly. The difference is that sharkbite fittings are relatively new, they haven't been even close to perfected, and they never will be. For instance, I cut out a section of 2" copper that a plumber or handyman before had made 6 swing joints zigzag(for no reason, could've made a straight repair and we did). As a result of all those 90s, the water turbulence was ridiculous and lead to numerous pinholes after what was apparently only 5 years time. Had he made that zigzag mess out of sharkbite, the turbulence would've destroyed the inside of the fittings in 2 years or so and all 24 of those 90s would have been leaking full bore and possibly come disconnected. Plumbers argue against the use of sharkbites because they are by no means a permanent fix. You can easily rent a press gun and buy press fittings or just solder it and you will get a significantly better looking and longer lasting repair. Can a copper pipe with solder fittings burst and do millions in damage? Yes. Will it take significantly longer in most cases than a sharkbite in the same location? By far, yes. I use sharkbites to stop water temporarily when I get a call at 2am thats an hour from home. Someone always goes back the next day/same day, and that sharkbite becomes scrap the customer paid for instantly as we just cut it out and make a proper repair. I'd never use a sharkbite more than once. I don't trust them at all, I've seen maintenance man repairs burst within seconds of turning water on due to sharkbites.
I'd like to point out the P-Trap you show at the start, was originally designed for use in RVs and Campers, where you, hopefully, wouldnt be sending anything but water down the drain. It was just sort of...hijacked by cheap companies as a 'household' item. Source: Had to install one for a friend who has the plumbing sense of an outhouse.
I am a Master Plumber and I have been a plumber for 20 plus years. I totally agree with you about Shark Bites. They should only be used as a emergency fix or temporary fix. I have removed several leaking Shark Bites inside of wall! Permanent install is a bad idea.
As a young plumbing helper, I once had to go under a crawlspace and cut out a sink trap that was clogged up with grease and garbage. Unknown to me, the homeowners had poured Drain-O down multiple times which didn’t help at all and instead stayed in the pipe. Once I cut it, all of the water and Drain-O mixture went in my eyes and left a really bad burn in em for the rest of the day. Now I always make sure to know if homeowners use it before cutting into pipes
Leon I just recently had it happen to me...AGAIN and it’s been 1 week of irritation. I’ll be investing into goggles of some sort cause at 22, I’m too young to let my vision go to waste
In Europe these perforated trap drain hoses are available in straight full on complects.. basically you have your normal P trap assembly and then the outlet, but you can attach these 1 or even 2 meter long perforated 40 mil hoses and lead the outlet to the drain in the floor or the wall of the old cast iron bell or whatevs you name it, but in Europe these are a true standard, me, being a 21 yo self thought plumber I never used these in my practice, because I saw how ugly these can be, I always try to make a ridgid pipe connection to make a smooth flow. Old Plumbers hates me for not using these, because when they were young it was a standard practice to use perforated drain leads to outlet.. I am talking here about 60 yo old soviet plumbers (I live in Lithuania) and I sometimes come to fix the trap and I make the lead nice and neat with ridgind pipe, they see and they get all worked up on why didn't I use the flexible lead pipe.. God darn dude, if I used a flexy, then the homeowner himself could install a new trap, but since he is hiring me I might as well do it the way it should be done.
If possible solid pipe if not for batheoom sinks they are fine. I take out 30 year old ones that are still working fine. The clogging problem is overstated. They are sold as original parts. Dont use them in kitchen sinks.
@@majstrujeme8352 That was my issue when I replaced the garbage disposer. The disposal was using a flex-pipe connected to the outflow (or whatever the hell it is called) to the disposer. So I bought regular pvc and a couple of angle joints and it works alright.
I had a plumber come out about 5 years ago or so to replace a portion of polybutylene piping above our water heater. I wasn't home but my mom was. I came home to find that he had used a sharbite fitting that was literally leaking before my eyes! I laughed so hard and then called up the plumber. He said that they are great fittings and he would come back and fix it. I replied that he had done enough and that he was fired. Roger you are right and your videos are always great and entertaining!
Yikes. Poly B needs a specific version of this type of fitting. The standard ones leak. It has a different colour on the polybutylene side. Plumber couldn't even get that detail right i am guessing.
My favorite way to keep my sinks from getting clogged is once every couple months, I fill up the sinks with hot water, use my finger to plug any vent holes, then I just go to town on the drain with my mini plunger, plunging the water back and forth. It works great, the hot water loosens the sludge, then the plunging action dislodges it.
Shark bite is so horrific. I know an assistant that assigned plumbers to her boss's house that used that stuff on compression pipes only to have them explode and cause thousands of dollars worth of damage just a few weeks later.
Just want to say,, every single one of your videos is gold. I've been subscribed for a while now and it just keep getting better. Your videos got me learning to be a plumber. I will eventually replumb my house. Hell, the other day my brother and I installed a water hammer dampener. A genius product, please do a video on one. Our houses both have the plumbing in the attic and that instal was amazing.
Thank you thank you thank you I’ve been waiting for the video about complaining about the accordion tube. What I do to get around that is I use the sch 40 p traps that glue together.
I, fortunately, didn't have the expansion sink drain garbage. Instead, there so many fragrance sources throughout the house, including 3 just in the half-bath alone that every smell was just covered up by all those perfumes. After closing on the house, I threw those out and, then after the perfume dissipated, I discovered why those were there. The previous homeowner had installed laminate over the bathroom's vinyl floor (that part I knew about), but hasn't replaced the wax ring with a thicker one when the laminate was run under the toilet. So I had to fix that in short order (before moving in). I had already planned on some plumbing work before moving in, due the the Bathfitter special the previous homeowner had used for the full-bath. I spoke with the zoning department about what work I was planning and pulled permits, namely for replacing the acrylic Bathfitter tub with a deep fiberglass tub that has heated recirculation. Both the electrical and plumbing inspectors were very happy with both the quality and professionalism of my work (as in meets code and was done neatly). The tub's p-trap is a pvc glue welded assembly (the prior work was compression fittings, with leaks and no access). My work has no leaks, is properly sloped and vented, and has access. The Bathfitter work had black mold, missing sections of vapor barrier (5ft by 7ft section missing), regular drywall with gapping openings between drywall pieces, simply used as a backer for excessive amounts of double-sided tape. That was all removed, bleached for the mold, and properly re-insulated before the new tub was installed.
I just wanna thank you sir...your videoa are awesome and motivational I wanna be a plumber so bad I'm on the right steps ...I'm located in El Paso tx!!! Thanks again keep up good work sir helping others
I'm a homeowner. I've tried to learn to solder, and I suck at it. I just don't have enough practice and probably lack technique. When I had to replace a hose bibb I soldered the copper to it (I can solder a valve body to pipe), but used a shark bite to connect to existing copper. The connection is in a crawl space over plastic sheeting vapor barrier. I inspect the crawl space once a year (something I started doing when my termite company didn't spot an obvious infestation) so if the shark bite starts leaking I can replace. I'll see if you've done a soldering tutorial. The plumbers I've watched solder do it differently than all RUclips videos in that they continue to apply flux even after they've hit the joint with solder.
My dad's been having me do basic plumbing work in his property and he's insisting on using shark bite (UK equivalent) and a year completing a shower \ sink assembly on I've had to disassemble behind the shower because one of the joints started gushing out the top. Glad to know I'm not going mental thinking they're crap. I'm not a plumber by trade for what it's worth.
@Jaime Elizalde Right on! Much the same with me back in the 90s. A labor intensive and mentally challenging job....especially if you get into Commercial Work. Its hard to get in trouble at night if you are so exhausted you go to sleep at 7PM.
It's good to see that you have stopped ragging on SharkBite fittings so viciously like before.I am in 100% agreement with you,SharkBite fittings are good only as a temporary repair and so long as the pipe the SharkBite fittings are used on are properly prepared.Many people are under the grave misconception that pipes do not need to be properly deburred and reamed for using SharkBite fittings which is false.I will use SharBite fittings in an emergency but you can bet your bottom dollar that I will repair the pipe in question using the right tools and parts as soon as I am able to do so.
I knew you would mention sharkbite fittings lol. Any of the older plumbers I've met claim they are horrible, which is interesting considering they actually have a very long lifespan and won't leak if installed correctly. Though, I'm just going off of my 15 years of experience and my 5 years of using sharkbite fittings.
Hey, Drano is great for science experiments! Also sidle valves are best for things like a sealed refrigeration system like a fridge or dehumidifier. You can use them to take refrigeration out because they don't have taps.
I’m thankful for your Channel and episodes like this! I have been redoing a house that’s over 100 years old for the past 2 years and plumbing is the one part of construction I know nothing about. Other than basic stuff I have been too cautious to mess with much until I can pay to have more professional help. My husband knows nothing about remodeling so I have to teach both of us and plumbing is one thing I don’t want to learn the hard way! I’ve lived in a 60 year old rental house that was only ever worked on by a handyman and seen many of your plumbing Donts lol Wish I had found this sooner!
What are you’re thoughts on pro press? Hvac tech here and our company has switched to pro press. I personally prefer soldering but I’ll tell ya it’s cuts our man hours in half. I’ve seen regular 90 to street fittings (if not inserted correctly) leak but I’m curious about hard water situations and if you have any experience with them.
Maintenance supervisor for 100+ unit Apt community health in California. Sharkbites are AWESOME to have on hand for plumbing emergencies. It’s great to temporarily fix a leaking supply line so residents won’t loose hot water over a weekend but you bet I’m having a plumber on Monday put a proper fitting on that.
Sir, I love your channel. I would recommend revisiting how you incorporate music in your videos. It’s a bit loud here and makes it difficult to hear what you’re saying.
Learning to attach copper pipes with solder, then you're golden. The biggest thing to success is literally make sure both surfaces are clean and sanded lightly and to use flux. That flux makes a massive difference, as it dries up from the heat it sucks the tin/silver into the joint and if you do it right, it's just as strong as the pipe it's attached to.
In the UK those push-fit (shark bite) fittings are everywhere now! New build houses being plumbed in with coils of plastic pipe and push-fit fittings. Even brand new kerosene boilers come with those fittings (Tectite in the UK)
Licensed plumber here. I don't like sharkbites, but I have used them once in a while. Either an emergency fix, or a very stubborn pipe that I can't get to stop dripping. Since they downgraded MAPP gas, I pretty much use PEX.
I work for a property management company, and when we have inspections by the Los Angeles department of housing and they see the flexible P traps, and extension tubes, and so on, they ding Us with a violation and we have to of course replace it. Even if the tenant replaced it themselves.
I work at walmart (I am in school studying HVAC) and our eye wash station uses the flexable trap but only water goes down it and it just goes through the wall into the utility mop sink.
@@RogerWakefield i think that what you showed in the video has no reason to exist we use this look at picture www.home-shop.gr/νιπτήρα/992-σιφώνι-νιπτήρα-σπιράλ-534224.html we use it in greece only for bathroom sinks or places where only water goes in and it is great if it clogs you unscrew one side with your hand clean it screw it back and it lasts for decades and if it fails it costs 5 euros and takes 5 minutes to replace.
My very first plumbing contract I did, I was 23 years old. The general contractor is building living courters in an unfinished basement. He hired me to plumb the existing supply lines to feed a laundry supply and a bathroom. And I also did all the waste lines. But back to the supply lines/ this contractor wanted me to use push on pvc fittings for the valves. I glued all the other fittings why would I use these?? Well he supplied all of the materials. I told him that I didn't want to use them, and let's glue on a male fitting and buy quality angle stops and install them. He didn't agree. So I put it in writing my recommendations and denied any liability for using the product provided. Two months later he was pumping out the basement of a 6' pool, and redoing the whole basement because he was looking to do a job cheaper. Two years later those push on pvc valves were outlawed in my state. Common sense is the best insurance!!!
I have a septic tank at my house, and I used septic safe draino to get rid of a clog that wouldn't go away. Id go into more detail, but I don't want to write an essay. But there were previous issues with the septic tank, before I moved here at the end of May 2020.
Agree. Sharkbite are terrible. Once had to fit a leak on a brand new bathroom that another company had installed. Had to cut out the drywall on the newly finished wall. The water caused a fair bit of damage and the fitting was just a few days old.
A man attempted to commit suicide years ago by drinking Drano and the decided he wanted to live. He called emergency services and he now has his lower intestine attached to his throat because the strong base ate his insides away. Not good to have that chemical anywhere close to kids.
Jeez.. That's awful for that poor man. We always ask the homeowners if they've poured chemicals down the drain because we don't want it to get on our plumbers skin
We recently replaced our bathroom faucet. No cut off valves under the sink so we went ahead and added those on while we were in the process. I was sold the sharkbite fittings and tried them...They leaked so they went back to the store and I demanded the crimp parts and tools...New valves and new faucet...Nothing leaks.
I've never had a Sharkibite fail on me, but i've also cut the copper straight and flush, cleaned all the burs off and only used them on stiff copper no the soft stuff.
@@dennyblazer1167 if it holds that long it'll probably be fine as inline build up will create even more seal if say there was a micro amount of water getting through, it can seal itself. Not strongly but on fixed pipes it isn't all that bad. Still prefer other ways though for a small building or garage that you just want a quick set up which may change overtime, in that case they're great. I had to replace all of my water lines from old degraded ABS lines with PEX and didn't use them at all except under sinks because were planning on remodeling down the road. Once it's final they're out haha. Been 12 years (money ran dry, remodeling next year haha) and no leaks yet and that's with PEX which is pretty impressive. Must have gotten a good batch of them lmao
My father done some remodeling at his house... Ripped out all the old pvc and went with copper top to bottom... Every 90, T and shut off valve is shark bite... Been that way for 12 maybe 13 years now and he hasn't had to replace anything yet...
Lots of plumbers do not realize how to effectively install one of these sharkbite fittings. I've explained the correct way to numerous individuals, and they still don't get it. No I do not believe that these fittings are permanent repairs, but there is a right and wrong way to install them. Nuff said.
True story. My previous employer was a residential and commercial plumbing and drain cleaning service. My buddy was called to cable clean a sink line, after another company failed to open it. Why did the other company fail to open the line? Because the technician died! The people didn’t tell him that they used commercial “drain cleaner” on the line. He was in there for a few hours battling the drain while breathing the chemicals. The owners came in and found him dead. He was still hunched over holding the cable. Drain cleaning chemicals are dangerous!! I went into a house once and a lady used straight up commercial heavy duty acid to unclog the drain. I had to explain how bad it is to use it but it also ate holes straight through her sink
I went to take a picture of our setup and then remembered that our plumber fixed it when our humidifier sprung a leak. Previous home owners used saddle joints and incorrect tubing to set up the built in humidifier on the furnace. Naturally it sprung a leak because the tubing's kept MELTING. The idiots also sold the house after 3 months of ownership because they drilled holes in the 3 inch pvc drain from the upstairs bathroom, thus causing a leak in the wall of the living room. They hid this so it was missed in the home inspection. And why we had to find a good plumber in an emergency after less than 3 months of ownership of our house. Fortunately it was an easy fix, easy to find leak. Just gross, and we kept the plumber we found because he is licensed and professional. Goes above and beyond every time. He is the one who found out our sewer line to the main is all orangeburg pipes. That some how have lasted almost 100 years. They aren't ruptured yet ... But they could at any time... And as such we have to spend a bunch of money next year to have the line replaced.
I always keep a sharkbite inline valve on our home emergency kit. When my wife found a severely leaking cpvc connection to our washer box. The shutoff valve was inaccessible at the moment so she cut the cpvc with a ratcheting cutter and put the sharkbite on, then closed the valve. It held long enough to get a plumber to come put
As a homeowner, not a plumber, I have used shark bites. I used one to connect my pex to the hose bib. However, I have the hose shut off valve way before the actual sharkbite. Luckily it’s been 5 years and no leaks.
@@RogerWakefield used sharkbite on a painted pipe main water shut off at meter dosent close all the way its a down hill run easily accessible been holding no leaks for over 6 yrs (lol its above washing machine in basement and serves as hot water supply for washer and dishwasher chk it all the time i do laundry -dont trust it but dont worry about anymore- but if i ever leave for a cple of days ill shut off water as best as i can ) i wld never use one behind a wall or hard to reach spot i agree something about a no tool connection will fail just when
if they have a tool to be removed, i guess the way i have some in my system work. they make an extended hose piece with a ball valve for hot water tank installation and since tanks aren't always a permanent thing, i guess I'm good as long as no one tries to reuse it?
I've been plumbing in CA for 2 years. Sharkbites are definitely no good. I keep the cap in my truck for the same reason you do. I also have the shutoff valve type so it makes it easy to work on water heaters and other systems. Some times some water does get behind the Sharkbite cap and its exciting when it shoots out. But with the hose bid type I hook up my high temp garden hose and I can then check for water build up under a controlled release rather then an exciting one. And I've definitely never left one behind after a job. Using a press fitting is better then bits and renting a tool if you don't own one is easy. Again situation dictates if it's the right thing to do.
The couple of things I have noticed about sharkbites that I’ve see in the field is, when they get cold -they release, on copper they corrode quickly, the plast in them get brittle and chip and break which causes the to release.
Sharkbite fitting saved our ass on a commercial remodel. Had a demo crew hit a half inch supply line. Shut off was in the neighboring store which, was obviously closed at 3am. Couple of locking pliers held things closed till a plumber came out and shoved a cap on against the city water pressure. He earned his beer and 450
Sharkbite relies on an O-ring between itself and the pipe and the teeth are there hold it in place. 1) Any pipe not cut perfectly and not de-burred perfectly will scratch that o-ring and the shark bite fitting will fail. If you plan to use a shark bite you need to make sure that the end of the pipe you have cut as close to 90 degrees as possible and you must make sure that there is nothing to hurt that o-ring or it will definitely leak. 2) Since here in The US we have chlorinated public water mandated by Uncle Sam and Chlorine acts against rubber.... That Sharkbite fitting can not possibly be used for more than a couple of years before a leak occurs. It looks Quick and easy but that sharkbite fitting is more expensive and when you get that leak the price will go up. Its fine for a quick fix but remember it should not be permanent. You can use it to temporarily connect something assuming you do it correctly.. straight cuts and clean smooth pipe. but remember it needs a real connection as soon as possible.
That first thing is what's in my apartment's bathroom sink. The drain was slow, so I had to take it apart to clean it out. Not too hard, but still. So much gunk was caught in the grooves. The maintainence guy told me (on another job) that they only like to do "quick fixes" around the complex, so...
The shark bites are OK for a little quick fix or just capping off a line at the end of the day and you don't want to get your soldering rig out, I use them for just that and nothing more take them off the next day and continue on the piping.
They also work just fine for transferring from copper to PVC on a water heater since by the time they need to be replaced the water heater most likely is already leaking
I do use sharkbite quite often, but mostly for temporary jobs, or to rough out a job, if the planning is suspicious. If it[s to do a rough install to test a system, then it'll get changed out after proving the system works. I mostly work on a farm, where pipes break out all the time (cows love to play with them for some reason), so it's a convenience to be able to pop apart the joint, slap a new pipe in, and be done, without needing to change any fittings. In a RV or camper, there is often no room to work. I've even used them as a temporary fix on a broken copper propane line, but that was fixed as soon as I had flare nuts and a connector. I have an installation in my basement where I used one to branch fom copper to pex, but that is a line that only gets water occasionally, when I need water in my shed. the valve is soldered in
My first plumbing project and I used the flexible plastic pipe the I asked the Home Depot guy about clogging because of the ridges and he said it would be fine ....dam!
I work for Home Depot, Was a plumbers helper for years before I started the Depot. The plumbing company I worked for sharkbites were voodoo and never used, not even as a temp cap. Now at home depot, I work the plumbing dept and have to sell these things. I do everything to stear customers clear of them. But the biggest problem I have is we live in a mostly trailer town and poly pipe is in most of them. Nobody wants to get the expensive pex crimper for a one time job, so we sell the poly sharbite adapter like crazy. I just have to bite my lip alot when we sell so much crap.
you know what the problem with sharkbites is? big box stores have shifted sales to them, so not only do they only stock certain fittings in shark bite configurations now but they'll recommend them over soldering, even if you say you know how to solder proficiently.
you also have to understand when they are done in industrial builds like space ships it's a 100% controlled installation done perfectly, not a dusty crawlspace on 60 year old copper.
I’ve used shark bites when i replaced lines to my bath or kitchen from cpvc to pex but wasnt ready to invest time or money in doing it all at once. Agree. Not a forever fix but they’ll work until you can replace said lines
Not a plumber but an HVAC apprentice, I have only left shark bites on 1/2" and 3/4" drain lines in walk-in units that had to be cut and snaked or purged with a co2 gun. The one time I used a 1/2" shark bite coupling in a pinch on a water line in my home it had to be replaced within 2 weeks with a solder fitting as the sharkbite was showing signs of leaking within days (corrosion around the fitting) and had a steady drip by the time I replaced it. To be fair it may have been caused by the harsh water in my town but I just don't trust sharkbites under pressure long term.
Roger, my 135 year old house still has the original lead drain line in the upstsirs bathroom up to the cast iron main stack that was put in probably the 1930s or 40s along with the galvanized supply lines (which I've since upgraded to copper.) I almost used some of that drain cleaner and a snake when It clogged on me, but that little birdy on my shoulder told me something don't seem right and to do some research before I do eiither of those things on a soft lead pipe. I'm sure glad I did. I ended up getting one of those water spray bladders which successfully destroyed that clog.
I always laugh when I see people talking shit about shark bites. We've used many many thousands of them with zero issues caused by the product itself. Every time theres been an issue, its because someone unfamiliar with the product didnt get it seated all the way. Now we do still use crimp fittings when space isnt an issue but shark bites are a perfectly good substitute when needed
@Justin Beaird You don't want to use sharkbite anywhere thats hard to access, if your going to use them they should be in a open area. And you should probably always do actual research before using something anyway, I am against Pro Plumbers using them because they have all the tools to do everything else. But homeowners and such who knows what they are doing its really up to them. I'm using them atm to see how they turn out long term. Despite all of my research that says as long as they done perfectly they should last at least 10 years but no ones studied them longer than that. Since they are newer i think they are a cool idea, and perfect for the small replacement i need and having no money to spend thousands of $$ on tools noneless products. And PEX pipe does leech less than PVC but it still leechs quite a bit. Technically if you can everything should be copper and should be soldered. And if its not you should probably be running water filters and such if your a man or male child especialy. Thats just my opinion though.
I've seen plenty of Sharkbite fitting that leak if they experience any side pressure on them after being installed correctly. Just a small amount of tweeking to the side and the seal inside is no longer properly seated. They are great for temporary setups and quick fixes but never for long term use.
I was a plumbers apprentice and we used thrift to clear some drains and it worked every now and then and he claimed it was the Best stuff and he also used globber if I remember correctly. Can you do a review on that stuff
We use sharkbite type fitting pretty much as an industry standard. But I am working in horticulture, we are using them in greenhouses and outdoors. We really don't care about leaks. We spill water everywhere all the time as part of normal operation. And being able to lay new piping in an hour or two, which will stay in place only for a few months or even weeks is really convenient for us. That's a completely different environment that indoor plumbing.
I’m going to sweat a tee fitting in and put a stop calc we had a saddle valve. I’m working on removing it. I had a someone tell me they love sharkbite fittings It brought tears to my eyes I was pissed off.i would rather use solder fittings or cpvc or pex crimp or cpvc.
A press fitting seals the same way as a A Sharkbite. With an O Ring. Which will dry up and fail eventually. It may be 30 years but it will happen. It really sucks because everything is made in china now and is piss poor quality. I laugh when I see people use press on black iron. Again going To fail. It is even worse because the iron will oxidize. Not safe in my opinion. And can't believe code allows It.
Im going to push back on saddle valve. So, you want me to cut my pipe put a tee as opposed to punching hole in my copper pipe. In both case cases I'm going to have to cut them out and replace with a straight pipe. So Im gonna go with the saddle valve. Conservation of energy.
Any plumbing fitting can fail. I've seen PEX fittings leak inside walls within months of installation. There are good plumbers and there are bad plumbers. After trying three different plumbers in two different states, I learned how to do everything myself. One plumber in Tennessee I hired to run a new gas line for a gas dryer had so many loose joints in the piping in the attic, the whole house smelled like natural gas. He did not have the right size drill bit to drill holes so he used one too large for a 2x4 plate and split it in the attic. He made a huge hole in the sheetrock in the laundry room. I was at work so was not at home to see all of these mistakes until later. The gas company came and turned our gas off. They said the house was not safe and asked for the name of the plumber who had installed the gas line. I called the plumber and told him what had happened. He came back and went into the attic. I watched him tighten down several pipe joints. He charged had charged us $450 for his shoddy work. I made sure to get the word out in town about his incompetence. A plumber in Mississippi, we hired to add a water line to our refrigerator went under the house and added that clamp-on valve you showed in the video. He drilled a hole the floor and ran the small water line through it. The only way to turn the water off was to climb under the house. I hired a plumber to change out the anode rod in a water heater. He charged a $125.00. His body odor was so bad, my wife had to leave the room and go outside to get some fresh air. It was awful. He did the job correctly, but I told myself that day, that was something I could do myself from then on. This stuff is not rocket science. When I was kid, the plumbers we had come to our house took pride in their work. If you can hire a good plumber these days, you are lucky. Get first hand recommendations from people you trust. I was able to fine a good plumber in my area, but he is booked all the time. The bad plumbers can come right now. Remember that when hiring someone. The good professionals stay busy. The bad ones are always available. Oh, and the good plumber has no ads nor advertisements. His business comes strictly from word of mouth and the signs on his truck. He told me the biggest ads in the yellow pages are the worst ones to hire.
Ive had this in a guest bathroom, since the plumber who did our house (new build) really fucked up the p-trap. Even the standard p-trap was forced into it's position 🤦♂️
Im not a plumber and i dont know how to soder i used the shark bit adapters to replace all my calcium encrusted valves. Not planing on it staying, gona re run all my plumbing eventually. I haven't had any problems with them yet except the price
I would not exactly say sharkbite fittings can save you money as they are about 3-5x more expensive than their cpvc counterparts. However, if you are a novice and screw up your measurements they can save you from having to buy a bunch of extra fittings to replace your mistakes that are chemically bonded. I self installed a whole house water softener and filtration system using primarily cpvc but then tied in a pre and post shut off valve to the main water line using sharkbite since it used pex and I had no other way of tying in the cpvc lines. I screwed up the measurements on the main line (didn't cut short enough) and being able to take the fittings back off and recut saved me a lot of time and hassle. All of the sharkbite fittings I used are being compressed from both ends so I don't see any way for them to come off. I did forget to chemically bond one of the 90 fittings on the cpvc lines and that shot off reall quick.
Thanks for teaching all this plumbing stuff. I once gutted my entire bathroom and pulled down cupboards in the kitchen below it trying to find a leak, turned out I just needed a new cartridge in my shower tap. Had I more knowledge I could have fixed it for free.
When I was working in a restaurant a few years ago the manager told me a tale. A family got food poisoning and claimed they got it from the restaurant, but they have to get tests done to prove it was our food. Long story short: they didn't get sick from the restaurant. They lived on a farm and they had their underground water line BELOW the sewage line, and it had leaked and subsequently got into the water so they actually got sick from their own shit, literally.
We sell all of these at our shop 🤣 i can agree though. Those traps we just started selling, AWFUL. I try to shy everyone away from them. Some of the good plumbers get a laugh out of them.. The saddle valves not too many people use any more. We sell liquid and crystal thrift cleaner, its more a homeowner buy. But sharkbites.. oh boy. We sell HUNDREDS of those things a month. People have made it more common place than it should be. Dont get me wrong, they're great fittings... if you are a homeowner. Or like you said, sometimes you get in a pinch and need one to stop a leak or seal a pipe. Most our good plumbers keep a few for the late night weekend calls to tide over for a proper repair. Its all in how and what you are using it for.
There’s a lot of things that fail inspection for really dumb reasons. Some states don’t allow pex, I’ve failed inspection on a Noritz tankless for using their plastic rain cap instead of a “candy cane” style roof termination.
I used a sharkbite fitting at night after Lowe’s had closed and my hot water valve for my washer had broken off. I used it to take a shower the next morning, and buy a proper valve and glue it on after work. It wasn’t even washing machine size, I just needed to plug the end.
I only use push fit fittings on emergency work that I know I'm going back to the following day. You actually have a sense of pride when you've bent a pipe, and soldered it in place. Sadly these days it's all about a quick fix, and get the money. Also agree about the drain unblockers. I had my skin burnt last year after someone had put a mix of cleaners and caustic soda down a blocked shower trap.
I try not to use Shark Bite fittings when at all possible, unfortunately there are instances where I have worked on accounts that have a low do not exceed price range. In Colorado our trip and service fee are $187 for accounts which eats up most the NTE cost.
Hvac guy used a saddle valve from a hot water lime to my humidifier. Used to leak like a SOB. I ripped it off. Repaired the whole. And installed an actual valve myself. Hasn’t leaked in 3 years.
Alright, I stopped at 6:04 and I'm gonna finish on but I just have to say, you do an amazing job on your videos, you are simply happy and passionate and don't try to force crazy ideologies or gimmicks on people, you explained the pipe piercing water valve thingy (I'm not a plumber lool) on how it functions, its uses, but how over-all its not something you want to do to your pipes, and you advise people of the proper way of doing it. People don't have to take your advice, but they would be pretty stupid not to. Bases are just as dangerous or even more dangerous than some acids, you are far more likely to come across a strong base in industrial workplaces or common household chemicals, and they cause TONS of biological damage.
I have one that's 25+ years old for an ice maker and another that's 20+ for a humidifier. No issues. But I'll use a tee with an angle stop for my basement ice maker when I install that.
Sharkbites are amazing for capping live water lines if something goes sideways. But don't use a cap, use a valve in the open position, then close it once the valve is seated. Buys enough time to shut the water off and regroup
I've used shark bite fittings before on my own house, but only as an emergency repair, the kit contains 2 1/2" shark bite ball valves, a foot of 1/2" copper pipe, a pipe cutter and a couple strips of sand paper, so that if the case EVER arose that a pipe burst, I could shut the water off, but the ball valves in line, continue about my day until my plumber can show up and fix it properly. And ill tell ya, used it once when I forgot to drain my outside spigot for the winter, (they weren't the frost free) and one froze and burst at like 2AM, saved me thousands of dollars from water damage. The first time well, my main valve was seized up and couldn't shut the water off. The ball valve let me push the fitting on without all the back pressure and than close the valve off
I'm not a master plumber, but I never liked the sharkbite as a permanent solution. I've used them as a temp fix, or to get water going on a complex, long term project so people can shower at the end of the day. But they are always removed and replaced by the end of the project. I do keep a couple on hand for emergencies only.
What’s your opinion on the pvc compression unions that have nothing more than a squished piece of rubber holding back the water pressure. I’ve used them as a temporary fix but not sure I trust them for anything long term?
I've been called out at 10 PM because a handy man tried to fix a leak on a copper line with a shark bite, spent all day on it and couldn't stop the leak. I had it fixed in 15 minutes with a tourch and a roll of solder
LuvzIt!!!
Wow that sucks u lost some sleep
You have to be a moron to not know how to use a sharkbite.
Decepticon_ CK he was trying to just jam it on the line with a big glob of solder still on it
@@trentlanders5852 man that's just plain wrong. I've used them for years(only accessible areas) and have only had a few times where they didn't work properly. We use Pex with brass fittings mostly.
Shark bite failed on a third story apartment caused $65,000 worth of damage in 30mins. Turns out it was installed correctly, had a manufacturing default on the teeth inside it. As a plumber I will go out of my way to replace or remove a sharkbite when I see it.
Happens every day!!!
So what you are saying is they're are never any manufacturering defects in copper pipe or other plumbing methods that can cause that level of damage.
SiFiFreak no what I’m saying is a defective shark bite caused that much damage in an apartment building, And it cost about $65,000 to repair it. That’s all.
@@americanfirst913 and what I'm saying is couldn't a defective copper pipe have caused just as much damage.
@@SiFiFreak Obviously any plumbing defect can cause any amount of damage. I've seen some pretty horrible stuff in 30 story towers in the Dallas area. Generally speaking, copper pipe from the manufacturer thats been making copper pipe for 80+ years is pretty solid stuff and doesn't fail quickly. The difference is that sharkbite fittings are relatively new, they haven't been even close to perfected, and they never will be.
For instance, I cut out a section of 2" copper that a plumber or handyman before had made 6 swing joints zigzag(for no reason, could've made a straight repair and we did). As a result of all those 90s, the water turbulence was ridiculous and lead to numerous pinholes after what was apparently only 5 years time. Had he made that zigzag mess out of sharkbite, the turbulence would've destroyed the inside of the fittings in 2 years or so and all 24 of those 90s would have been leaking full bore and possibly come disconnected.
Plumbers argue against the use of sharkbites because they are by no means a permanent fix. You can easily rent a press gun and buy press fittings or just solder it and you will get a significantly better looking and longer lasting repair.
Can a copper pipe with solder fittings burst and do millions in damage? Yes. Will it take significantly longer in most cases than a sharkbite in the same location? By far, yes.
I use sharkbites to stop water temporarily when I get a call at 2am thats an hour from home. Someone always goes back the next day/same day, and that sharkbite becomes scrap the customer paid for instantly as we just cut it out and make a proper repair. I'd never use a sharkbite more than once. I don't trust them at all, I've seen maintenance man repairs burst within seconds of turning water on due to sharkbites.
I'd like to point out the P-Trap you show at the start, was originally designed for use in RVs and Campers, where you, hopefully, wouldnt be sending anything but water down the drain. It was just sort of...hijacked by cheap companies as a 'household' item.
Source: Had to install one for a friend who has the plumbing sense of an outhouse.
I am a Master Plumber and I have been a plumber for 20 plus years. I totally agree with you about Shark Bites. They should only be used as a emergency fix or temporary fix. I have removed several leaking Shark Bites inside of wall! Permanent install is a bad idea.
As a young plumbing helper, I once had to go under a crawlspace and cut out a sink trap that was clogged up with grease and garbage. Unknown to me, the homeowners had poured Drain-O down multiple times which didn’t help at all and instead stayed in the pipe. Once I cut it, all of the water and Drain-O mixture went in my eyes and left a really bad burn in em for the rest of the day. Now I always make sure to know if homeowners use it before cutting into pipes
Leon I just recently had it happen to me...AGAIN and it’s been 1 week of irritation. I’ll be investing into goggles of some sort cause at 22, I’m too young to let my vision go to waste
I've repiped entire houses because of sharkbites. I agree with you on temporary applications and never leave them installed when you are finished.
In Europe these perforated trap drain hoses are available in straight full on complects.. basically you have your normal P trap assembly and then the outlet, but you can attach these 1 or even 2 meter long perforated 40 mil hoses and lead the outlet to the drain in the floor or the wall of the old cast iron bell or whatevs you name it, but in Europe these are a true standard, me, being a 21 yo self thought plumber I never used these in my practice, because I saw how ugly these can be, I always try to make a ridgid pipe connection to make a smooth flow. Old Plumbers hates me for not using these, because when they were young it was a standard practice to use perforated drain leads to outlet.. I am talking here about 60 yo old soviet plumbers (I live in Lithuania) and I sometimes come to fix the trap and I make the lead nice and neat with ridgind pipe, they see and they get all worked up on why didn't I use the flexible lead pipe.. God darn dude, if I used a flexy, then the homeowner himself could install a new trap, but since he is hiring me I might as well do it the way it should be done.
If possible solid pipe if not for batheoom sinks they are fine. I take out 30 year old ones that are still working fine. The clogging problem is overstated. They are sold as original parts. Dont use them in kitchen sinks.
@@majstrujeme8352 That was my issue when I replaced the garbage disposer. The disposal was using a flex-pipe connected to the outflow (or whatever the hell it is called) to the disposer.
So I bought regular pvc and a couple of angle joints and it works alright.
I love your no BS talk. Straight to the point and honest.
I had a plumber come out about 5 years ago or so to replace a portion of polybutylene piping above our water heater. I wasn't home but my mom was. I came home to find that he had used a sharbite fitting that was literally leaking before my eyes! I laughed so hard and then called up the plumber. He said that they are great fittings and he would come back and fix it. I replied that he had done enough and that he was fired. Roger you are right and your videos are always great and entertaining!
Yikes. Poly B needs a specific version of this type of fitting. The standard ones leak. It has a different colour on the polybutylene side. Plumber couldn't even get that detail right i am guessing.
I can vouch for saying Shark Bites are great
My favorite way to keep my sinks from getting clogged is once every couple months, I fill up the sinks with hot water, use my finger to plug any vent holes, then I just go to town on the drain with my mini plunger, plunging the water back and forth. It works great, the hot water loosens the sludge, then the plunging action dislodges it.
I want to go to Texas just to have this dude do my plumbing I'd be honored.
Mamalo
Shark bite is so horrific. I know an assistant that assigned plumbers to her boss's house that used that stuff on compression pipes only to have them explode and cause thousands of dollars worth of damage just a few weeks later.
Just want to say,, every single one of your videos is gold. I've been subscribed for a while now and it just keep getting better. Your videos got me learning to be a plumber. I will eventually replumb my house. Hell, the other day my brother and I installed a water hammer dampener. A genius product, please do a video on one. Our houses both have the plumbing in the attic and that instal was amazing.
Thank you. I appreciate that. With you r plumbing in the attic where do you live?
@@RogerWakefield Arizona. We are getting to that time of year where it takes 5 minutes before the water gets cold.
Thank you thank you thank you I’ve been waiting for the video about complaining about the accordion tube. What I do to get around that is I use the sch 40 p traps that glue together.
I totally agree. Had them in both bathrooms when I moved into my house, changed them out immediately haha.
That works too brother...
@Liam 1066 Good for you...
I, fortunately, didn't have the expansion sink drain garbage. Instead, there so many fragrance sources throughout the house, including 3 just in the half-bath alone that every smell was just covered up by all those perfumes. After closing on the house, I threw those out and, then after the perfume dissipated, I discovered why those were there. The previous homeowner had installed laminate over the bathroom's vinyl floor (that part I knew about), but hasn't replaced the wax ring with a thicker one when the laminate was run under the toilet. So I had to fix that in short order (before moving in). I had already planned on some plumbing work before moving in, due the the Bathfitter special the previous homeowner had used for the full-bath. I spoke with the zoning department about what work I was planning and pulled permits, namely for replacing the acrylic Bathfitter tub with a deep fiberglass tub that has heated recirculation. Both the electrical and plumbing inspectors were very happy with both the quality and professionalism of my work (as in meets code and was done neatly). The tub's p-trap is a pvc glue welded assembly (the prior work was compression fittings, with leaks and no access). My work has no leaks, is properly sloped and vented, and has access. The Bathfitter work had black mold, missing sections of vapor barrier (5ft by 7ft section missing), regular drywall with gapping openings between drywall pieces, simply used as a backer for excessive amounts of double-sided tape. That was all removed, bleached for the mold, and properly re-insulated before the new tub was installed.
I just wanna thank you sir...your videoa are awesome and motivational I wanna be a plumber so bad I'm on the right steps ...I'm located in El Paso tx!!! Thanks again keep up good work sir helping others
I'm a homeowner. I've tried to learn to solder, and I suck at it. I just don't have enough practice and probably lack technique. When I had to replace a hose bibb I soldered the copper to it (I can solder a valve body to pipe), but used a shark bite to connect to existing copper. The connection is in a crawl space over plastic sheeting vapor barrier. I inspect the crawl space once a year (something I started doing when my termite company didn't spot an obvious infestation) so if the shark bite starts leaking I can replace. I'll see if you've done a soldering tutorial. The plumbers I've watched solder do it differently than all RUclips videos in that they continue to apply flux even after they've hit the joint with solder.
My dad's been having me do basic plumbing work in his property and he's insisting on using shark bite (UK equivalent) and a year completing a shower \ sink assembly on I've had to disassemble behind the shower because one of the joints started gushing out the top. Glad to know I'm not going mental thinking they're crap. I'm not a plumber by trade for what it's worth.
Just do it and tell him your service comes as is. Hah.
That’s cool, you can get all copper pipe if you want and do it that way and not complain. Nothing wrong with shark bite, you probably messed it up.
I've been watching your videos I'm really trying be a plumber it's the only choice I see for me to do better for myself
@Jaime Elizalde Right on! Much the same with me back in the 90s. A labor intensive and mentally challenging job....especially if you get into Commercial Work. Its hard to get in trouble at night if you are so exhausted you go to sleep at 7PM.
It's good to see that you have stopped ragging on SharkBite fittings so viciously like before.I am in 100% agreement with you,SharkBite fittings are good only as a temporary repair and so long as the pipe the SharkBite fittings are used on are properly prepared.Many people are under the grave misconception that pipes do not need to be properly deburred and reamed for using SharkBite fittings which is false.I will use SharBite fittings in an emergency but you can bet your bottom dollar that I will repair the pipe in question using the right tools and parts as soon as I am able to do so.
Just a heads up, what you call perforations in the p trap, are actually corrugations.
Correct, perforated pipe would have holes in it!
It's a matter of time before those corrugations become perforations. Those sharp angles become brittle and eventually crack.
I knew you would mention sharkbite fittings lol. Any of the older plumbers I've met claim they are horrible, which is interesting considering they actually have a very long lifespan and won't leak if installed correctly. Though, I'm just going off of my 15 years of experience and my 5 years of using sharkbite fittings.
Hey, Drano is great for science experiments! Also sidle valves are best for things like a sealed refrigeration system like a fridge or dehumidifier. You can use them to take refrigeration out because they don't have taps.
I’m thankful for your Channel and episodes like this! I have been redoing a house that’s over 100 years old for the past 2 years and plumbing is the one part of construction I know nothing about. Other than basic stuff I have been too cautious to mess with much until I can pay to have more professional help. My husband knows nothing about remodeling so I have to teach both of us and plumbing is one thing I don’t want to learn the hard way! I’ve lived in a 60 year old rental house that was only ever worked on by a handyman and seen many of your plumbing Donts lol Wish I had found this sooner!
What are you’re thoughts on pro press? Hvac tech here and our company has switched to pro press. I personally prefer soldering but I’ll tell ya it’s cuts our man hours in half. I’ve seen regular 90 to street fittings (if not inserted correctly) leak but I’m curious about hard water situations and if you have any experience with them.
Maintenance supervisor for 100+ unit Apt community health in California.
Sharkbites are AWESOME to have on hand for plumbing emergencies. It’s great to temporarily fix a leaking supply line so residents won’t loose hot water over a weekend but you bet I’m having a plumber on Monday put a proper fitting on that.
Sir, I love your channel. I would recommend revisiting how you incorporate music in your videos. It’s a bit loud here and makes it difficult to hear what you’re saying.
Learning to attach copper pipes with solder, then you're golden. The biggest thing to success is literally make sure both surfaces are clean and sanded lightly and to use flux. That flux makes a massive difference, as it dries up from the heat it sucks the tin/silver into the joint and if you do it right, it's just as strong as the pipe it's attached to.
Stronger even at times.
Beautiful! I'm with you on everything you said. loved your delivery, spot on. Plumb in Pittsburgh our codes aren't taken lightly here.
In the UK those push-fit (shark bite) fittings are everywhere now! New build houses being plumbed in with coils of plastic pipe and push-fit fittings. Even brand new kerosene boilers come with those fittings (Tectite in the UK)
Licensed plumber here. I don't like sharkbites, but I have used them once in a while. Either an emergency fix, or a very stubborn pipe that I can't get to stop dripping. Since they downgraded MAPP gas, I pretty much use PEX.
I work for a property management company, and when we have inspections by the Los Angeles department of housing and they see the flexible P traps, and extension tubes, and so on, they ding Us with a violation and we have to of course replace it. Even if the tenant replaced it themselves.
I work at walmart (I am in school studying HVAC) and our eye wash station uses the flexable trap but only water goes down it and it just goes through the wall into the utility mop sink.
Still not good...
@@RogerWakefield i think that what you showed in the video has no reason to exist we use this look at picture www.home-shop.gr/νιπτήρα/992-σιφώνι-νιπτήρα-σπιράλ-534224.html we use it in greece only for bathroom sinks or places where only water goes in and it is great if it clogs you unscrew one side with your hand clean it screw it back and it lasts for decades and if it fails it costs 5 euros and takes 5 minutes to replace.
In my area, an eye wash station is considered and emergency fixture, and requires no drain.
My very first plumbing contract I did, I was 23 years old. The general contractor is building living courters in an unfinished basement. He hired me to plumb the existing supply lines to feed a laundry supply and a bathroom. And I also did all the waste lines. But back to the supply lines/ this contractor wanted me to use push on pvc fittings for the valves. I glued all the other fittings why would I use these?? Well he supplied all of the materials. I told him that I didn't want to use them, and let's glue on a male fitting and buy quality angle stops and install them. He didn't agree. So I put it in writing my recommendations and denied any liability for using the product provided. Two months later he was pumping out the basement of a 6' pool, and redoing the whole basement because he was looking to do a job cheaper. Two years later those push on pvc valves were outlawed in my state. Common sense is the best insurance!!!
I've came across all of these problems and that's what they are PROBLEMS!!! you are so right and thanks for the video.
I have a septic tank at my house, and I used septic safe draino to get rid of a clog that wouldn't go away. Id go into more detail, but I don't want to write an essay.
But there were previous issues with the septic tank, before I moved here at the end of May 2020.
Agree. Sharkbite are terrible. Once had to fit a leak on a brand new bathroom that another company had installed. Had to cut out the drywall on the newly finished wall. The water caused a fair bit of damage and the fitting was just a few days old.
A man attempted to commit suicide years ago by drinking Drano and the decided he wanted to live. He called emergency services and he now has his lower intestine attached to his throat because the strong base ate his insides away. Not good to have that chemical anywhere close to kids.
Jeez.. That's awful for that poor man. We always ask the homeowners if they've poured chemicals down the drain because we don't want it to get on our plumbers skin
We recently replaced our bathroom faucet. No cut off valves under the sink so we went ahead and added those on while we were in the process. I was sold the sharkbite fittings and tried them...They leaked so they went back to the store and I demanded the crimp parts and tools...New valves and new faucet...Nothing leaks.
I'm a master plumber here in south Texas. Love ur videos. I hate when I have to remove saddle valves from under the kitchen sink
I've never had a Sharkibite fail on me, but i've also cut the copper straight and flush, cleaned all the burs off and only used them on stiff copper no the soft stuff.
Give it 5 or 10 years.
@@dennyblazer1167 if it holds that long it'll probably be fine as inline build up will create even more seal if say there was a micro amount of water getting through, it can seal itself. Not strongly but on fixed pipes it isn't all that bad. Still prefer other ways though for a small building or garage that you just want a quick set up which may change overtime, in that case they're great. I had to replace all of my water lines from old degraded ABS lines with PEX and didn't use them at all except under sinks because were planning on remodeling down the road. Once it's final they're out haha. Been 12 years (money ran dry, remodeling next year haha) and no leaks yet and that's with PEX which is pretty impressive. Must have gotten a good batch of them lmao
My father done some remodeling at his house... Ripped out all the old pvc and went with copper top to bottom... Every 90, T and shut off valve is shark bite... Been that way for 12 maybe 13 years now and he hasn't had to replace anything yet...
Lots of plumbers do not realize how to effectively install one of these sharkbite fittings. I've explained the correct way to numerous individuals, and they still don't get it. No I do not believe that these fittings are permanent repairs, but there is a right and wrong way to install them. Nuff said.
I’ve never even heard of shark bite fittings until watching your channel. Thank goodness I know how to solder.
True story. My previous employer was a residential and commercial plumbing and drain cleaning service. My buddy was called to cable clean a sink line, after another company failed to open it. Why did the other company fail to open the line? Because the technician died! The people didn’t tell him that they used commercial “drain cleaner” on the line. He was in there for a few hours battling the drain while breathing the chemicals. The owners came in and found him dead. He was still hunched over holding the cable. Drain cleaning chemicals are dangerous!! I went into a house once and a lady used straight up commercial heavy duty acid to unclog the drain. I had to explain how bad it is to use it but it also ate holes straight through her sink
I've used the shark bite when having to go from copper to pex in my house because of how much the pex clamp tool costs.
It’s like $60 or 5 shark bites lol
@@AdamQuiklikit or like 2000 for a good pro-press tool for copper idk about the pex one you’re talking about
Or u can rent a tool for an hour for 25 bucks to do it right
I appreciate the explanation on the shark bite fitting because in past videos you've just stated you don't like them with no context.
I went to take a picture of our setup and then remembered that our plumber fixed it when our humidifier sprung a leak.
Previous home owners used saddle joints and incorrect tubing to set up the built in humidifier on the furnace. Naturally it sprung a leak because the tubing's kept MELTING. The idiots also sold the house after 3 months of ownership because they drilled holes in the 3 inch pvc drain from the upstairs bathroom, thus causing a leak in the wall of the living room. They hid this so it was missed in the home inspection. And why we had to find a good plumber in an emergency after less than 3 months of ownership of our house. Fortunately it was an easy fix, easy to find leak. Just gross, and we kept the plumber we found because he is licensed and professional. Goes above and beyond every time. He is the one who found out our sewer line to the main is all orangeburg pipes. That some how have lasted almost 100 years. They aren't ruptured yet ... But they could at any time... And as such we have to spend a bunch of money next year to have the line replaced.
As a homeowner I love the sharkbite fittings but as an IT worker I only trust solder. Perfect pro vs DIY example.
I always keep a sharkbite inline valve on our home emergency kit. When my wife found a severely leaking cpvc connection to our washer box. The shutoff valve was inaccessible at the moment so she cut the cpvc with a ratcheting cutter and put the sharkbite on, then closed the valve.
It held long enough to get a plumber to come put
As a homeowner, not a plumber, I have used shark bites. I used one to connect my pex to the hose bib. However, I have the hose shut off valve way before the actual sharkbite. Luckily it’s been 5 years and no leaks.
Poor little sharkbites,they get no love!
I love them. Once in 1 million days for an emergency. When they are the right choice they are the only choice!
@@RogerWakefield used sharkbite on a painted pipe main water shut off at meter dosent close all the way its a down hill run easily accessible been holding no leaks for over 6 yrs
(lol its above washing machine in basement and serves as hot water supply for washer and dishwasher chk it all the time i do laundry -dont trust it but dont worry about anymore- but if i ever leave for a cple of days ill shut off water as best as i can )
i wld never use one behind a wall or hard to reach spot i agree something about a no tool connection will fail just when
if they have a tool to be removed, i guess the way i have some in my system work. they make an extended hose piece with a ball valve for hot water tank installation and since tanks aren't always a permanent thing, i guess I'm good as long as no one tries to reuse it?
I've been plumbing in CA for 2 years. Sharkbites are definitely no good. I keep the cap in my truck for the same reason you do. I also have the shutoff valve type so it makes it easy to work on water heaters and other systems. Some times some water does get behind the Sharkbite cap and its exciting when it shoots out. But with the hose bid type I hook up my high temp garden hose and I can then check for water build up under a controlled release rather then an exciting one. And I've definitely never left one behind after a job. Using a press fitting is better then bits and renting a tool if you don't own one is easy. Again situation dictates if it's the right thing to do.
The couple of things I have noticed about sharkbites that I’ve see in the field is, when they get cold -they release, on copper they corrode quickly, the plast in them get brittle and chip and break which causes the to release.
Sharkbite fitting saved our ass on a commercial remodel. Had a demo crew hit a half inch supply line. Shut off was in the neighboring store which, was obviously closed at 3am. Couple of locking pliers held things closed till a plumber came out and shoved a cap on against the city water pressure. He earned his beer and 450
Sharkbite relies on an O-ring between itself and the pipe and the teeth are there hold it in place. 1) Any pipe not cut perfectly and not de-burred perfectly will scratch that o-ring and the shark bite fitting will fail. If you plan to use a shark bite you need to make sure that the end of the pipe you have cut as close to 90 degrees as possible and you must make sure that there is nothing to hurt that o-ring or it will definitely leak. 2) Since here in The US we have chlorinated public water mandated by Uncle Sam and Chlorine acts against rubber.... That Sharkbite fitting can not possibly be used for more than a couple of years before a leak occurs. It looks Quick and easy but that sharkbite fitting is more expensive and when you get that leak the price will go up. Its fine for a quick fix but remember it should not be permanent. You can use it to temporarily connect something assuming you do it correctly.. straight cuts and clean smooth pipe. but remember it needs a real connection as soon as possible.
What if you have well water?
I use SharkBite but I only use the caps to cap the rough piping and remove on final installation
That first thing is what's in my apartment's bathroom sink. The drain was slow, so I had to take it apart to clean it out. Not too hard, but still. So much gunk was caught in the grooves. The maintainence guy told me (on another job) that they only like to do "quick fixes" around the complex, so...
The shark bites are OK for a little quick fix or just capping off a line at the end of the day and you don't want to get your soldering rig out, I use them for just that and nothing more take them off the next day and continue on the piping.
They also work just fine for transferring from copper to PVC on a water heater since by the time they need to be replaced the water heater most likely is already leaking
I do use sharkbite quite often, but mostly for temporary jobs, or to rough out a job, if the planning is suspicious. If it[s to do a rough install to test a system, then it'll get changed out after proving the system works. I mostly work on a farm, where pipes break out all the time (cows love to play with them for some reason), so it's a convenience to be able to pop apart the joint, slap a new pipe in, and be done, without needing to change any fittings. In a RV or camper, there is often no room to work. I've even used them as a temporary fix on a broken copper propane line, but that was fixed as soon as I had flare nuts and a connector. I have an installation in my basement where I used one to branch fom copper to pex, but that is a line that only gets water occasionally, when I need water in my shed. the valve is soldered in
My first plumbing project and I used the flexible plastic pipe the I asked the Home Depot guy about clogging because of the ridges and he said it would be fine ....dam!
Rip to your sink getting all jammed soon
In the restoration business my favorite word is “overflow” $$$
I work for Home Depot, Was a plumbers helper for years before I started the Depot. The plumbing company I worked for sharkbites were voodoo and never used, not even as a temp cap. Now at home depot, I work the plumbing dept and have to sell these things. I do everything to stear customers clear of them. But the biggest problem I have is we live in a mostly trailer town and poly pipe is in most of them. Nobody wants to get the expensive pex crimper for a one time job, so we sell the poly sharbite adapter like crazy. I just have to bite my lip alot when we sell so much crap.
you know what the problem with sharkbites is? big box stores have shifted sales to them, so not only do they only stock certain fittings in shark bite configurations now but they'll recommend them over soldering, even if you say you know how to solder proficiently.
you also have to understand when they are done in industrial builds like space ships it's a 100% controlled installation done perfectly, not a dusty crawlspace on 60 year old copper.
I’ve used shark bites when i replaced lines to my bath or kitchen from cpvc to pex but wasnt ready to invest time or money in doing it all at once. Agree. Not a forever fix but they’ll work until you can replace said lines
Not a plumber but an HVAC apprentice, I have only left shark bites on 1/2" and 3/4" drain lines in walk-in units that had to be cut and snaked or purged with a co2 gun. The one time I used a 1/2" shark bite coupling in a pinch on a water line in my home it had to be replaced within 2 weeks with a solder fitting as the sharkbite was showing signs of leaking within days (corrosion around the fitting) and had a steady drip by the time I replaced it. To be fair it may have been caused by the harsh water in my town but I just don't trust sharkbites under pressure long term.
Roger, my 135 year old house still has the original lead drain line in the upstsirs bathroom up to the cast iron main stack that was put in probably the 1930s or 40s along with the galvanized supply lines (which I've since upgraded to copper.) I almost used some of that drain cleaner and a snake when It clogged on me, but that little birdy on my shoulder told me something don't seem right and to do some research before I do eiither of those things on a soft lead pipe. I'm sure glad I did. I ended up getting one of those water spray bladders which successfully destroyed that clog.
I always laugh when i see sharkbites in a house. They are good for emergencies or a quick fix.
@Justin Beaird There are connectors that you can solder on to copper to transition to pex
@Justin Beaird If money is tight I wouldn't even look at sharkbite they're expensive as hell lmao
I always laugh when I see people talking shit about shark bites. We've used many many thousands of them with zero issues caused by the product itself. Every time theres been an issue, its because someone unfamiliar with the product didnt get it seated all the way. Now we do still use crimp fittings when space isnt an issue but shark bites are a perfectly good substitute when needed
@Justin Beaird You don't want to use sharkbite anywhere thats hard to access, if your going to use them they should be in a open area. And you should probably always do actual research before using something anyway, I am against Pro Plumbers using them because they have all the tools to do everything else. But homeowners and such who knows what they are doing its really up to them. I'm using them atm to see how they turn out long term. Despite all of my research that says as long as they done perfectly they should last at least 10 years but no ones studied them longer than that. Since they are newer i think they are a cool idea, and perfect for the small replacement i need and having no money to spend thousands of $$ on tools noneless products. And PEX pipe does leech less than PVC but it still leechs quite a bit. Technically if you can everything should be copper and should be soldered. And if its not you should probably be running water filters and such if your a man or male child especialy. Thats just my opinion though.
@Justin Beaird Thats pretty much what i'm using them for, Easy fix and little money = LIFe on track lol.
I've seen plenty of Sharkbite fitting that leak if they experience any side pressure on them after being installed correctly. Just a small amount of tweeking to the side and the seal inside is no longer properly seated. They are great for temporary setups and quick fixes but never for long term use.
I was a plumbers apprentice and we used thrift to clear some drains and it worked every now and then and he claimed it was the Best stuff and he also used globber if I remember correctly. Can you do a review on that stuff
I used a saddle valve to feed my reverse osmosis system. It's been working great for years with no issues.
We use sharkbite type fitting pretty much as an industry standard.
But I am working in horticulture, we are using them in greenhouses and outdoors. We really don't care about leaks. We spill water everywhere all the time as part of normal operation. And being able to lay new piping in an hour or two, which will stay in place only for a few months or even weeks is really convenient for us.
That's a completely different environment that indoor plumbing.
I’m going to sweat a tee fitting in and put a stop calc we had a saddle valve. I’m working on removing it. I had a someone tell me they love sharkbite fittings
It brought tears to my eyes I was pissed off.i would rather use solder fittings or cpvc or pex crimp or cpvc.
You just made me cry... Who loves Sharkbites? The little sharks momma I guess...
A press fitting seals the same way as a A Sharkbite. With an O Ring. Which will dry up and fail eventually. It may be 30 years but it will happen. It really sucks because everything is made in china now and is piss poor quality. I laugh when I see people use press on black iron. Again going To fail. It is even worse because the iron will oxidize. Not safe in my opinion. And can't believe code allows It.
I would never use cpvc. It is a bullshit junk product in my opinion.
Ok small rick cpvc has been used by pros for 50 years what’s wrong with it
@Leon I agree 100%.
does the term 'handyman' mean the same thing it does here 'cowboy builder'
I've worked with Cowboy Cowboys, and let me tell you ted, they're all a bunch of cowboys.
Brought new meaning to the old phrase.
Im going to push back on saddle valve. So, you want me to cut my pipe put a tee as opposed to punching hole in my copper pipe.
In both case cases I'm going to have to cut them out and replace with a straight pipe. So Im gonna go with the saddle valve. Conservation of energy.
"If you don't know how to plumb they are."
LMAO roast.
Any plumbing fitting can fail. I've seen PEX fittings leak inside walls within months of installation. There are good plumbers and there are bad plumbers. After trying three different plumbers in two different states, I learned how to do everything myself.
One plumber in Tennessee I hired to run a new gas line for a gas dryer had so many loose joints in the piping in the attic, the whole house smelled like natural gas. He did not have the right size drill bit to drill holes so he used one too large for a 2x4 plate and split it in the attic. He made a huge hole in the sheetrock in the laundry room. I was at work so was not at home to see all of these mistakes until later. The gas company came and turned our gas off. They said the house was not safe and asked for the name of the plumber who had installed the gas line.
I called the plumber and told him what had happened. He came back and went into the attic. I watched him tighten down several pipe joints. He charged had charged us $450 for his shoddy work. I made sure to get the word out in town about his incompetence.
A plumber in Mississippi, we hired to add a water line to our refrigerator went under the house and added that clamp-on valve you showed in the video. He drilled a hole the floor and ran the small water line through it. The only way to turn the water off was to climb under the house.
I hired a plumber to change out the anode rod in a water heater. He charged a $125.00. His body odor was so bad, my wife had to leave the room and go outside to get some fresh air. It was awful. He did the job correctly, but I told myself that day, that was something I could do myself from then on.
This stuff is not rocket science. When I was kid, the plumbers we had come to our house took pride in their work. If you can hire a good plumber these days, you are lucky. Get first hand recommendations from people you trust. I was able to fine a good plumber in my area, but he is booked all the time. The bad plumbers can come right now. Remember that when hiring someone. The good professionals stay busy. The bad ones are always available. Oh, and the good plumber has no ads nor advertisements. His business comes strictly from word of mouth and the signs on his truck. He told me the biggest ads in the yellow pages are the worst ones to hire.
If I need a joint I can relatively easily take apart, I use compression fittings typically in the form of a 5/8" shut-off valve or union.
Ive had this in a guest bathroom, since the plumber who did our house (new build) really fucked up the p-trap. Even the standard p-trap was forced into it's position 🤦♂️
Im not a plumber and i dont know how to soder i used the shark bit adapters to replace all my calcium encrusted valves. Not planing on it staying, gona re run all my plumbing eventually. I haven't had any problems with them yet except the price
What do you think of plastic pex fittings? I remember the plastic fittings were the problem with polybutylene.
I would not exactly say sharkbite fittings can save you money as they are about 3-5x more expensive than their cpvc counterparts. However, if you are a novice and screw up your measurements they can save you from having to buy a bunch of extra fittings to replace your mistakes that are chemically bonded. I self installed a whole house water softener and filtration system using primarily cpvc but then tied in a pre and post shut off valve to the main water line using sharkbite since it used pex and I had no other way of tying in the cpvc lines. I screwed up the measurements on the main line (didn't cut short enough) and being able to take the fittings back off and recut saved me a lot of time and hassle. All of the sharkbite fittings I used are being compressed from both ends so I don't see any way for them to come off.
I did forget to chemically bond one of the 90 fittings on the cpvc lines and that shot off reall quick.
Thanks for teaching all this plumbing stuff. I once gutted my entire bathroom and pulled down cupboards in the kitchen below it trying to find a leak, turned out I just needed a new cartridge in my shower tap. Had I more knowledge I could have fixed it for free.
Being in Houston I haven’t heard a plumber talk good about shark bite if he’s worth anything
What? I can't use electrical pvc as a plumbing line? You crazy man. LOL
When I was working in a restaurant a few years ago the manager told me a tale. A family got food poisoning and claimed they got it from the restaurant, but they have to get tests done to prove it was our food. Long story short: they didn't get sick from the restaurant. They lived on a farm and they had their underground water line BELOW the sewage line, and it had leaked and subsequently got into the water so they actually got sick from their own shit, literally.
We sell all of these at our shop 🤣 i can agree though. Those traps we just started selling, AWFUL. I try to shy everyone away from them. Some of the good plumbers get a laugh out of them.. The saddle valves not too many people use any more. We sell liquid and crystal thrift cleaner, its more a homeowner buy. But sharkbites.. oh boy. We sell HUNDREDS of those things a month. People have made it more common place than it should be. Dont get me wrong, they're great fittings... if you are a homeowner. Or like you said, sometimes you get in a pinch and need one to stop a leak or seal a pipe. Most our good plumbers keep a few for the late night weekend calls to tide over for a proper repair. Its all in how and what you are using it for.
i just bought a whole house humidifier and it came with a saddle valve. many or most diy people use them!!!!
The black Oatey (AAV's) air admittance valves will fail inspection in several counties in Florida.
How come?
There’s a lot of things that fail inspection for really dumb reasons. Some states don’t allow pex, I’ve failed inspection on a Noritz tankless for using their plastic rain cap instead of a “candy cane” style roof termination.
I used a sharkbite fitting at night after Lowe’s had closed and my hot water valve for my washer had broken off. I used it to take a shower the next morning, and buy a proper valve and glue it on after work. It wasn’t even washing machine size, I just needed to plug the end.
I was this handyman back time))) No more!
I guess Im pretty off topic but do anyone know of a good place to watch newly released movies online?
I only use push fit fittings on emergency work that I know I'm going back to the following day. You actually have a sense of pride when you've bent a pipe, and soldered it in place. Sadly these days it's all about a quick fix, and get the money. Also agree about the drain unblockers. I had my skin burnt last year after someone had put a mix of cleaners and caustic soda down a blocked shower trap.
I try not to use Shark Bite fittings when at all possible, unfortunately there are instances where I have worked on accounts that have a low do not exceed price range. In Colorado our trip and service fee are $187 for accounts which eats up most the NTE cost.
Hvac guy used a saddle valve from a hot water lime to my humidifier. Used to leak like a SOB. I ripped it off. Repaired the whole. And installed an actual valve myself. Hasn’t leaked in 3 years.
I used sharkbites on replacing my shower connection and water heater connections and that was 5years ago and no issues thusfar
Alright, I stopped at 6:04 and I'm gonna finish on but I just have to say, you do an amazing job on your videos, you are simply happy and passionate and don't try to force crazy ideologies or gimmicks on people, you explained the pipe piercing water valve thingy (I'm not a plumber lool) on how it functions, its uses, but how over-all its not something you want to do to your pipes, and you advise people of the proper way of doing it.
People don't have to take your advice, but they would be pretty stupid not to.
Bases are just as dangerous or even more dangerous than some acids, you are far more likely to come across a strong base in industrial workplaces or common household chemicals, and they cause TONS of biological damage.
My grandmothers house has the saddle valve for her fridge ice maker and its been working 15 years so far no issues.
I have one that's 25+ years old for an ice maker and another that's 20+ for a humidifier. No issues. But I'll use a tee with an angle stop for my basement ice maker when I install that.
Sharkbites are amazing for capping live water lines if something goes sideways. But don't use a cap, use a valve in the open position, then close it once the valve is seated. Buys enough time to shut the water off and regroup
I've used shark bite fittings before on my own house, but only as an emergency repair, the kit contains 2 1/2" shark bite ball valves, a foot of 1/2" copper pipe, a pipe cutter and a couple strips of sand paper, so that if the case EVER arose that a pipe burst, I could shut the water off, but the ball valves in line, continue about my day until my plumber can show up and fix it properly. And ill tell ya, used it once when I forgot to drain my outside spigot for the winter, (they weren't the frost free) and one froze and burst at like 2AM, saved me thousands of dollars from water damage. The first time well, my main valve was seized up and couldn't shut the water off. The ball valve let me push the fitting on without all the back pressure and than close the valve off
I'm not a master plumber, but I never liked the sharkbite as a permanent solution. I've used them as a temp fix, or to get water going on a complex, long term project so people can shower at the end of the day. But they are always removed and replaced by the end of the project. I do keep a couple on hand for emergencies only.
Although a UK company what are your thoughts on JG speedfit? plastic push-fit with compression jointing. 50 year guarantee
What’s your opinion on the pvc compression unions that have nothing more than a squished piece of rubber holding back the water pressure. I’ve used them as a temporary fix but not sure I trust them for anything long term?
How about a video on how to install Cliff hangers J Hooks the do's and don'ts of that