Sharkbite Fittings: Why I Don't Use Them on My Plumbing Jobs
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- Опубликовано: 4 июл 2019
- Today I'm telling you why I don't use Sharkbites and why I don't let my plumbers use them either. I know many plumbers use Sharkbites and swear by them, and many home builders use them as well. There are also a lot of plumbers like me who will never use Sharkbites on our plumbing work. Here's why.
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Thanks for watching! I'm Roger Wakefield, The Expert Plumber, and welcome to my channel. On this channel, it's ALL about plumbing. We play games, we experiment, and we have FUN here, talking and learning about all things plumbing!
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Shark bites cost me big time to the tune of $2500 for my liability deductable then higher rates for the next two years. Independant labs (as in two of them) both found that I installed the cap 100% properly on cleaned prepped pipe and the fitting failed damaging a historic home. $18000 in total damages and remediation....insurance went after Shark Bite, they lawyered up, and guess who was stuck with the bill. Never never never use Shark Bite....be a professional and do it right.
Thank you Todd. I can’t believe any plumber would try to sell it as a professional job...
Roger Wakefield since then I’ve removed a couple hundred Shark Bites of which at least 50 were outright leaking. Just watched your video on Propress Viega process and you convinced me to invest in a Milwaukee setup.....thank you for your straight talk on plumbing it’s genuinely refreshing.
AGREED! Trash
Plumbing company installed my water heater with one...slowly leaked and now the other side poped off...shit product for long term for sure.
Why did you trust shark bites to begin with?
I am a licensed water treatment operator and plumber who has used SB or push tight fittings where copper or cpvc has failed. The only time I have occasionally seen issues with these fittings when the pipe isin't prepped and or the fitting has been installed incorrectly. The pipe must be cut straight and sanded down with all sharp edges removed that can cut into the SB's O-ring. The SB also can have issues just as any other neoprene ring or gasket in a house with higher chlorine levels (why toilet manufacturers put labels inside toilet tanks warning not to use bowl cleaning drop-in tablets inside toilet tanks because they wear out the gaskets) or possible filter/softener systems using salt pellets for example. I have had county inspectors pass these SB fittings on a rare occasion I needed one on a remodel job with a pulled permit as well. Correct me if i'm wrong but these fittings have to be approved for use to sell/install by ANSI or CSA, and I believe this is shown on the package. I have used and installed a lot of copper, CPVC, and Pex in all aspects of residential, commercial, and industrial places. Now to answer your question why I use these SB fittings instead of soldering a new copper fitting to repair a pipe. First, sometimes I actually do BUT, Installing a new copper coupling to repair a leak sometimes is extremely hard to reach safely with a flame, or safe in certain areas of a house such as in a joist or a wall or under a sink. Using a torch even with heat shield blankets is still risky to burn or damage the area you are working in and or possibly start a fire. Sometimes on service repairs, copper can be extremely hard to get a solder joint to hold if you can't get the water completely out of the pipe. Inside a wall at certain businesses, you have to actually perform a 3 hour flame watch if you perform any solder repair, in case of any possible wood left with a smoldering unseen ember. As we plumbers know sometimes time is money and customers expect a fast, safe, and reliable repair. Now on a side note, I usually ask older school plumbers who stand by copper, why? Copper costs substantially more, takes longer to install, is harder to install which creates higher risk of a joint that didnt take and still leaks. Not to mention copper is less resistant then CPVC or Pex to freezing hazards or situations that may arise. I have also been to so many houses on well water that have copper eat up with pinholes. Perhaps if you're not a fan of SB fittings for service repairs, maybe using brass compression couplings or a copper Pro Press tool as an alternative to the SB? I myself hear Pro Press is reliable but haven't used it myself, I'll stick to my Pex and comp couplings or an occasional SB but to each their own. Thank you for your videos, I enjoy them but I feel this topic is one of opinion and personal preference.
Don't be scared to recommend shark bite
Aluminum wire and the unsuitable outlets used with them were known to cause fires, they were both UL rated.
On a traditional copper and brass plumbing system and even a galvanized pipe system, the only place where rubber is used to seal off water was the faucets. It's a good thing faucets never leaked. That shows us how trustworthy rubber is.
@@don2deliver rubber fails on faucets because valves shut off against them until they wear down. Shark bite the rubber is fixed in position with little wear from hard parts except for minimal vibration or someone turning the valve/coupling around which would have to be done a hell of a lot to abuse the rubber. I have been using SharkBite fittings for years and never had one leak. You have to make sure the tubing is not pitted where it is inserted into the fitting and preferably use a tubing cutter to get a true round cut end that can be pushed in all the way to bottom. If you have polybutylene like in an older mobile home, you can insert a bolt into the polybutylene to keep it from collapsing when using a tubing cutter. They make shark bite couplings that are color coded with one end for Polybutylene and the other for Pex if needed to adapt from one pipe to the other. Some of these fittings that leaked may have been from not preparing the pipe correctly, not installed on the recommended type tubing/pipe or not making sure it was pushed all the way in.
@@don2deliver Insulation failure, due to improper installation, and not the wire is what is most commonly associated with electrical failures. NM (Romex style) insulation failure accounts for 3 out of 4 electrical fires in the US. Doesn't matter if it's copper or Aluminum.
Don't be scared to call yourself stupid for recommending sharkbites.
As a home owner DIY I support sharkbites. They’re a bit pricey but not as pricey as the plumber that will do a DIY job for you lol. I’ve used them on almost everything in my house and it’s been over 10 years and they’re still holding🤷🏽♂️The day it leaks I’ll put and update here👍🏽
How about... buy the correct stuff and do it yourself? Not that hard or expensive.
Same results here. Have incorporated a few when transitioning from CPVC to PEX. Otherwise, I use crimp fittings. If I do the work and something fails, then it is on me.
I would rather deal with that than hear all the excuses from the local overpriced "professionals".
Besides, any component can fail especially when it originates in Communist China.
@@billybob4274 sharkbites are the correct stuff
@@michaelbrown8441 no they aren't
@@billybob4274 Shark bites work perfectly fine. There's absolutely nothing wrong with them. If a Sharkbite is installed properly, it never leaks. They only leak when they're installed improperly. There's literally no valid argument against using Sharkbites. The story he told is a result of improper installation.
Rodger, interesting commentary. I’ve always been a little Leary of shark bite, but have used quite a few, I have also soldered quite a few as well. In my experience there have not been many failures with either technique and most have been because the prep work was not done right. I’m not a licensed professional, but when I saw the title of your video I was curious and am always trying to listen to the “trained professionals”. I was a bit frustrated with your video, and to be frank you did not give any good reasoning for not using shark bite fittings either from personal experience or industry standard. Even worse you admitted not knowing much about the fittings themselves. You touted being an “old school trained professional” and it was unprofessional to use shark bite. No logical or concrete evidence as to why. I did not learn anything about why shark bite is no good or why it’s unprofessional to use them. I get that guys with your kind of training are a dying breed and are talented in copper soldering, using pex and shark bite threatens that skill. If you are trying to educate us aspiring plumbers, who can solder and desire to do things professional, give us a concrete, educated and knowledgeable tutorial. Thanks man
Yes, have to agree with you. no real personal experience of using shark bite fittings. I think he summed it all up in the first sentence. "I'm an old school plumber and have been for 38 years", maybe therein lies the problem.
Great comment Jeff
He did say: "it's not pretty" - lol
@@timkrouse345 But there is beauty in economy, simplicity, and ease of installation. :)
if you were paying attention you would have caught it. he said basically there is a higher fail rate with shark bite. maybe the problem is you don’t know how to listen and you haven’t been a plumber nearly long enough “ you said you weren’t licensed” to see how much it actually does fail. It is a trendy quick fix type of repair option that doesn’t hold up. it’s explained in the video if you pull your head out of your behind and actually listen to what he says 🤦🏻♂️
Shark bite fitting =$15. Plumber fixing 1 copper pipe = $900. Shark bites are for home owners that arent rich but still need water running to their home. Shark bites are a good quick fix.
stil cheaper to buy a few ft of copper pipe a cple fittings and the solder n flux and read directions practice and learn a new skill plenty of tutorials on you tube also
@@timjohnson6864 yes. I'm sure alot of single moms are gonna do that.
@@appledroplarry you sound like a sexist claiming that i know plenty of females that are more than happy to learn a new skill
@@timjohnson6864 ok.
If you dont know how to solder, you probably shouldn't be playing with leaks anyway
Only time I ever use sharkbite fittings, minus emergency stop gap, are temporary installations of water coolers on job sites.
I’ve used them a lot and never had a problem. That said, I don’t think I would use them behind walls.
Yep that's the same way I feel
Although I wouldn't use solder joints either
I just use crimps & rings 😁
Soldering copper joint is a dying skill due to the new tech Crimping and quick connect fittings.
@@johnmendoza6421 its not hard to solder copper pipe. Way easier compared to welding
gurjinder singh agree it’s not bad at all but most people just find it inconvenient when u can just push something on. That being said why do u think that people have a lot more water problems nowadays
@@johnmendoza6421 I solder when its copper, I use copper. I will adapt if its in an area that freezes from copper. Soldering is easy, just need a few tools and clean everything. Sometimes, it can start a fire though.
Shark bites reduce the demand for over priced professional labor unions. But I'm sure that's just a coincidence.
step 1) hire dummies and ex-cons, step 2) they cut the pex improperly, at an angle, with a hacksaw, leaving burrs on the tube, step 3) have them improperly shove the misshapen, improperly cut tubing in to push fit sharkbites, step 3) blame the fittings when it leaks
Thats some handyman shit, Im not in the trades yet and I know thats a bad fucking idea.
Dummies and "ex-cons" can be trained. As a former corrections officer, I've seen some of my "alumni" do really well for themselves. Others kept coming back lol.
They’re great for a temporary cap when remodeling
Just capped 6 lines in my master bath with them and they've been holding for the last few hours, so finger crossed! Lol
Dalton they should hold for much longer than that as long as they’re pushed on all the way.
@@joshcowart2446 I know I'm just joking around, they seem to be a great product!
“Temporary “
Exactly
I'm a general contractor and have never had anyone call back about a failed sharkbite. I have had them at the cutoffs in my home for close to 10 years.
I have installed.a ton of them I have never seen one fail. Usually they leak when there aren't put on properly
@sir lion yes the same as if something is soldered incorrectly. You consider that a failure correct.
This applies to any type of connection. Solder leaks too
@@Chris1986h I remember a few years back I was fixing a leaking copper pipe. Had a pinhole leak in the middle of the pipe. Fixed it and caused another pinhole.kept happening until I had replaced about 15ft of pipe.
@@MatthewQuinton Cause somebody didn't ream pipe. Water is essentially non-compressible, so the ridge from the cutter makes an instantaneous acceleration, followed by a low pressure zone. The low pressure rapidly accelerates ionic transfer of copper molecules to the flowing water. Then the pitted surface has the same effect, and it propagates downstream. That's the reason reaming is a code requirement.
As a homeowner, I've got shark bite fittings on most of my kitchen/bath stop valves. So far so good for about 10 years. I would recommend them for applications where you have quick and easy access to such as bathroom and kitchen stop valves.
but your stops are going to be after any leaking fittings so
As a plumber that is the only place I would use them, stops only.
I have them on the filter under my kitchen sink and I already noticed that when my wife put too much junk underneath the sink it pushed against the filter and made the line drip. Next filter will have compression fittings.
I agree, the perfect application. I wouldn't want a whole house with these things, but for DIY stop valves they're ideal. On lines that aren't too big, and most importantly that are accessible.
I use shark bites all the time and have never had one leak that was installed properly. You only run into problems with those when you're trying to put a coupling on two pieces of pipe that don't perfectly line up. They definitely work better on pex than copper. I even have them on my outdoor pex sprinkler lines directly exposed to snow and I have no issues.
Had my main water line connected by a shark bite. 9 years later it started dripping. Thought it failed. Turns out the copper pipe it was attached to thinned out and broke the seal.
My home built by a "Professional" had copper pipes in the attic for 2 coolers on the roof and both failed and ruined my ceilings~!!
Thinned out as in oxidized?
Pipe wasn't reamed
Homeowner "handyman" here. I used them when replacing a gate valve with a ball valve to an outside hose bib. The fitting is in plain sight in my laundry room and has behaved itself for the past 10 years or so. But if it doesn't, I'll know almost immediately. If I have a fitting where I can't see it, I'm digging out the torch & solder.
Same here, but I thought he hit it on the nose when he basically said should be doing more than a homeowner can. I expect better than a sharkbite if I have to call a plumber
Go away for the weekend , a day , or three or four hours . Murfies law it will leak when your away from home .
I think that is the best way to use them! Solder for the pipe you don't see or hard to reach or close to electrical panels, but for hanging basement normal pipes I don't see what is wrong with it.
@@floydalbright1214 can always turn the water off if you're paranoid lol
For real lol
I’m just a homeowner, but I find a lot of your videos handy and I understand and hear what you’re saying, which is why I would never ever put one behind a wall or underground or anywhere I couldn’t see it. I’ve had a couple of pin hole leaks in places I could see it thankfully and I just put shark bites on there and a couple of years later they are holding fine, not a drop. I did however replace my two bathroom sink water shut offs with shark bites, I neglected to properly prepare the copper for them and I just popped them on and when I went to turn the water off they held in place but water SPRAYED EVERYWHERE from underneath them, so clearly not a good connection so I popped them off with a wrench and cleaned them up well and no issues since.
7:40 After telling you at the beginnings of the video he’s an ‘old school’ plumber he now wonders why anyone would argue with him about today’s plumbing, lol. Imagine if an ‘old school’ electrician wired your house with knob and tube.
I've used shark bites on my water heater, bathroom and kitchen faucets. Going on 10 years and not a problem one. Love them and recommend them to everyone.
Using 2 sharkbites with success doesn't make a case for them being sliced bread. As a professional plumber I've seen plenty of sharkbites fail. As a plumber I'm the guy who gets the call when stuff fails, not the home owner who's only spent a day plumbing in their life 🤷♂️
I do use sharkbite caps occasionally for temporary capping before fixtures are ready to be installed.
@@davido8533 yeah, the legendary anecdotal evidence.
Literally had shark bites flood my whole house. Instead of paying $300 for a plumber, I paid $4500 for water restoration and replacing flooring and trim. None of my local plumbing supply shops will even sell them now. Almost 4 years after that I got into the plumbing trade. Literally replace leaking shark bites several times a week.
@Not Me Lol use them mate go ahead knock yourself out... Its all about risk and the cost of the consequences. You can listen or you can learn for yourself, your choice.
@Not Me the point is that some leak more than others.
I’ve used a shark bite on all of my leaks because for one I definitely don’t have the money to pay for a plumber
I'm with you, doing all of my home repair now, saving a ton of money
@@karenflowers8316 Same! Try getting a plumber to show up to fix a leak in the middle of the night. Just cut the pipe and push a shark bite plug on there and your good.
If u get pinholes u probably want to get a neutralizer, it'll stop the pinhole leaks every 6 months, coming from experience
@@stanlee7635 if its the middle of the nigh, you turn off a valve and go back to bed
@@ross1116 yeah tried that. Unfortunately 45 year old water main shutoff valves don’t always work.
Sharkbite are very convenient for a quick wet repair. especially their slip coupling for when you have to remove a small section of damaged pipe. De-burring is paramount when using them, whether it's copper or PEX/CPVC.
Sharkbite is awesome. It’s been a couple years and zero leaks. Plumber wanted to charge me $700 to replace a valve in my shower. Did it myself with Sharkbite and cost me $70 for new valve and Sharkbite fittings. Maybe that’s why plumbers hate Sharkbite.
Would you pay a professional to use shark bites?
@@jasparramirez9554 sure will if they charged me less than welding
I've been using them since they've been available for certain situations. I've only had one that was defective in that time. I wouldn't use them for a new install, but in some repair situations, they are a life saver. I repair more bad solder joints than anything.
I agree, definitely not mean for new supply lines but when there's a repair that needs to be done near vanities or the wall I'm not taking a torch to it
If your always fixings solder fittings in the area you work....then there's prob a huge mineral prob in the water services In they area......or in the past multiple horrible plumbers made bad soldering connections 😂
@@kylegoldsborough2585 I'm talking about the span of over 15 years and hundreds of jobs. Old solder gets brittle and breaks. It has little to do with how the joint was made. I mostly do remods on very old houses.
Agreed
@@carolinacastaneda3720 You can safely torch near a wall. You just need a heat shield. An old piece of drywall works well.
Been using them for years and never had a problem
Because no one calls you back after it falls apart.
I use shark bite fittings mostly on only on CPVC. It’s the perfect way to connect your pex/copper without having to rip out a lot of pipe and it beats having to put a CPVC female adapter to metal threads. Shark bites have a time and place and CPVC is definitely one of them.
I'm not even a plumber, but I've played one to earn money and help people out.
I forsee CPVC going away as it ages and brittles too quickly and Chlorine seems to hasten it. I think pex over brass fittings clamped with stainless bands is the only thing that will hold up for 40-50 years, with the China made brass being the weakest link. I'm currently ay a rate of needing to replace 1/3 of the sharkbites I see.
Good video.
These type of compression click together fittings have been and are currently used on most vehicles. The gas lines on my suburban push together. Never leak. Radiator hoses and transmission lines click together. I'm a retired mechanic. I'm new to plumbing so I'm watching as many videos as I can. Thanks for the video!
There push fittings. Don’t disrespect compression fittings like that please
The difference is vehicles only last about 20 years on average and usually have coolant system leaks way before then. Houses are built with wood & drywall and are made to last for 100 years, well beyond the life expectancy of a rubber o ring
@@nickloss yeah that makes sense, but cars use them in fuel lines too.
Here in Dallas, Texas due too the freezing temperatures hot and cold copper pipes lines busted under pressure were soldered together, but shark bites from the water heater still intact thus far. Will solder the pipes back together, but there should be a pressure valve to solve this problem during freezing temps. Note these are pipes in the garage.
Pex doesn't burst, it expands and contracts back to normal after it thaws.
@@joepro3562 I was just about to say this. You beat me to it. If there is ANY chance of the pipes EVER freezing, use Pex! The only exceptions are houses on or close to the equator. Lots of people in Texas are learning about this right now. My 40+ y/o house near Houston is full of copper, but the only burst I had during snowmaggeddon 2021 was a PVC sprinkler pipe... but for the grace of God go I!
Saw tons of shark bites broken during the freeze.
How long did it take you to accept propress?
@@joepro3562 I'm a professional plumber and live in Southern Michigan. I have seen Pex pipe freeze and burst, and have seen the pipe swell and hold but the fittings burst. There is no freeze safe water pipe. Pex is more resilient than M copper, about the same as L copper, but they will all burst if it gets cold enough.
Home DIY here, I used it in my garage to install a water filter and softener, however, I would never hide these behind walls. This way if it develops a leak, we will notice quickly and can fix it
@PrivacyPlease @adam v DITTO! . About to add a new full bath. Everything in the walls I will solder. Anything in the basement feeding the new area will be shark bite. They work perfectly fine used in the right places. Also, I wouldn't put pex that's crimped in the walls either.
Thanks for all the data on shark bite failures and the videos and photos illustrating these failures. I’ve been using these for the last 12 years to replace failures of pipe, solder and the cheap water shut offs that licensed plumbers have done in my homes. Since I haven’t had any issues with these fittings in over a decades it was really great to hear we shouldn’t use them because they “don’t look right”. The ice maker example was fantastic. Would have been even better if that failure had anything to do with shark bite but there was no mention that it did.
Maybe you could produce a video showing some shark bite failure examples? Maybe something more than “it just doesn’t look right”.
Yeah, really poorly argued with little logic and zero data. Just arguing through assertion. He may be correct, but you wouldn't know from this video. He fails to acknowledge that push to connect fittings can also be installed incorrectly and are probably more likely to be sone by novices, which increases that chances of that
Yeah, that's the first thing that I said when I heard that because something doesn't look right. Just because something doesn't look right doesn't mean it doesn't work.
They work but they’re for hacks. I don’t even like propress. O rings aren’t going to last as long as a soldered joint.
@@Dave-so7sf Most people aren't engineers. I'm an engineer. The o ring IS NOT rubber in Sharkbites, contrary to popular belief.. It's a synthetic material that is meant to last for >100 years.
Why don't you Google "failed sharkbite fittings" before you open your mouth. As a 10 year plumber I must say that I love stupid people like you. Keep putting that cheap homedepot stuff so my children have work in the future! I think you!!
DIY'er with a 27 year old house with brittle cpvc: I use Sharkbite fittings whenever I am replacing a cut-off valve or have to make a transition to a different type of pipe. The good thing about Sharkbite are they can pretty much spin freely around the pipe once connected. In my experience it is lateral/twisting torque on the pipe which causes old cpvc to break (this happens all the time at cutoff valves); Sharkbite fittings all but eliminate twisting torque on cpvc pipes. I always use Sharkbites whenever I need to do a transition to a different type pipe because I trust Sharbite at least as much as I trust any other fitting with a cpvc glue transition.
Same situation as you.. cpvc house and always use shark bite to interface to PEX
plumbing hate sharkbite because mostly people fix at home use sharkbite
Right
I have installed them under the bathroom sink, kitchen sink and toilets and they have been leak free for over 2 years and counting.
@@EmptyNestersReviews I had my sharkbite installed in the ceiling 4 years ago. Started leaking yesterday. Had to tear the ceiling to fix it. I'm lucky but will avoid sharkbite at all cost
@@ravaldy who installed it?
@@ravaldy admittedly I would never install them where I could not get to them like behind a wall or ceiling, but I also had a pipe that was soldered and that leaked after 3 years so it is what it is I guess
Hi Roger, I love your channel and videos. I'm a homeowner and I've been learning as much as I can to DIY most of my small scale home repairs. I considered Sharkbite but based on what I know about fluid dynamics something about Sharkbite fittings never sat right with me for a long term solution. I am curious about your thoughts on compression fittings? I'm planning to replace a leaky full turn shutoff valve for a few of the cold water lines that supply the toilet tank. I could get the torch and solder and learn to do that but 1/2 turn compression fittings seem like less work without a lot of tradeoff. Are these better than a Sharkbite connection or would you still recommend that I get a solder 1/4 turn valve instead?
used sharkbite quite a bit in the past 9 years for a company i work for. So far so good and warranty our customer as well. I'm an old school Plumber but, in my 33 years of plumbing I've fixed more solder joints than Sharkbite. I would say the only reason why I had to fix sharkbite was because the installation wasn't done properly and for the solder it became brittle over the years. We will see where this sharkbite lands in years of work but, so far copper has kept me employed because of the failures of copper are so wide. I can't bash on sharkbite due to the reliability. Like I said i been using it for 9 years and i only had a few homes i had to return to and repair due to installation error. On the other hand copper solder is strong but, ask any plumber how many solder joints they've repaired compared to sharkbite.
I used a shark bite in a emergency 12 years ago and it's still in place!!!!
And if it stops working, they're super easy to take off and replace.
Must be homeowners
@@jordancoombs3454 when you are 68 on fixed income..on a holiday weekend.....it had to be done!!!
I’ve had mine in for 8 years
I only use them on the outside. Never place them on the inside of walls.
If they start to leak just pop it off and replace.
I had them on a house when they first came out.. How ever long ago that was.
Some people just hate it when the "licensed" guy doesn't get the work.
In my state they make you hire a "professional" to do the most basic repairs. Changed out a switch with 2 wires? Oh better pay 200-300 bucks to have a "professional" do it. For your "safety"
I hope the two on my water heater hold up. So-far, 9 years with no leaks.
as long as u didn't pay a professional to install the shark bites, its in a basement where the damage would be minimal, and last; its in a very visible leak location, then its a very good use for shark bites, imo. Otherwise, nope.....
@@srobeck77 I changed the hot water heater myself and those seemed like the thing to do at the time, but I've since learned how to use flux, torch and solder. The old tank blew out the bottom and water leaked badly. It's a concrete floor, the drain is less than ten feet away. I probably should check the anode since it's going on ten years.
they will dont listen to these old cats
Well if those fittings are exposed then I wouldn't say it's a huge deal if they do leak, since you could just shut the valves off and install a better option. It's when they're covered up behind walls, ground etc that they become a problem.
Bought my Granmothers house two years ago. Water heater installed back in 2012. Copper all the way up to last connections with two sharkbites. The inlet must have been leaking for a minute,now I hope the rusted pipe comeing out of tank is saveable.I'll find out tomorrow.
Roger I have a question for you on the shark bite clamps versus the quick connect. I’m in the process removing galvanized piping and replacing with pex pipe and I’m going to be using the clamps. What’s your thoughts about this method?
Another issue is that it limits repairs nearby to only SB or press. When your fittings contain rubber or plastic, that rubber or plastic will melt as soon as you solder something nearby, causing your joints to leak.
The psi ratings are also much better with solder joints, I believe.
The reason to use sharkbites is because it doesn’t catch the wall insulation on fire.
@tyvek05 that’s what I thought. But I tried it and was able to catch it with a mapp gas torch easily. Very shocking.
@@robertgary3561 Then just Cover the area with a wet towel so while soldering nothing can happen. Get creative in protecting the surrounding area of work with Fire like soldering.
That’s what sheet metal is for.
Until I see it fail im gonna use them....never in 10 years have I seen one used CORRECTLY like cleaning pipe and pushing on proper distance and fail.....
@@upsideright4119 Yes, getting them on properly is key. I have now gone to the extent of pre-marking the ends at the correct distance to be sure the PEX is pushed in far enough. I did have a PEX leak on a new install once, it was because it was not pushed all the way in.
I’m so glad to see you say this. Short story: last winter my daughters water main broke just after the meter. Making it their responsibility to fix. My son-in-laws brother is a general contractor in our small town and (sadly) offered no help other than to use shark bite fittings to repair it. After my son-in-law had dug through the frozen ground and exposed the leak I, (an old school fellow who believes that if it’s not broke don’t fix it) had to argue with his brother/contractor and before it was said and done had the honor of teaching my son-in-law how to solder. My reasoning to them both was sweating pipe has been around for how long? And shark bites have been here for what? 10,15 years at best?(I’ve really no idea) I was proud my daughter chose a sensible man.
20 years.
I have used them in my basement utility room for retrofit work in an area where I have access to them and a floor drain below. No issues so far. If I ever needed a quick fitting to go behind a wall, I would use a Swagelok double ferrule. I have used the hundreds of the steel version on 25,000 PSI piston type water pumps and have never had a leak. Of course, they also make brass versions for low pressure applications, but all are a bit expensive.
I've replaced two faucets in my lifetime, and that is pretty much the extent of my plumbing experience. I just used a couple of these quick connect elbows to bypass a water softener yesterday, but I could see how behind a wall or under a floor would be an issue
...they're not an issue. They're an issue for plumbers since it enables home owners to do repairs themselves without a plumbers high rates.
As a professional, when I do a job I don't want the customer to think "I could've done that". I also want the work to last about 100 years.
Same iv only used them as emergency call outs as a temporary fix if I'm unable to get what I need to do the correct fix
Haha my grandpa did the whole copper plumbing in the basement in the 70s, its all still there he was never a licensed plumber lol
@@theterminator3907 excellent work will stand the test of time, a license doesn't mean necessarily that the holder will do quality work. Its one aspect a reputable professional will possess. However, their reputation is the most important possession. Went people hire a licensed professional to do a job they at least know that they have some recourse if the service provider takes advantage of them. The value of that recourse is questionable, but it is there.
I agree with this. I am not a plumber, but I did replace my hot water tank about 6 years ago and did use the correct shark bite connecters and cleaned up the edges. I personally have had no issues. If I paid a professional I would expect better than I can do myself after a little research.
To be honest with you. I've learned from a plumber and when he was teaching me most of the things they're pretty simple. It only gets hard when you start working with certain older homes with the small joists and electrical running through the ground because in certain situations you don't have the space to cut through a joist and if you do the electric might get in the way
We use them all the time to cap lines during a renovation that we need to cut. The caps may be on for months until the rough in is done by the plumber but we always make sure to turn the water off to the jobsite when we leave. They also offer us the ability to still have a valve on site to fill buckets for tile work or any other work that needs water by using a shark bite valve instead of a cap. But for the finished job the lines are always soldered or compression fittings installed by the plumber.
Compressions use same principle as SB SO i dont use
I'm having to replace a small section of exterior line (main line into the house) and am debating whether or not to use an SB fitting in order to not have to be without water for an extended period of time; this would be ONLY from the Main Line to the fittings described above in order to do this in two parts IF necessary, so any thoughts would be MOST appreciated.
Thank You.
Just Too many Pro and Con thoughts on this topic to get a real grasp as to an SB connector being used.
Thanks for any thoughts or advise.
I used them about thirty-five years ago, but ended up soldering the lines instead - which have held up so far, but now have a slight pinhole which needs to be repaired so decided to replace the entire section as it incorporates the Main Shutoff valve into the house, the regulator, and two spigots for a hose and the irrigation system for the shrubbery around our front patio.
I've been doing plumbing for 15 years and I've never seen a SharkBite fail. As long as it's installed correctly. You got to make sure the pipe is cut straight there's no burrs and it clicks in twice on each side. Sometimes people push it on and think it's locked in and it's not
Does one have to sand the top of the copper pipe where it connects?
And of course, it got to be cut straight.
I've put two in my house, both in the open ceiling in the basement. 1. was to add a whole home humidifier to the furnace, just cut the water pipe and slide in a sharkbite T fitting to 1/4" compression and done. 2. was the exact same T fitting to replace the saddle valve the previous owner had for the ice maker line. Would it be better soldered? Yes. Was it way easier and more convenient for me the homeowner to replace / avoid using a saddle valve? Yes. They're both visible and accessible in an open ceiling, so I'm fine with them there. I wouldn't put them in wall or under floor though.
I’ve honestly have never had an issue with shark bite
Yet...
Shit apprentices say 😂😂😂
How long have you used them?
That you know of 😂
@@dennistaylor7830 I've used them for 10 years and no problem. But i do put teflon paste for extra seal...
So as a professional plumber what do you think a 3/4 inch coupler does when inserted into a pex pipe and is crimped on the putside with a pex crimper? You think it somehow maintains the pipe size? I get it copper piping will do so but its old school. Most residences here have 3/4 inch in but gets reduced to 1/2 so your point is invalid.
They have their place. I’ve used them on my water softener I installed on my new build house that was pre plumbed with plex A. So far so good. I’m just a do it yourself and not a professional, Just an average joe with a regular day job, but looking to eventually get into a trade like plumbing or electrical. I’ve seen lots of mixed feelings on them. Although I wouldn’t use these behind a wall or anywhere I could readily get to them and see.
I've alway think something about sharkbite: Never use them where you will have hidden pipes or where there can be instantly change of temperature (on the output of a water heater for example). In the basement where there is a floor drain and fully visible pipes is the only place where i would feel alright using them. If one leak, not a big deal. I only have one used in my house in use, a little after the main valve but it's visible and i didn't go buy the cheapest just to be safer. I had reason to put a sharkbite there instead of a soldered part.
-Very restricted play
-Connecting from copper to iron pipe cuz this house is old.
-City (Montreal) is looking toward changing any left over Lead pipes between house's valve and city's valve
Lead pipes? In 2020? Really? 0_o
Odd, I have used them on the Hot Water heater, going on 10 years maybe...seems to work just fine, do have a floor drain for worst case.
I looked at Sharkbite fittings back in 2008 when we were re-doing the whole house and they just didn't seem secure or good. We went with stainless locking clamps and they have never leaked. A homebuilder i know said to always use stainless because the copper rings will corrode over time. Brass fittings and stainless clamps are a winning combo. :)
I’m on old school Plumber and I have an older Plumber than me Turned me on to pro press . I love it
Agreed. Whenever I saw them I tried to talk crap about pro press, figured they’d be “old school” but the plumbers wouldn’t hear it: “it’s awesome. If you got valves over 2” you will be converted.”
Propress is def one of my fav...but cost effective it's not worth it...I can make just as good as connection with PEX,copper,galvanized and prob cheaper the cost....now I did just use one 2 1/2" propress 90 on a main water line fix from Meter to building....purely cause bosses did not want me to braze the copper fittings in....and that was a hard to find 90 in my parts 😂
Great of you to put out this video! I haven't met a plumber or builder who would ever use them except in temporary situations.
This reminds me of when my old master plumber told me about all the old plumbers thinking PVC pipe was going to ruin the trade.
this is a little different.... if you want to learn a "new-school" way to make connections without soldering... watch one of his videos on uponor or propress... either will be way more reliable than a shark bite fitting and way more professional.
Pros & Cons to PVC, just like Pros & Cons to Sharkbite. I've seen a lot of tests for them. When properly installed, they're fine.
.
For a small job, sharkbite style connectors are fine. Hell, with as infrequently as I need to deal with CPVC, those connectors actually save me money, because I only ever really need the 1 connector and it costs about what the stupid PVC glue costs and that stuff will be useless by the next time I need it.
For anything big, though, it's better to just buy whatever tools you need for the type of pipe and fittings you're working with.
@@InfernosReaper you are right....99% of sharkbite leaks apparently are due to mis-installation (didn't properly clean, bad cut, didn't deburr, deep scratch or dent, copper is mis-shappened, or used on soft copper) but neither me nor my guys are perfect and I have never met anyone who is perfect. If solder copper leaks due to a bad solder joint, 99.99% of the time it leaks immediately, while the percentage is much higher for sharkbites that it will leak later when we are not there causing damage to the household.
and I disagree on the last part... for ANY job, small or big, you should use the right tools for the job. if the glue is $5 and you can't afford that into your pricing, you aren't pricing jobs right. besides your customer, not you, should be paying for materials... and 99% would rather have it fixed right if the cost differences is LITERALLY less than $10. if you use the glue, replace it with a new one this way it isn't bad next time you need it since you rarely use it.
@@Justin-vr5zn "for ANY job, small or big, you should use the right tools for the job"
And that's where we agree on the principle, yet kinda disagree on what constitutes the "right" tools and parts. Your bias is that you never want to use something like sharkbite whereas mine is "this works fine or even better for *some* jobs"
I also don't really care for copper in general. I think it's overrated and obsolete. That said, I'll work with it if that's what the job requires, but it's not my first choice.
.
"if the glue is $5 and you can't afford that into your pricing"
To be real, in my years of experience, PVC glue is often unreliable garbage that's way more prone to failure than it should be. It's literally got a higher fail-rate than push fit connections from what I've seen.
Rather than the glue being poorly made, I think a lot of that issue might be not enough stock rotation at the big box stores and/or plumbers keeping the glue on hand too long, so it ends up being past its shelf life.
So, if it's only a connection or 2, I'd rather play it safe and go with the push-fit, because it's close enough to the same cost.
@@InfernosReaper lol ok buddy. sound like a handy man, if you are a plumber thats sad. and yes I am biased based on the damage I have seen shark bites do. when copper leaks, it leaks imediately in most cases. shark bites can leak later with catastrophic damage. copper is not likely to do that.
. if you dont like solder there is still other options like propress and uponor. if you are too cheap to buy a propress learn to use uponor pex.
pvc glue when properly used welds the pipe together. if it is failing even rarely on you, might want to learn what you are doing wrong
shark bites usually leak due to improper installation, but not always. and I guess you are perfect and never made a mistake in your life. if I made a mistake, I want to see the leak while I am there, not when the homeowner is away on vacation for 2 weeks.
I use alot, they work great. Prep the pipe properly and they hold on great. I prefer them over having to get out the jet swet and adding a ball value when the building shutoffs don't shut all the water off. Add a slide coupling solder all your fittings and slide it into place.
This is an interesting take. i currently praise shakbite push to connect fitting because not only was is a way i could do my own plumbing, i learned that the reason my water heater pressure value was dripping water was because of night time back pressure going to my house. The pressure that caused a high pressure valve to leak did not burst or even loosen my SharkBite push to connect fittings. i have since connected an expansion tank on my water heater to solve the issue. i will keep an eye on my fittings though. T.Y for the information
As a DIY job it makes sense. I simply dont do plumbing jobs often enough to keep up the skillset for soldering. I do however keep my use of them to the transition from copper to cpvc. I can do a good job with cpvc and I dont feel like the skillset required for that is quite as high or as prone to decline from not using.
Having said that with one exception all of my sharkbite uses have been in places that are easy to access. The one exception will be a bit difficult to get back to, but in the event of a leak the water will be visible in the crawlspace.
And before anyone jumps in that I could hire a plumber these are all odd jobs for my inlaws and they are too cheap to hire a plumber. Most every bit of work I've done has been to replace things my father in law has done over the past 50 years. Most of the work Ive replaced has simply worn out, but a good bit of has been pinholes a few inches from a terrible soldering job. My approach may have risks, but I think the risks are fewer and I feel more comfortable knowing to check 4-5 spots vs examining a bunch of pipe for pinholes.
I use them when remodeling just as temporary caps. When the water in the house must stay on. I’ve been able to reuse the caps about 5 times each. But they always are removed when the fixture is ready to be installed.
I work in fire and water damage restoration and we use them all the time to cap water lines temporarily and they’re life savers
The biggest reason why shark bite fails is because many DIY's don't properly prep the pipe first before they install shark bite fittings.
As a home owner I don't like the idea of having to remember to check the fittings under my sink or toilet for leaks.
I have always lived in older homes but we recently bought a home that is less than a year old, so our pipes are not
old but they installed the push-pull type of water shut-off valves. They look cheap and I have watched many videos
of people replacing these valves using Sharkbite valves. The tubes coming out of the wall are not copper. I believe
they are CVPC. What do you recommend as a replacement shut-off valve in this situation?
"I haven't taken them apart, but I've looked at them. I don't like the way they are made " is like saying " I looked at the computer but I didn't open it. I don't like they way it's made."
Not necessarily, if your trying to find which type of hammer is the best would you need to cut it open to know? Same would apply to tire for a car, you don’t need to know what it’s made of you just need to know how it will react with the roads and conditions you’ll be driving on. I do understand what your saying though and for a computer that would be very stupid, but hey I bought my first laptop and my first few cars based off of looks and they’ve all failed me.
Trying to speak 100% objectively, I definitely understand the concern for the design insofar as the water seal relying on a polymer o-ring. How long will this rubber seal last before it gets brittle, cracks, and starts to leak? I honestly trust compression fittings more.
Hello Roger, I am a just a homeowner not a professional. Every plumbing project I have done for my own home, family member's home and our family cottage was done with sharkbites. I have never had a problem.
This is a strange video. He opens up that he's had to go and fix a lot of sharkbite fittings. Has he never had to go a fix issues with copper pipes? What did he repair before sharkbite fittings existed?
@@PJBonoVox
things break, and clog.
Shark bites have a fitting accreditation, they work, they can be used, it becomes the tradesman choice, as long as it’s installed as per the instructions it’s compliant. Where I agree with you doing the work, is your own home, others you realise you are operating illegally and open yourself up to legal action by your friends or family...particularly if they get sick. The reason there’s so much work to redo in plumbing is based a lot on water quality and the tradesmen that did the install. Good work that’s not under stress will not play up as often as pipes being asked to do miracle things.
How long have they been in? Copper in my mums house is about 50 years old and still holding. Also unlike plastic fittings copper can tolerate radial load from settlement without leaking. I have used pushfit fittings but only where they can be accessed and seen. One small fitting can cause so much damage, there is a good reason they are not allowed on gas..
@@PJBonoVox it's the reason they're leaking that matters not that they are leaking.
Pipe end must be clean and de-burred, otherwise the O-ring might get nicked and cause a leak, maybe immediately maybe later.
De-bur the copper pipe but don't sand it using sandpaper, just clean it with cloth in order to have a smooth surface for Sharkbite O-ring to cling onto. Sanding the copper pipe leaves a rough surface that may cause water to seep through.
@@huberthandypanda3781 .Good thought.
There is a deburring tool that chamfers the outside edge of the cut pipe - should minimize any nicks on the o-rings inside the Sharkbite. I've counseled against cleaning the pipe with sandpaper/emery cloth very much because I don't want to compromise the seal by decreasing the OD of the pipe. Just makes sense that the bigger OD the better and longer lasting the seal will be.
here's one you probably hadn't considered, on both the pro and the con.
a number of years ago we added an in-line electric heater on a copper varsol line that a lab was using to clean test equipment. it had been in use for about a year before they decided they wanted heat. we could have soldered the new piping but varsol is extremely flammable so we opted for a quick easy sharkbite coupling to avoid draining their chemical and purging their system. thats the pro. maybe there will never be a problem, but the con that worries me is how varsol will interact with the rubber gasket in the sharkbite.
personally I didn't like it, but this was a chemical job at their lab and the client didn't want to bring flame anywhere near their lines.
I have a 10 foot section of copper three-quarter inch pipe that has green corrosion all along the bottom. It developed a pinhole leak. In a snap, I cut out that section of pipe and used PEX using a couple of the Sharkbite ball valves. I am trying to figure out why the copper pipe in that one section corroded. Looking into the pipe, you can see the corrosion along the entire bottom of the pipe. My whole house is done in copper! It makes me wonder where else there is corrosion. the house was built in 2006. Any ideas? I can send you pictures. I’ve talked to several plumbers and I have not been able to get any answers. I live in Michigan.
Your pipe is being used as the electricians grounding wire to house.
100%.
I replaced a water heater that was next to another water heater in my sister's duplex. They were plumbed with iron pipe. The plumber that did this job probably in the 60s was obviously a master of the trade.
I was forced to use shark bite fittings. They have not leaked in the last 10 or so years. The water heaters are in a garage so they will never leak. If they were in the house they would have leaked lol
I have saved so many mobile homes with those when the owner couldn't afford to do a whole re pipe and their whole home is done in poly which is illegal now
In the last couple years I've installed a Sharkbite cold water shutoff in the basement to an outside faucet which is also a Sharkbite. I built and installed new kitchen cabinets and used Sharkbite shutoffs under the sink. I just finished a bathroom remodel where I built a new vanity and installed Sharkbite shutoffs. On the shower install, I soldered all connections because they are behind the shower surround. To date I've had no problems with the Sharkbite fittings but there is no way I'd install them in a location not readily accessible.
Hi Roger! What do you think about Accor valves? The builder used them throughout my home for faucet and toilet water supply valves and I now have one that needs replacement. Is it better to use a compression type valve or use another Accor valve?
Never had any issues in many applications and no problems
It's very important that the fittings are properly seated
If not their will be failure
Bottom line, shark bites are approved for use by building codes in my state for behind the wall use. No engineering testing has shown them to be faulty. Plumbers just don’t like a fitting that makes their high labor charges seem unreasonable. Solder joints corrode, they can and do leak. I had to gut a bathroom bc of leaks from soldered copper. It wasn’t the rusted tub, it was the copper solder in water supply lines.
100%
@@K3nVV true
According to national code mechanical fittings should be readily accessible, then you must take into consideration that it's an o ring seal,I have seen hundreds go wrong.
I've seen a dozen houses absolutely annihilated by SharkBite.
Plumbing code is THE BARE MINIMUM.
Sounds like something a homeowner would say.
Have used a local company for plumbing, mechanical, & hvac and they use these more and more and am still waiting for potential failures. These were used mainly for gas piping having low pressures, I haven't complained because this company will vigorously back their work. The bottom line is that the seal of an O ring is relied on to last until the end of time on all shark bite type of fittings. Proper soldering, pex crimping, or threading seems better for the long run to me.
Ive been using sharkbite endcaps sometimes when im testing a system for leaking when im done installing. Had 2 of them fly off at 4 bars of air pressure. Else we are using press fittings. Best system you can use for plumbing. Way faster than soldering
I'm not a plumber. Licensed engineer and home inspector. I agree that I'd never use them inside a wall. I used a few sharkbite valves recently for a bathroom vanity. I only did it because the existing terminations were bad. I was left with copper inside a wood cabinet and located about two inches from the side of the cabinet. I'm keeping an eye on them because I'm quite curious. If they leak I'll either rig up some shielding to solder them or borrow the crimper to use propress.
There's nothing inherently wrong with o ring seals. Most modern cars that's how the radiator and heater hoses go together. The key is not to damage the o ring. I think that's where a lot of sharkbite joints go wrong. If you don't clean the dirt/oxidation off of the pipe you won't get a good seal. Same if you leave a burr on the pipe that scratches the o ring. You also want to make sure the depth is right.
I don't see time as an excuse for using sharkbites. I'm for sure no pro at soldering. However I think I could ream, clean, flux, and solder a copper joint just as fast as I could ream, clean, mark depth, blow dust out of the sharkbite, moisten the pipe, and push it together.
I only use shark bite fittings on temporary repairs and to repair quest pipe when homeowners dont want to replace all the quest pipe.
I have a doublewide mobile home where I have well water with a scale deposit problem, a plumber came out to clean out my Pex pipes where scale attached to the crimp fittings and that nearly completely stopped my water flow. He replaced a couple of the main crossover lines that had the crimp fittings with Sharkbite push fittings. It was only two of them replaced but after 14 years they still have not leaked and water flows freely through them. Can't say that so much for the faucets but that's an easy diy fix.
Would you recommend copper compress elbows, if so where? I'm trying to plan out a small water filtration system before a new install of a TK 110U indoor wall Gass Water Heater unit. I'm not a plumber but l plumbed my bathroom bath & shower beautiful w/ copper only to pay a plumber to come and install the bathtub drain, they broke my hot & cold water connection and replaced a piece of my copper work. When I told them that's not what I wanted they declared that pex is the newest & best installed in all the new houses. I was mad with 'We'll Fix It' but have never called a plumber again. Besides I can't afford 'Professional Plumber' prices.
In the company I work for, we typically use SharkBites as a transition from copper to Wirsbo or galv to Wirsbo, but I'm definitely going to do some research on adapters, thanks for the video Roger!
How are you using a push to connect to transistion from galvanized?
As a professional I've used them for temperary capping during reno's in some situations . I would only use or leave one if I had no choice , like I couldn't shut the water down and couldn't solder . I have used them to fix kitec leaks but told the customer it's a bandaid and you need to replace all the piping soon !! They scare me because you can turn the pipe in the fitting . How the hell does that not leak !!!
There are thousands of examples of mechanisms that can turn or even move and do not leak. My 10000PSI hydraulic pump uses a piston with a seal that moves several inches and does not leak, same for hydraulic rams, pullers etc.
@@AlessioSangalli I've seen sharkbites pop off , so as your comment is very interesting and informative, it doesn't really have anything to do with this subject. This thread is about why I don't use sharkbites in a permanent situation.
@@stevea2488 I'd never use sharkbits, however you questioned the possibility to have hydraulic seal on a rotating or moving joint, I was merely stating it's not that uncommon. Another example is the rear main seal of the crankshaft of an engine.
I am a homeowner and do my own plumbing and use copper and solder as its easy and not expensive, however in tight places when doing repairs I use sharkbites, as I dont want to burn the place down.
Watched this as I'm about to embark on an outdoor shower project and was going to use SB fittings as I didn't want to have to pay a plumber to solder and I would be able to change things around latter if needed. I see your points, and probably would not use these inside my house or in hard to get to places as a result, but I'm still going to use them for my outdoor shower as it will not matter if they leak and to get to them for repairs I will just have to unscrew a sheet of corrugated iron. Thanks for the video.
I used Shark bites only for those Sunday night leaks that I would come back at some later point and fix.
That's all I use them for and I'm not a plumber. To me they are a band aid fix. Just my opinion.
Used to keep 1/2 3/4 and one inch ballvalve sharkbite in my bag they work great on busted pipes to shut the water off put on with valve open shut the valve then find the main shut off and fix properly
Got 10 year old fittings. No leaks.
Exactly right Chris
@@robertgary3561 wait for it. Your turn is coming
Family friend started using them when they first came out, like any product used in construction it must be installed correctly. He's never had a problem. I'm a retired carpenter (is there really such a thing) I was impressed.
Yes I installed a new water heater in my home for $475 including heater and all the fittings using Shark Bite. Plumber wanted $2500 and we took the $2000 and remolded our other bathroom~!!! That's why plumbers don't like Shark Bite~!!!
Its a gamble.
We use them all the time for the passed 4 years. Never had a problem. Never had a leak. Not one time for real lol.
I had a leak in a copper pipe in my attic due to a Johnny Homeowner repair (not me, the previous owner). A plumber came over and repaired it with a slip-on pressure fitting. I was amazed and said, “wow. That was fast. I thought you’d have to solder it”. He said, “nah, we don’t do that anymore. Now we just use pressure fittings”.
Should I be concerned about another leak in the attic now?
I just recently had a plumber come in to fix a leak that was at a t-junction. While he did solder or crimp almost all the pipes he did say that for one he would be required to use a shark bite. The pipe was in a very confined space with the joist to one side and a pvc pipe to the other with maybe an in and a half between. He said he had no reliable way to solder that joint and he could not get the crimping tool in there either.
9 years and counting on replacing my plumbing with straightshot runs of pex and using sharkbites at end of line. No leaks anywhere. 🤷♂️
But why though shark bite fittings are way more expensive?
My cousin had some CPVC pipes break due to freezing in her mobile home. At the time, she was poor and unable to afford a plumber. I would have fixed it, except that I live 1,500 miles away. I advised her to get Sharkbite fittings so she could do the repair herself; I knew that if she didn't get it fixed she'd have to live without water for an extended period of time. Sharkbite is the only thing that I was comfortable recommending, because it was the only thing really within her capabilities.
So, basically an emergency repair. That house is now abandoned, as she had the opportunity to move into a better house.
Sharkbite should be avoided if for no other reason than you'll go broke buying the things. They must be made of gold!
I’m an irrigator and I use them when I have to repair the connection to the copper mainline- outside next to the meter. Street valves notoriously leak so I’m dealing with constant water flow. I’d love to use crimp fittings but can’t justify $2k for a tool I use once a year. So I just use sharkbites and wrap with silicone tape. It works.
FWIW I learned how to solder by watching your videos. I got it right the first time, but have experience as a mechanic and bodyman so I have brazed sheet metal before but just never soldered copper pipes. I installed a new main shut off valve in my house to replace the old gate valve that had gone bad. Thanks for your helpful videos.
I never had a Sharkbite fail!!
Plumbers like to solder so they can have future business.
Sharkbites are for the DIY crowd and they work very well and very fast!
I'm going to come back for an update in the years to come.
We use them in emergencies...or when acess allows only one hand and no torch room...had some fail upon install non round pipe or super pitted copper...but the ones that hold after install are still holding for us...still prefer solder dont like the pipe movement with sharkbites
Whenever I come in contact with shark bite fitting s I replace them . My experience is that they leak over time. In cold temperature s if there's any chance of a freeze up or drastic temperature swing Shark bite fittings tend to fail.
I've also seen a compression installed valve here and there blow off in cold weather. Smart plumbers don't want the liability of something that can blow apart.
Curious what your thoughts and experience is with press fittings? Such as Pro press , using a 2000 # press tool?
Shark bites are just as easy as the pro press
Hey roger, I haven’t been able to watch the video yet I’m in class right now. I’m a young plumber and just wondering what’s good practice for fittings now as to look most professional on the job? I’m an independent contractor not looking to go union or anything. I love your videos and I’ve been using PEX when tapping into pre existing water lines in house and used pro crimp rings with them I believe the only time I’ve used a shark bit was when connecting pex to a pre made hose bib. I can’t remember if the shut off valve was a shark bite or not as well. I hope it wasn’t I generally try to stay away from them anyways cause I rather use a fitting that needs to be cut to be removed. I hope though because I hold what you say very close to my heart and model my mentality I should have on job sites after your advice and from observing you and how you conduct business in videos. Love all your work thanks for everything you do for née young plumbers like myself!
To add to this the shark bites were placed right above a sump pump I installed so I’m not super worried I’ve done landscape construction for plenty years before I started plumbing
I am older school and i don't like copper or steel pipe.
I use clay pipe, canals, and French drains. 😉
Why spend all that extra time and $$? Just use the cardboard cylinder from you paper towels, saran wrap or poster container. Depending on what size you need.
@@hollywoodpm1105 Pete, that's just fucking crazy. But ingenious
Canals are nice but birds tend to shit in them.
I only use Orangeburg pipe, cant trust that new fangled PVC.
bad flux causes corrosion inside pipes, pex and a crimp y'all.
I am not a pro plumber. I never learned how to sodder. I replaced a baseboard heater in my daughter's room and installed the shark bite at both ends. I was introduced to it by a worker at Home Depot. The back end of the copper pipe is tightly against the wall. 11 years later no leak.
I guess I need to keep an eye on it.
Thank you!
Solder is called "sweating pipes." It's easy, just Sharkbites are way easier.
It's gonna leak when air gets in the pipe and puts pressure. But as long as you keep an eye on it, you're good.
More then likely you will get a leak from a sweat joint they didn't ream properly and you get a pin hole then your shark bite failing. And Sharkbite actually warranties there product. Good luck calling a plumber 10 years later and asking him to fix his leak
@@OVERCAPITALIZE it will not leak when air gets in the pipe. I have had shark bite fittings in house for over 7 years. In those 7 years I have worked on lines several times, putting air in them. No leaks at all. Quit saying stuff just to say it. I love when new products get bashed by old men. I guess old dogs can't learn new tricks.
@@SmithNHall i notice that in any industry that has a "new" product that makes easier for the consumer to do a repair/replace
Our company just uses them to go from pex to copper, what can you use to adapt instead? Would it need to be a pro press adapter? Or do you sodder a copper adapter to the pipe with a male pex fitting on the other end? I’m an apprentice.
I believe in soldering the adapter on. Do you love the trade?
@@RogerWakefield It doesn't even feel like work, I love learning the trade. I wish I could work for a company like yours. I think I might just apply!
Need to know why the water layout just inside my basement from the water main has what I would call switch backs.
I have a leak and will be fixing it shortly but want to know if I can remove all the excess and just go from my 3/4" to the 1/2" line.
If you have an email or way for me or share the image of this, I'm happy to, make no sense to me. Thanks for your content.
Just ripped out a whole house filtration system that was fully assembled with 3/4 shark bite. Aside from the fact that the entire system was installed backwards with the filters after the UV Bulb vs before; it was leaking at two shark bite fittings. Just redid the entire system properly, soldered all copper. Vastly better setup now, correct.
They didn't deburr properly.
Whole-house filtration units are often discontinued after about five years and filters become harder to find for them quickly. Better to use more adaptable piping like pex for those components than sweated copper, imho.
I use shark bites as a temporary emergency fittings and then fix it the old school way. The brass ones are also very expensive.
Are you serious
@@absentehhh8263 very serious. I own a 90 year old guest home. A copper pipe burst and its 2AM day after Christmas. I shut the water off, cut the 1/2 inch copper and put a shark bite coupling just to keep it from leaking with the main shut off shut. first thing the next day I went and sweat a copper coupling. Use it for temporary emergencies. But I won't depend on them as a quick fix. Just a quick bandage until it can be fixed appropriately.
@@shine1019 how much are 1/2 inch sharkbite by you
@@absentehhh8263 from $14.00 or as high as $32.00 per fitting. Imported to Hawaii makes them very expensive. Copper or pex fittings are cheaper than the shark bites.
@@shine1019 oh ok now that makes sense
I had a plumber use one when he replaced one of our hose bibs. Suspended ceiling in basement and pex throughout. He used one to extend the pex about 6" to get to the new bib. He used Woodford model 19 bibs as replacements. The only thing I don't like about the bibs is that they rotate that small fraction in the outside wall mount when turning them on or off and therefore the pex also moves that little amount back and forth. He used a brass fitting on the end of the bibs and expansion rings on the fitting to pex connection. He assured me it wasn't a problem though. We'll see.
I only use them for emergencies. I only have caps, valves and couplers. I tally mark them each time I use them so I don't overuse them. Fix copper with soldered fittings or swap to Pex. I learned old school on copper (brazing in HVAC as well as solder) but love the convenience PEX has to offer.