@@xbubbleheadIt's not about the one hour...it's about the 20,000 hours of work that preceeded your job to do it in one hour. Just imagine if your job didn't pay you based on experience 😂
They definitely do a lot of complaining. Not that it's unwarranted, I wouldn't like pulling wads of mildew, hair and used wet toilet paper out of clogged pipes either 😂
@@Coastal_Cruzer are you confusing PTF pneumatic fittings with Sharkbites? Sharkbit doesn't make 3d printer sized fittings or fittings smaller than .25 inch diameter. and if you are using 6mm filament in a Bowden I'd love to see your printer and the beefy motors pushing your plastic.
As a retired Plumber, I have no problem with a person using Sharkbite instead of calling a Plumber. I do, however, have a problem with a person using Sharkbite then calling himself a Plumber.
@@chefmike69 Gatekeeper? Sorry I had to look it up. If I was called to your house I would be obliged to tell you that your diet might be off. That you might want to wipe better. That you might be dehydrated. That you need to flush more often. That you need to put the lid down. Willing to bet there’s a toy soldier in there. And that your baby isn’t getting into the your chocolate stash. He’s trying to save his GI JOE. If nothing else, please put the lid down.
A homeowner can use a " sharkbite " and is the one plumbing their house. However, that same homeowner can't comprehend the calculations necessary to to plumb a commercial building.
@@paudan1284 it’s just funny you chose this hill 🤷🏽♂️.. it hasn’t been a thing since the 80’s but good to know trade schools are still teaching it.. but I digress.. plant your flag… you came with receipts.
I've run waterlines at a hog farm with all sharkbite fittings. Those things were fantastic in the farrowing house and nursery. Lines are still going great and its been 10 years.
I have one on my air compressor… that’s 120 psi and it’s been on there for years. I put it on for a quick fix one day and left it just to see if it would last long term… it’s flawless
@benjurqunov god i love pex lol Copper is better quality but nothing beats pex for speed and absolute 0 worry about leaks...been using pex for over 20y and ive never had one fitting leak I have definitely turned the water on having missed crimping a ring lol
As a plumber I don’t hate SharkBite, however I acknowledge they are a good temporary fitting. They are prone to blow out due to air shock and during freezing temperatures more than traditional fittings. Also, if you’re a plumber and you’re worried about getting work from failed SharkBites it means that you have no work and are in serious trouble. Small plumbing company owners with only two trucks while working 5 days a week can easy make make 600k a year. Sharkbite makes no difference to plumbers. We just don’t like them as professionals.
don't like them because the only thing sealing the fitting is a rubber o ring and eventually that one ring will dry out and the fitting will leak. and if the sharkbite is behind dry wall. you will have a major problem
I'd still rather have pvc than shark bites. And cause I know it's gunna come up my house is all copper. With the only plastic being from floor or wall to the fixtures.
Total crap they don’t last in harsh environment like other methods…. They have a place yes most common place is temporary fixes not for long term use…..
@@jeremyjayne8341 my father in law installed a 2 inch sharkbite fitting where some pvc had cracked. It’s still going strong almost 10 years later, been in the sun for all 10.
@@jeremyjayne8341😂😂 harsh weather ? where the hell are u doin plumbing bro? i do all my plumbing inside unless its an antifree hose lol. 12 years in not 1 call back! i got sb in every closed wall 😂😂. give ot a try stop listening to your dad
@@billwoodward7013 poconos PA I’ve also been stationed in fort drum…. The place that Alaska military post sends to cold weather train…. Fml 🤦 terrible place that said mostly run down apartments just really crappy environment in general will work on them… not sure where your plumbing at😅 but definitely have seen these fail a lot.
My brother lives with me and is a plumber. When he replaced our kitchen sink, he used shark bite fittings. There's nothing wrong with them. Plumbers who say they don't like them are only doing so because it makes it way easier for the homeowner to do their own work thus losing the plumbers the money they'd have gotten for doing the job.
As long as the home has a good pressure regulator and the water heater hasn't expansion tank I have no issues with people using shark bites. Hell, I have a few in my truck for those hard to reach repairs.
Experienced plumber here. I love Sharkbites. Awesome for quick and temporary use. Also great when interior exposed or accessible plumbing. I would never leave one inside a wall though.
@@siccoblue2112 says the the person who needs to hire someone to do a job for them. Lol you're a dumb person obviously. I know the kind. I always come across people who think they know, and understand more than they actually do.
They are great for situations when the customer magically wasn't ready for you to cut water off when you cut the pipe lose. I keep a couple sharkbite caps just for it.
@@siccoblue2112 Do you have experience in the field, or are you taking the video's word over the comment's? I've done remodel work, and we use shark bites to temporarily block the water line for sinks until we put a new one in. They're quick and easy, and avoid a headache. The only thing wrong with shark bites is user error (aka long term use).
As a home owner I can do shark bite in a pinch, but if you are a licensed pro and I’m paying for your expertise, you better not leave a shark bite in my house.
I don’t understand? Wouldn’t you prefer a shark bite over someone’s soldering job which has potential to fail no matter how good they are? Plus - soldering seems like such an outdated and dangerous method
We had an extremely cold winter this year. Had three black pipes freeze and break in the well house and the shark bites in the same area are still fine.
They must be in a "bind" keeping them or the pipes from separating. Ice swelling pushes the pipe out of the sharkbite connectors. It's a slower way of removal so to speak. I've seen at least a dozen pushed out from freeze, it even leaves claw marks on the pipe, ice wins every time.
I solder/glue for anything behind a wall/floor, shark bite for anything in front. I have found this to be the best combination for long-term stability where you need to trust it, and easily replaceable for fittings that change every few years.
See the problem with sharkbites is and i'm gonna explain this in a way to not be too detailed. I also want it detailed enough for plumbers to get it as well, but not be too off putting or controvertial. I also don't want it to come off as bias in any way
@@gnosticreverend6354I know for a fact shark bites pass code in my jurisdiction even in enclosed spaces but my use is limited to exposed emergency repairs till the turd herder can make it out.
The only failure I have had are on installation when a fitting was bad from the beginning. When the pipe was cleaned and there was a good sharkbite fitting, everything went smooth
Only issues are when installers forget that the stiffeners inside the shark bite have to be removed if connecting pex into copper or pvc. I’ve seen these leaks happen a handful of times because of bad practice.
I do apartment maintenance, and let me tell you sharkbites are a life saver. Just imagine you get a callout at 3am on a Friday. You can slap the line back together with a sharkbite and deal with it on Monday. I love these things for quick repairs.
Sounds convenient.. But why are you making two visits instead of getting it done the first time? A proper repair takes the same amount of time to complete whether you do it on Friday or Monday. You pretty much wasted time.
@@Sara-L The plumbing issues are not the plumbers problem. There the owners problem. And plumbers are just offering a service to owners that don't know how to fix the issue or don't want to do the work themselves. So when you call they say we can squeeze you in to patch it Friday but we don't work weekends so we can have someone back on Monday to replace the pipe but the patch won't leak. I as a owner have had to replace drywall to finish the repair. It's not just about the pipe but what may have to be removed and replaced to get to the pipe.
@Sara Llewellyn many reasons. One is I work on site maintenance with a work week of 8-430 m-f. Overtime is an emergency only. A leak could have soaked drywall and studs, and it needs to dry out before patching to avoid molding. I also might need to cut out and replace far more pipe then just the failed section given our apartments are over 40 years old and if you get let's say a pinhole leak I bet the section of pipe it's in is completely shot and needs replaced. I also can only keep a small amount of supplies in stock in the shop due to company policy. Thus, I might need to run to the store to get things for a proper repair. Every repair is different, and you can't apply the same logic to all of them. Let's say I get a leaky stop valve but don't have a replacement in stock , well I do have two sharkbite type stop valves in my tool box that I can use to get the tenets only toilet back to functional over a weekend till I can get to the supply store. Then factor in that if a do go full ham at 3am on some sort of repair and I'm there till let's say 6am working on it on a Tuesday well now I got to just hang around until my shift starts at 8am as i live a good ways from work and now I'm working on little to no sleep. I've also had a situation where I had a 1inch main blow I fixed with sharkbites till the supply store could get the fittings I needed in-stock as they were out till the next shipment a few days later. So yea, there are a ton more reasons why I might not have the time or be able to do a full repair at one time.
Fun fact: any time a tradesman hates something, it’s usually because it devalues their work by making it so easy a home owner can do it. Same reason plumbers complain about propress
@@CivilizedAnimal2022you would charge more and leave the house needed a cleaning crew and new wall to wall carpet. Happened to me. I solder fittings together and cut copper pipe. Home Depot rents power drain snakes.
You should see what they’re charging to snake pex all over your local buildings/houses because they can’t install copper. Or what electrical contractors are charging to run MC cabling, making electrical closets look like they’re filled with spaghetti, because they can’t bend and install conduit.
us tile people love you plumbers. especially when you've already plumbed the valve and drop ears. I hate plumbing. We also hate drywall guys. Worse than electricians
What? How? How in the hell are you going to burn their house down while working on cpvc or quest?! You aren't supposed to melt the damn pipe together, bro!
Ive been doing maintenance on manufactured homes for about 8 years now and i could not disagree more i love them cuz if i dont use them id have to replumb a whole trailer just to fix a small leak
Legal issues? I ask because I worked for a guy that did handyman services and we had to replace all the pipes in a house because no one was certified and we couldn't just fix the leak but redoing the entire house was allowed this was about 10y ago.
Plumber here: sharkbites are absolutely fantastic when used in the right situations, unfortunately people try to overuse them for what they’re meant for, which is temporary/quick fixes. You shouldn’t use a sharkbite if the fitting will be behind a wall or if it’s going to be in place for years. The gaskets in them just don’t hold up to sustained high use. That said, I carry at least 2 of each size sharkbite cap on my van at all times to get me out of jams, then when I have time go back to solder/press in a fitting
As an engineer, I understand the calculation side of plumbing to a certain extent, but I also know when experience trumps technical knowledge. Sure I can probably fix something, but I'm not going to risk that with my house when I can have someone with experience come out and do it right. That said, I do keep a few shark bite caps on hand at the recommendation of my local plumber. Great for allowing me to close off a line and use my water if a faucet line starts to leak.
We used something similar in the RV industry, called a flair-it PEX fitting. Biggest difference was that they had a flared tip that goes into the hose and a threaded compression ring that threads tight back onto the fitting to press the tubing tight. They make them out of nylon because they actually prefer the fittings fail if the lines freeze in the winter, most fittings were easily accessible relatively speaking and they’re much cheaper than a faucet or PEX line to replace! They are also slightly flexible and don’t crack from vibrations so they are much better for traveling in an rv than brass fittings and pipes! Brass has a tendency to become loose and leaky on RV’s…
As someone who has to work on his own house I indeed like shark bite. It's not on everything I have but in areas where I will for sure have to consistently mess with it makes it so much better
Shark bites are not that bad really. The main causes of failure is that people do not deburr and seat that connection. Or they get the smallest damage to the o-ring. These will then fail randomly and unpredictably over time. The next is that they use off brand copies to save 2-3 dollars per fitting. Finally putting them in a strange circumstance like under stress, or subject to vibration/movement. So basically installed by someone with experience and knowledge of what they are doing (e.g. a professional) they are great fittings. The issue is they made it appear like anyone can install them. I am not a professional but I have done a decent amount of copper and per work, and I have used them in very cramped access situations to great success (but most of the time I would use a expansion fitting).
You’re not wrong tho. Big rig mechanics use fittings that work with the same principal on compressed air lines (80-120 psi typically or 2-4 time more pressure than a standard water line) all the time and never have issues with them unless they were installed wrong.
@@jaythatguyyouknow5135 exactly what I was going to say, now the plastic ones go out after like 2 years but the brass ones are amazing, never had to replace a brass one
@@jaythatguyyouknow5135heck even our shop alignment lift runs off of press fit fitting, granted it's only 120 psi of shop air, and they still hold good and don't leak down
@@joshualyons1461 Haven't had an issue with the plastic uponor fittings yet. Where are you getting your fittings? And did you source the fittings during the pandemic? Pex and all plastic plumbing material just went way the fuck down in quality during the pandemic.
I have been a plumber for 19 years in northeast Florida. Shark Bites work just fine as long as there are no burs on the end of the pipe. Also, if it's pex or polybutylene pipe that you're connecting the shark bite back onto, then you have to leave the plastic inserts, with cpvc or copper make sure to remove the plastic inserts. Another trick is to use sand paper on the pipe as well rather it be cpvc, or copper. Lastly you have to grease the o-rings and the bam! Good to go! If you have leaks on shark bite fittings, it's mainly because you suck! 😂
I would research your recommendation on sanding the pipe when using Sharkbites. Cleaned, yes. Sanding, no. The o ring relies on a smooth surface to seal correctly.
Op knows how to get his comment section flowing. As a plumber who has installed hundreds if not a thousand sharkbites I have never had a call back on one. I do live in the south so we dont face the extreme cold and that seems to play into the gripes.
I'm a general contractor who does numerous trades. These fittings have their place. In my 20+ yrs of experience, the ones who whine about these products are usually union plumbers.
My father is a master plumber/pipefitter for the union. He has no quarrel with these. I think those dudes are just scared of not having to work as hard 😂
@@slmdnkasr Minimal time difference. Fitting cost a lot more and the o-ring fails over time. I am scared of call backs. Never under estimate the home owners ability to find a way to break something.
@@slmdnkasr yep, the same guys who refuse to invest in ProPress. The private guys getting paid by the job who are also on the hook for callbacks? They’ve all got ProPress for a reason.
I have shark bites in my house that are more than 10 years old. Still holding strong. I would not use them in high pressure situations but they've done great in my home.
Yeah I install water heaters and sometimes you need shark bites for the shitty setups people have. Never had an issue with them and never heard of anyone at my work having an issue with them.
That’s funny. I used shark bite on my tankless water heater and the gas valve went bad making it continuously run. After a minute or so it heated the water inlet line so hot the 3/4 line swelled to the size of a softball. The shark bite fitting held like a champ and blew an older pvc line lol I was amazed
Those are the standard connectors, not Shark bite. Those are good and will last much longer than Sharkbite. Sharkbite can wiggle off on lines to washers, dishwashers, etc.
I had a plumber do a lot of work on my mother's house. He said the only reason he hated shark bites was they leak after a few years. If you put one inside a wall. You are looking at huge amounts of damage to the property.
Exactly, it's a compression fitting. Weather changes, humidity changes, barometric pressure changes. That effects your home significantly. Pay to have it done right or not at all. Don't skimp
I love the shark bites on new construction were you need to cap a pipe. We use them everywhere and then take them back off when were ready to do finish plumbing.
I'm a master plumber & own my own company in Florida. I don't use sharkbite fitting very often but I have full confidence in them. I have never personally seen one ever fail before. They are pretty amazing products. Whenever I have had to use them they are great and have helped tremendously in certain situations.
For real. I've done this work for over a decade. I've seen every connection possible fail. This is nothing but people refusing to accept new technology.
@Issa Issa don't use them. Garbage. If you can get a push connect on, you can get a crimp or solder fitting on. Better , stronger , dependable and long term.
@@jordanharvey2163 you don't know what you are talking about. Push to fit fittings are rated for longer than soldering. The flux we use to solder eats away at the copper. You can clean the outside of the pipe, but not the inside. Copper elbow fittings are usually bent into shape from pipe, not molded or built that way. Since copper is only semi malleable, it leaves a weaker wall at the bend. Which is usually where pin hole leaks occur. Brass push to fit & press fittings use the same o-rings. But brass push to fit has stronger thicker walls. Eliminating the weak wall problem of copper. Push to fit and press fittings are priced similarly. Often cheaper than press, and no $3k tool required.
@Allan Alcibar copper nor pex require a 3k tool kid. You failed school or life. A crimp tool is 50$ at the most , copper solder kit can be under 200$. Copper is 10x stronger than brass. Brass can be bent by hand without any tools , so can copper , but copper has a higher pressure rating. Brass is a literal soft metal , that's why they use it for refinery tools ( no spark) , a push to connect fitting isn't even close to a permanent fixed connection. A solder joint won't slip off from movement or pressure , they have been a proven method for years. Clearly you don't have the slightest idea about pex nor copper nor plumbing for that matter. Copper and pex are what real plumbers use , please stop spreading lies to make your diy life feel better and more useful. It's not working kid.
I'm a forensic engineer and investigate plumbing failures. I suspected one of these failing once. So I tested an exemplar. I only engaged the fitting 1/8 of an inch. You could not pull these apart even with that little of engagement. Not saying they are the end all be all but they work. Just make sure installed to manufacturer instructions and your golden.
As a plumber. I can guarantee that we do NOT hate sharkebite. But we only use it when we have to. But I do love their caps. I test my water lines at 100 psi and I've never had a cap blow off. Also I've seen some shake bites when opening walls and they had no problems. It's the future of plumbing, really.
I've been using them for over 15 years and have never had one fail. As lonf as you follow directions and prep the pipe properly they work just fine. But you have to get all the burs offand coat the rings with water and polish.up the outside of the pipe then put it together and make sure your pipes are fully seated into the sharkbite.
Licensed plumber here. If you have to use a sharkbite to make a fix while on a budget, do it. Just make sure you follow the steps. Then, once you have the money, pay a plumber to properly fix your plumbing problems
I just installed a hose faucet on my house with shark bites. love em. when I replaced my bladder tank I did the good old fashioned soldering. more of a permanent thing. I've got shark bites on everything that may need to be replaced at some point to make it easier on me. I got the better quick release tool than that one though. 4 years and no leaks from the oldest sharkbite in my house.
@@tjr_4469 according to my plumber friend, sharkbites have a higher potential at failing than a solder joint or others. Ya gotta bury some connections or all your pipes will be exposed, which is an option I guess.
used these in probably a dozen properties over the years... zero problems. Plumbers hate them because general plumbing is really not that hard and the more people realize that the less they can overcharge.
I used Shark Bite in three places of my house. I installed them myself by following their instruction to a tee. I like it so far. It has been about 2 years. No leak. No problems. The key is follow all the steps. Don't bypass any of the proper steps.
Plumbers hate them because home owners can now do your job at a fraction of the price. I was a union plumber and years later leanred about sharkbite and I have not stopped using them. i have never used copper since.
@@user-lb8do4ew6k Yeah tell that to people who burn the pipes, have leaks afterwards. Copper pipe has major flaws that many people will not tell you. First off if it freezes those copper pipes are done for. Pex and sharkbite can take the cold and can even be bent at colder than -40F. Pex is way better than copper in so many ways. You show me a house that can freeze and thaw for the last decade and not have a single leak. I know a aummer home that installed pex and shark bite fittings in it over 10 years ago and the owners forgot to drain the new system after they left for the summer and with no heat the pipes froze and yes it froze because there was ice in the toilet. They were lucky that the toilet did not crack. Yet ever since then when they leave they just pour in some rv antifreeze in to each sink, shower, toilet and that is all they have done. Not once has it ever leaked.
@@kameljoe21 They are less vulnerable to freezing however they are not immune, Especially the isolators, It was -3C this morning and my first job at 5:30am was replacing a PEX that had bust overnight, So much fun especially when the controls on the cherry picker were covered in ice. Brrr.
I'd like to wager the previous person didn't ream the pipe ends right or at all, messing up the o-ring. That's the most crucial part of a shark bite and yet I don't hear people talk about it much.
He probably did not cut the pipe clean and or push pipe into fitting all the way. Some people even mix the pipes up with the wrong brand of fitting/wrong inserts.
I have an old unheated warehouse with 18' high ceilings and windows all around, so it gets very cold during the winter months in Detroit. We use heat tape to keep the pipes from freezing, but we still have problems at times (i.e. power outages, etc.) Whenever a water pipe bursts from freezing temperatures, I have to stand on an extension ladder, or even worse, on a pallet lifted by a forklift if the leak is in a spot where i cannot lean the ladder. It's dangerous to work with a torch while trying to maintain your balance standing on a ladder with no hands (because you need both hands to sweat pipes). Paying for a plumber is of the question. It would cost thousands of dollars. I discovered Shark Bites about 20 years ago, and have used them with great success. I've never had a leak with a Shark Bite!
The reason plumbers HATE shark bites isn't that they don't work.... It's that even a little dirt gets into that spacing(exterior part) the thing becomes so damn difficult to remove, they just take so much more time and muscle to remove. Unless you cut it. Also they have a habit of blowing apart even when at the right depth.
My dad called roto-rooter and they sent 2 plumbers to fix a pinhole leak in a copper pipe. They used a shark bite coupler, idk if they didn’t seat it all the way or what, but 2 hours after they left the thing slipped off and caused a flood on our first floor caused 15k$ of water damage.
Sharkbite fittings have their place but there are some issues with them. First is that if you don’t fully insert the pipe it will leak. That was a major issue with them when the first came out, many people didn’t seat the pipe all the way in and it leaked. After a few times of the system leaking people are quick to jump to “this shit is garbage” and move on. Install it correctly and it shouldn’t leak. The next issue is rigidity. Had a plumber over to fix the city water main. He used Sharkbites for every connection he made, ended up using 4 of them. Whenever we used water the entire main would shake around. Last thing you want is for your pipes to be flapping around. For starters banging pipes suck, but on top of that I’m sure the repeated flexing could lead to wear on the fittings and cause them to fail. For temporary fixes, quick repairs, adding an additional line or other simple things a Sharkbite is an amazing thing to have around. Easy to use and gets the job done. For more permanent repairs, long runs and/or where there will be multiple joints, you should solder it. Press fittings and PEX are also options. I’ve heard people say they suck and others who can’t live without it… I have used some PEX and haven’t had any issues, but it’s also the new system on the market. How long it will last is still up in the air… but I feel like if you already have copper lines, try to stick with copper. If you have PEX, stick with PEX. Interchanging between them isn’t bad… but my OCD don’t like it lol. Anyway… if you are a home owner and you want to repair things yourself… make sure you do your research and install things correctly. You could end up making a minor issue into a major accident. If you are ever uncomfortable, unfamiliar and/or don’t have the proper tools, call a professional. Plumbing, electrical and construction aren’t extremely difficult skills to learn… but when done wrong they are EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!!!
Homeowners love Sharkbites because they are easy to use as long as they are pushed in completely. Plumbers don't like them because they don't get money for that job...
They make it so we don’t have to call plumbers, or learn how to sweat pipes, or mess with appropriate glue types. Easily removable… shark bites are basically the pinnacle of plumbing tech 👏
@@tigerbatman7881 if you're going to call people stupid, at least learn the English language first little buddy. It's "they're" not "there." And yes, they are. Every manufacturer has in the instructions that they are not intended to be removed and reused. The universal plumbing code and every single US state approves their use for new, remodel, and repair plumbing (except for specific projects like high-rise buildings requirements that don't allow them because of pressure issues when pumps are used to get water passed the city supply level.) If plumbing code allows them to be used in walls and underground, without access panels, they are permanent solutions. You're arguing from sentiment, not facts. Otherwise, present a logical argument with some sort of point and evidence.
That's how we use them, only on an emergency on weekends at night then we go back out cut the fittings out and install couplings and any ball valves solder the joints up and bam done. We never keep shark bites permanently on customers houses. That's not professional in there eyes
@@fustratedfisher i leave them in. Any questions i get about them i answer. Push to fit fittings are allowed by code for permanent build & repair. They can go in walls, outdoors, and underground (wrapped). They are rated and warrantied for 25 years. Copper is rated for 5-50 years, depending on many factors from copper type, to water conditions and installation. They have their time and place. I wouldn't remodel nor build with them. But they are handy and reliable for many situations.
Right, we don't like em, we love em! Nothing like shark bite with stainless braided line, took me less than an hour to drain, remove an old unit and install, refit plumbing to the new hot water tank yesterday. That's an easy $200-300 in the field doing someone else's!!!
I've been in Water Utilities for over 20 years now. Shark bites are a great, reliable, proven product. I recommend them to any homeowner and have used them myself in my own home over the years.
I would only think the problem with them is the price vs getting into using the welding method, is that correct??? I would like to give it a go, welding but do not really need to
my shop has a 175psi air system going 24/7 and our piping is all sharkbites. no leaks ever and if a pipe gets damaged its quick and easy to repair. just need to make sure install is done correctly
@@jamescrud sorry but as I am literally an industrial maintenance engineer I can tell you pneumatics are all push fit, only the main distribution 50mm plus is malleable iron and threaded, I haven’t used copper for decades.
Not a milwaukee fan boy, but in hvac I prefer their inkzall marker over sharpie. It can get oily, dusty, wet, frozen solid and more. They still work! That being said, I have both marker types all over my tool bags and shop tables
As a homeowner I re did my whole house with PEX, I used shark bites to go from the copper to PEX whenever I had to pause a project, now everything is PEX with crimp rings to brass fittings, I love those shark bites but they seem sketchy when you think all that’s holding back 80psi or so of pressure is some teeth in plastic
Problem is homeowners don’t want to spend the extra ten bucks on the debuting tool and they end up cutting the o-ring in the fitting leaks, then they call the plumber to fix it.
100% this. I was bored and decided to test one of my water lines to a spare sink in our basement laundry room.. I did one that wasn’t debured with the tool and one that was.. the that wasn’t leaked in about a month or 2.. the other one… still going good, no leaks… 5yrs later
@@artimusmillet7795 Drive a mandrel into the end of it has been deformed then, though unless it has been bent sharply it shouldn't be all that distorted. I've never had trouble getting a sweat coupler on, so other fittings shouldn't be an issue. Thanks for the answer though, even if I don't feel like it is a big concern, it is a valid problem if you aren't careful with the tube or where you cut it.
Had to change out our hot water heater called a local plumber. $700 labor. Bought 2 3/4 sharkbite to 3/4 female braided hose took an hr to replace the unit. Best $36 I have ever spent.
Also half informed DIY'ers don't like shark bite. When my dad did the plumbing in the house he built, he choose to use shark bite. That was about 28 years ago. A couple winters back he went south and I was house siting when I noticed a leak in the basement. Long story short I ended up replacing 20 or so shark bite fittings that had started to leak. The following winter same problem and that time I replace ALL the fittings I could reasonably get to. They last about 25 years. They are great for a temporary fix, but not for permanent plumbing
We have the same thing in heavy duty diesel for air lines. We hate them too. They are infamous for leaks that can be solved by using compression fittings instead.
@John phillips even if you use good ones, like from parker store they are quite prone to leaks. I was just saying that compression fittings don't have the same kind of problem, as long as you don't over tighten them they won't leak. When you have air leaks the first places I check is all of those fittings because they are prone to leaks, especially since oems don't use high quality ones. Idk it might just be a preference for compression fittings too.
As an electrician, I put Sharkbites in the same category as Wago connectors: Excellent for temporary (and "temporary") work, but has a chance to fail after several years.
I have one shark bite in my house. It’s a ball valve. The copper line it’s in is very secure and anchored down so it don’t move. It’s 5yrs old with no leaks so far 🤞🏻
I just use a clamp on my pex. The pliers are pretty reasonably priced and you will have them your life with homeowner use. I have countless friends that use mine and never really seen a failure.
I’ve never used the clamps I’ve always used the crimp rings for pex and for really tight spaces I’ll use the sharkbites. Are the clamps any easier to use than the crimp rings? All the plumbing I do is only repairs so there ends up being a lot of tight spaces some times
@@macadelic1360 The biggest advantages of the stainless clamps is that they are easier to crimp in tight spaces,they are easier to remove and the same tool is used for all sizes.
I’ve been a plumber now for over 15 years, all types of pipes and all types of techniques. I absolutely love shark bites. It cuts the time at the job by at least 1/3 meaning less time with the water shut off and more money in my pocket. And if it leaks in the future it’s not my problem, it’s your fault for not calling in a professional
Sharkbite fittings have their place. If people want to use them instead of getting a plumber involved; cool whatever it's your house, just know there is a reason almost every plumber distrusts them. (As a plumber, I've seen them fail several times)
I remember when plumbers didn't want sewers to have walls and just used dirt and they would seep through the dirt into the wells and poison the water supply and give everyone in 1854 London cholera.
@John wa that's funny I also work building maintenance on 2 buildings. one was built in 1964 the other was built in 1960 both are original copper piped with no leaks. Both buildings are commercial and are used regularly with no copper pipe issues. Lol Now the galvanized and iron drain lines are another story.
@@rogerjustice8835 pin hole in copper starting to happened after 10 years nowadays. Maybe they used better copper material without adding unnecessary stuff that created pin hole. I believed in pex tubing, haven't heard tor have any bad experience with them
I'm not a plumber, but do small remodels. Had my guy tee off of some existing plumbing for a new faucet. He picked up sharkbite fittings. I prefer crimp for price and peace of mind, but sharkbite is code and I've seen the tests people have done testing them so I approved it rather than send him back to get crimps. He used the depth gauge mark and everything. Very meticulous fellow. We repressurized the system an hour before we left while we cleaned to make sure everything was on the up and up. Got a call from the client 10pm that night that her 4th story apartment was flooding (she was also out of town). Long story short, one of the ¾" Sharkbite tees we installed failed and flooded her apartment and the 2 underneath her as well as 2 restaurants on the main floor... What followed was a week of pure hell. We confirmed that the SharkBite teeth were faulty. I'm not a doom gloom naysayer, SharkBite works ninety-nine percent of the time I'm sure. And I'm sure that crimped fitting sometimes fail. But personally I don't think I could ever go back to using a SharkBite fitting that's not a very temporary solution or in a place that's very easily accessible.
You can DIY anything. Push fit fittings have only been around for a few decades, compared with other methods which have been tried and true a lot longer.
@@ChevalierdeJohnstone something being newer doesn't mean it's bad or faulty. PEX has been used in the east coast of the USA for over 50 years and longer in Europe. But people like you in the west coast where it's "new" make up a million reasons why it's bad. Wife's tales and biased ignorant opinions is all they offer as proof that it's bad. Threaded metal pipe is superior, but hard to work with. So copper took over. But soldering requires flux, which degrades and ruins the copper. Causing pin hole leaks. Especially in fittings where the bent pipe wall os thinner and getting the most energy from moving water. Sharkbite style fittings are legal in the universal plumbing code, and in Europe. They are legal for new, remodel, and repair work. Explain why they are code compliant if they don't work I'll wait.
Shark bites are great for quick temporary repairs, great for long term repairs that are easily accessible. But for everything else there’s better longer lasting solitions
For some weird reason they're was a pipe in my basement connected with an elbow to another piece that was capped. Elbow cracked and i used a sharkbite to cap it off. Been working just fine these past 4 years.
I remember when plumbers hated extra length T-shirts.
uh they still do #plumberscrack
Every good plumber had some crack on the job.
🤣🤣🤣
😭😭
@@coppersworld2054 hold up😂
When a plumber replaced three faucets and charged me $600, I came to love sharkbites.
How much piping did they have to redo for those 3 faucets? Because $600 sounds like a very reasonable price if any re-piping was involved
@@TN_vigilanceReplaced 2 washer supply valves and one external hose bib. One hour's work total.
@@xbubblehead well you didn’t hire a plumber my man you hired a con artist
That’s not a bad price.
@@xbubbleheadIt's not about the one hour...it's about the 20,000 hours of work that preceeded your job to do it in one hour.
Just imagine if your job didn't pay you based on experience 😂
I remember plumbers complaining about everything about the job. They still do
They definitely do a lot of complaining.
Not that it's unwarranted, I wouldn't like pulling wads of mildew, hair and used wet toilet paper out of clogged pipes either 😂
They need to know two things . Payday is every two weeks and shit runs downhill.
because of all the shit
I think you are mistaking us for eletricians, we are the ones that signed up to deal with all the heavy and nasty stuff.
I'm just starting my 1st year apprentice. I'm not a complainer. I've some plumbing already. It's the job I want to do for a lifelong career
Been a plumber for 8 years. Sharkbites really aren't all that bad. They have their place
I can't stand them, albeit my experience is with the tiny ones on my 3d printer, no less they're still a massive headache imo
@@Coastal_Cruzer cool story
@@Coastal_Cruzerwhy/how are you using sharkbites on your printer?
@@TravisBrown42 Bowden tube setup
@@Coastal_Cruzer are you confusing PTF pneumatic fittings with Sharkbites? Sharkbit doesn't make 3d printer sized fittings or fittings smaller than .25 inch diameter. and if you are using 6mm filament in a Bowden I'd love to see your printer and the beefy motors pushing your plastic.
As a retired Plumber, I have no problem with a person using Sharkbite instead of calling a Plumber. I do, however, have a problem with a person using Sharkbite then calling himself a Plumber.
Typical gatekeeper comment online
I’m a plumber in Texas because I’ve used plenty of shark bites and I don’t need a license here
@@chefmike69 Gatekeeper? Sorry I had to look it up. If I was called to your house I would be obliged to tell you that your diet might be off. That you might want to wipe better. That you might be dehydrated. That you need to flush more often. That you need to put the lid down. Willing to bet there’s a toy soldier in there. And that your baby isn’t getting into the your chocolate stash. He’s trying to save his GI JOE. If nothing else, please put the lid down.
A homeowner can use a " sharkbite " and is the one plumbing their house.
However, that same homeowner can't comprehend the calculations necessary to to plumb a commercial building.
I thought that all you had to know as a plumber is that shit don't flow uphill.
Remember when plumbers hated moving from lead pipes to black pipe?..
Pepperidge Farms remembers.
Flint, Michigan remembers too…
@@paudan1284 how long did you work with lead pipe before the transition? 🤔
@@paudan1284 you were taught how to run lead pipe?… by whole and for what purpose?
@@paudan1284 it’s just funny you chose this hill 🤷🏽♂️.. it hasn’t been a thing since the 80’s but good to know trade schools are still teaching it.. but I digress.. plant your flag… you came with receipts.
Nice!
I've run waterlines at a hog farm with all sharkbite fittings. Those things were fantastic in the farrowing house and nursery. Lines are still going great and its been 10 years.
I have one on my air compressor… that’s 120 psi and it’s been on there for years. I put it on for a quick fix one day and left it just to see if it would last long term… it’s flawless
My air lines are 150. Pex with sharkbites throughout the shop.
Did...did you just open up a world of air hose potential in my shop?!
Plumbers hate him
@benjurqunov god i love pex lol
Copper is better quality but nothing beats pex for speed and absolute 0 worry about leaks...been using pex for over 20y and ive never had one fitting leak
I have definitely turned the water on having missed crimping a ring lol
It would be a bitch if the sharkbite fitting came loose and all that air spilled out all over the floor.
plumbers hate them because they steal your work makes sense
As a plumber I don’t hate SharkBite, however I acknowledge they are a good temporary fitting. They are prone to blow out due to air shock and during freezing temperatures more than traditional fittings.
Also, if you’re a plumber and you’re worried about getting work from failed SharkBites it means that you have no work and are in serious trouble.
Small plumbing company owners with only two trucks while working 5 days a week can easy make make 600k a year.
Sharkbite makes no difference to plumbers. We just don’t like them as professionals.
No just adds a ton of headaches.
don't like them because the only thing sealing the fitting is a rubber o ring and eventually that one ring will dry out and the fitting will leak. and if the sharkbite is behind dry wall. you will have a major problem
No cause shark bites fail over time.
Wrong. It's a temp fix. Just do it correctly the first time
I remember when plumbers hated when PVC came out
How old are you?
@@RossLemon lmaoo
I'd still rather have pvc than shark bites. And cause I know it's gunna come up my house is all copper. With the only plastic being from floor or wall to the fixtures.
@@roadmonkeytj you can use shark bite fittings with PVC and copper lol
@@matthewartiles3179 I could but I won't. I've had too many of them leak doing repairs for people.
Plumbers hate sharkbite because they can't scam homeowners as easily now
For real.
I install shark bite just about daily.
It is by far the fastest easiest fix when you have 500 apartments to maintain
Total crap they don’t last in harsh environment like other methods…. They have a place yes most common place is temporary fixes not for long term use…..
@@jeremyjayne8341 my father in law installed a 2 inch sharkbite fitting where some pvc had cracked. It’s still going strong almost 10 years later, been in the sun for all 10.
@@jeremyjayne8341😂😂 harsh weather ? where the hell are u doin plumbing bro? i do all my plumbing inside unless its an antifree hose lol. 12 years in not 1 call back! i got sb in every closed wall 😂😂. give ot a try stop listening to your dad
@@billwoodward7013 poconos PA I’ve also been stationed in fort drum…. The place that Alaska military post sends to cold weather train…. Fml 🤦 terrible place that said mostly run down apartments just really crappy environment in general will work on them… not sure where your plumbing at😅 but definitely have seen these fail a lot.
My brother lives with me and is a plumber. When he replaced our kitchen sink, he used shark bite fittings. There's nothing wrong with them. Plumbers who say they don't like them are only doing so because it makes it way easier for the homeowner to do their own work thus losing the plumbers the money they'd have gotten for doing the job.
I love DIY home owners, especially when I get called in by their wives to put it right.
As long as the home has a good pressure regulator and the water heater hasn't expansion tank I have no issues with people using shark bites. Hell, I have a few in my truck for those hard to reach repairs.
I think that's the joke.
Experienced plumber here. I love Sharkbites. Awesome for quick and temporary use. Also great when interior exposed or accessible plumbing. I would never leave one inside a wall though.
Can you drop your location so I can ensure I'm at zero risk of hiring you? Thanks.
@@siccoblue2112 says the the person who needs to hire someone to do a job for them. Lol you're a dumb person obviously. I know the kind. I always come across people who think they know, and understand more than they actually do.
They are great for situations when the customer magically wasn't ready for you to cut water off when you cut the pipe lose. I keep a couple sharkbite caps just for it.
@@siccoblue2112 Do you have experience in the field, or are you taking the video's word over the comment's? I've done remodel work, and we use shark bites to temporarily block the water line for sinks until we put a new one in. They're quick and easy, and avoid a headache.
The only thing wrong with shark bites is user error (aka long term use).
Your 3rd sentence is what people don't understand and will read right over it. Temp fix, not permanent fix
As a home owner I can do shark bite in a pinch, but if you are a licensed pro and I’m paying for your expertise, you better not leave a shark bite in my house.
Best comment ever.
I bought a crimper off Amazon for $18. HomeDepot sells them for $50+. Sharkbite is pretty trash
I don’t understand? Wouldn’t you prefer a shark bite over someone’s soldering job which has potential to fail no matter how good they are? Plus - soldering seems like such an outdated and dangerous method
@@Pancho8091 there pro press fittings now instead of soldering copper press if
@@Pancho8091I recently had one of my joints fail due to the solder I'm assuming. Never had a leak in idk how many too
We had an extremely cold winter this year. Had three black pipes freeze and break in the well house and the shark bites in the same area are still fine.
Sure they are
They must be in a "bind" keeping them or the pipes from separating.
Ice swelling pushes the pipe out of the sharkbite connectors. It's a slower way of removal so to speak.
I've seen at least a dozen pushed out from freeze, it even leaves claw marks on the pipe, ice wins every time.
I solder/glue for anything behind a wall/floor, shark bite for anything in front. I have found this to be the best combination for long-term stability where you need to trust it, and easily replaceable for fittings that change every few years.
I remember when plumbers hated when residential indoor plumbing came out. 😂
We found the centennial.
I remember when plumbers hated when water came out
I love the part where he explained why they don't like sharkbites
Anybody who knows anything about them can likely tell you why. I'm not gonna. But I'm sure someone can
See the problem with sharkbites is and i'm gonna explain this in a way to not be too detailed. I also want it detailed enough for plumbers to get it as well, but not be too off putting or controvertial. I also don't want it to come off as bias in any way
There are the general well know problems with SharkBites. But I don't mention those to overshadow the many smaller specific problems.
It takes business out of their pocket. Can't charge if people do it themselves.
He’s got me sweeping the comments to find out why.
With Shark-Bite everyone can be a plumber; even an electrician.
Screw you.
Maybe the top 5% of Electricians.
They don't make aharbite fittings for cast iron so your wrong
…maybe try duct tape.
.... Bro the reason we dont plumb is dont wat that sewege on us. Watterligns thats some ez sht
Plumbers hate them but use them every chance they get!
No one would use a shark bite on something that would be inspected, I wouldn't use one ever
No we don’t. I have used two in 30 years as a temporary solution.
No, they really don't. You don't know what you don't know- talking out your ass, again.....
@@gnosticreverend6354shark bites are approved in my area sooooo…… there’s that.
@@gnosticreverend6354I know for a fact shark bites pass code in my jurisdiction even in enclosed spaces but my use is limited to exposed emergency repairs till the turd herder can make it out.
Never had a sharkbite fail in 14 years.
The only failure I have had are on installation when a fitting was bad from the beginning. When the pipe was cleaned and there was a good sharkbite fitting, everything went smooth
They have a guarantee of 10 years with leak and sharkbites don't say they are for temporary fixes only....
Same re plumbed my moms house in 2010 and they are still holding strong
Only issues are when installers forget that the stiffeners inside the shark bite have to be removed if connecting pex into copper or pvc. I’ve seen these leaks happen a handful of times because of bad practice.
Had the pipe fail when a mouse chewed through, no issues otherwise in 13 years.
Also with chrome plated copper make sure you sand off the chrome !
I do apartment maintenance, and let me tell you sharkbites are a life saver. Just imagine you get a callout at 3am on a Friday. You can slap the line back together with a sharkbite and deal with it on Monday. I love these things for quick repairs.
This is the way
If you do enough to justify it, ProPress has all the advantages of sharkbites without the disadvantages.
The big disadvantage is cost though.
Sounds convenient.. But why are you making two visits instead of getting it done the first time? A proper repair takes the same amount of time to complete whether you do it on Friday or Monday. You pretty much wasted time.
@@Sara-L The plumbing issues are not the plumbers problem. There the owners problem. And plumbers are just offering a service to owners that don't know how to fix the issue or don't want to do the work themselves.
So when you call they say we can squeeze you in to patch it Friday but we don't work weekends so we can have someone back on Monday to replace the pipe but the patch won't leak.
I as a owner have had to replace drywall to finish the repair. It's not just about the pipe but what may have to be removed and replaced to get to the pipe.
@Sara Llewellyn many reasons. One is I work on site maintenance with a work week of 8-430 m-f. Overtime is an emergency only. A leak could have soaked drywall and studs, and it needs to dry out before patching to avoid molding. I also might need to cut out and replace far more pipe then just the failed section given our apartments are over 40 years old and if you get let's say a pinhole leak I bet the section of pipe it's in is completely shot and needs replaced. I also can only keep a small amount of supplies in stock in the shop due to company policy. Thus, I might need to run to the store to get things for a proper repair. Every repair is different, and you can't apply the same logic to all of them. Let's say I get a leaky stop valve but don't have a replacement in stock , well I do have two sharkbite type stop valves in my tool box that I can use to get the tenets only toilet back to functional over a weekend till I can get to the supply store. Then factor in that if a do go full ham at 3am on some sort of repair and I'm there till let's say 6am working on it on a Tuesday well now I got to just hang around until my shift starts at 8am as i live a good ways from work and now I'm working on little to no sleep. I've also had a situation where I had a 1inch main blow I fixed with sharkbites till the supply store could get the fittings I needed in-stock as they were out till the next shipment a few days later.
So yea, there are a ton more reasons why I might not have the time or be able to do a full repair at one time.
Fun fact: any time a tradesman hates something, it’s usually because it devalues their work by making it so easy a home owner can do it.
Same reason plumbers complain about propress
Bingo!
“We don’t like shark bites because now we can’t charge exorbitant fees for basic plumbing jobs thanks to technological innovation.” Fixed it for you.
Someone doesn’t know what they’re talking about🤣
@@bradnuts1236 That would most likely be you.
I would still charge you the same amount. Lol it really doesn't matter what kind of parts I use.
@@CivilizedAnimal2022you would charge more and leave the house needed a cleaning crew and new wall to wall carpet. Happened to me. I solder fittings together and cut copper pipe. Home Depot rents power drain snakes.
You should see what they’re charging to snake pex all over your local buildings/houses because they can’t install copper. Or what electrical contractors are charging to run MC cabling, making electrical closets look like they’re filled with spaghetti, because they can’t bend and install conduit.
I remember when plumbers just hated Drywaller’s like the rest of us
Plumber that does new construction here.. still fucken hate Drywallers. That cover your cleanout.
Now it's electricians
us tile people love you plumbers. especially when you've already plumbed the valve and drop ears. I hate plumbing. We also hate drywall guys. Worse than electricians
@Tekagi No need for a box. Drywallers are supposed to leave a square hole for a spring-loaded pop-in cover.
Well i can assure you, us Drywallers appreciate every Plumbers inability to cleanly open walls up.... 🤑🤑
As a plumber, I love shark bites, working on quest lines, and cpvc. Especially when you don’t want to burn someone’s house down
What? How? How in the hell are you going to burn their house down while working on cpvc or quest?! You aren't supposed to melt the damn pipe together, bro!
As a plumber for over 16 years. I can honestly say that sharkbite has a place in every home
Ive been doing maintenance on manufactured homes for about 8 years now and i could not disagree more i love them cuz if i dont use them id have to replumb a whole trailer just to fix a small leak
Legal issues? I ask because I worked for a guy that did handyman services and we had to replace all the pipes in a house because no one was certified and we couldn't just fix the leak but redoing the entire house was allowed this was about 10y ago.
Plumber here: sharkbites are absolutely fantastic when used in the right situations, unfortunately people try to overuse them for what they’re meant for, which is temporary/quick fixes. You shouldn’t use a sharkbite if the fitting will be behind a wall or if it’s going to be in place for years. The gaskets in them just don’t hold up to sustained high use.
That said, I carry at least 2 of each size sharkbite cap on my van at all times to get me out of jams, then when I have time go back to solder/press in a fitting
As an engineer, I understand the calculation side of plumbing to a certain extent, but I also know when experience trumps technical knowledge. Sure I can probably fix something, but I'm not going to risk that with my house when I can have someone with experience come out and do it right. That said, I do keep a few shark bite caps on hand at the recommendation of my local plumber. Great for allowing me to close off a line and use my water if a faucet line starts to leak.
Homeowner here: if I saw a plumber using that type of fitting on anything other than the plastic laundry sink in the basement I’d be piiiisssed
@@razgrizbird4562 the guy above did specifically say that he only uses them when he can fix it now and come back to the house to fix it more later.
@@n0oo7 I know. That was my long winded way of agreeing with him.
This comment is horseshit. Sharkbite themselves warrants all connectors for 25 years. You just sound mad that your job is made easy
Great for quick, exposed repairs, but don't bury them in a wall.
We used something similar in the RV industry, called a flair-it PEX fitting. Biggest difference was that they had a flared tip that goes into the hose and a threaded compression ring that threads tight back onto the fitting to press the tubing tight. They make them out of nylon because they actually prefer the fittings fail if the lines freeze in the winter, most fittings were easily accessible relatively speaking and they’re much cheaper than a faucet or PEX line to replace! They are also slightly flexible and don’t crack from vibrations so they are much better for traveling in an rv than brass fittings and pipes! Brass has a tendency to become loose and leaky on RV’s…
as a plumber i love sharkbites and have never came across an issue with one. it’s just perfect.
As someone who has to work on his own house I indeed like shark bite. It's not on everything I have but in areas where I will for sure have to consistently mess with it makes it so much better
You should not have to consistently mess with plumbing.
@@YouWinWhenYouWalkAway well
Shark bites are not that bad really. The main causes of failure is that people do not deburr and seat that connection. Or they get the smallest damage to the o-ring. These will then fail randomly and unpredictably over time. The next is that they use off brand copies to save 2-3 dollars per fitting. Finally putting them in a strange circumstance like under stress, or subject to vibration/movement.
So basically installed by someone with experience and knowledge of what they are doing (e.g. a professional) they are great fittings. The issue is they made it appear like anyone can install them. I am not a professional but I have done a decent amount of copper and per work, and I have used them in very cramped access situations to great success (but most of the time I would use a expansion fitting).
What kind of expansion fitting do you use on copper? Is there a name brand?
You’re not wrong tho. Big rig mechanics use fittings that work with the same principal on compressed air lines (80-120 psi typically or 2-4 time more pressure than a standard water line) all the time and never have issues with them unless they were installed wrong.
@@jaythatguyyouknow5135 exactly what I was going to say, now the plastic ones go out after like 2 years but the brass ones are amazing, never had to replace a brass one
@@jaythatguyyouknow5135heck even our shop alignment lift runs off of press fit fitting, granted it's only 120 psi of shop air, and they still hold good and don't leak down
@@joshualyons1461 Haven't had an issue with the plastic uponor fittings yet. Where are you getting your fittings? And did you source the fittings during the pandemic? Pex and all plastic plumbing material just went way the fuck down in quality during the pandemic.
I have been a plumber for 19 years in northeast Florida. Shark Bites work just fine as long as there are no burs on the end of the pipe. Also, if it's pex or polybutylene pipe that you're connecting the shark bite back onto, then you have to leave the plastic inserts, with cpvc or copper make sure to remove the plastic inserts. Another trick is to use sand paper on the pipe as well rather it be cpvc, or copper. Lastly you have to grease the o-rings and the bam! Good to go! If you have leaks on shark bite fittings, it's mainly because you suck! 😂
I would research your recommendation on sanding the pipe when using Sharkbites. Cleaned, yes. Sanding, no. The o ring relies on a smooth surface to seal correctly.
Op knows how to get his comment section flowing. As a plumber who has installed hundreds if not a thousand sharkbites I have never had a call back on one. I do live in the south so we dont face the extreme cold and that seems to play into the gripes.
I'm a general contractor who does numerous trades. These fittings have their place. In my 20+ yrs of experience, the ones who whine about these products are usually union plumbers.
My father is a master plumber/pipefitter for the union. He has no quarrel with these. I think those dudes are just scared of not having to work as hard 😂
@@slmdnkasr Minimal time difference. Fitting cost a lot more and the o-ring fails over time. I am scared of call backs. Never under estimate the home owners ability to find a way to break something.
@@BentonL fair enough, my dad doesn’t usually use them unless it’s on a house that already has them but I didn’t hear him complain about it.
@@slmdnkasr yep, the same guys who refuse to invest in ProPress.
The private guys getting paid by the job who are also on the hook for callbacks? They’ve all got ProPress for a reason.
Bz they don’t want to work harder knowing other people can now do their job
I have shark bites in my house that are more than 10 years old. Still holding strong. I would not use them in high pressure situations but they've done great in my home.
Yeah I install water heaters and sometimes you need shark bites for the shitty setups people have. Never had an issue with them and never heard of anyone at my work having an issue with them.
That’s funny. I used shark bite on my tankless water heater and the gas valve went bad making it continuously run. After a minute or so it heated the water inlet line so hot the 3/4 line swelled to the size of a softball. The shark bite fitting held like a champ and blew an older pvc line lol I was amazed
i have used shark bites for running air compressor lines around my shop. they hold 130psi…never leaked
I don’t care what plumbers like or dislike lol. I’m using shark bikes to save time. The most valuable asset
I use those Shark Bite connectors that you have to crimp on with the ring and special ratchet pliers. They seem to hold up really good.
Those are the standard connectors, not Shark bite. Those are good and will last much longer than Sharkbite. Sharkbite can wiggle off on lines to washers, dishwashers, etc.
I had a plumber do a lot of work on my mother's house. He said the only reason he hated shark bites was they leak after a few years. If you put one inside a wall. You are looking at huge amounts of damage to the property.
Exactly, it's a compression fitting. Weather changes, humidity changes, barometric pressure changes. That effects your home significantly. Pay to have it done right or not at all. Don't skimp
I put 2 sharkbites from copper behind a wall for the shower I hope it lasts for atleast 5 years
I'm not sure i believe the plumbers story. I did a house remodel(my own house) and used well over 30- not once failed in 13 years
"They leak after a few years" except they don't.
That's not a true statement though they don't leak.... Like at all.... Never seen it. I'm a plumbing contractor in FL.
I love the shark bites on new construction were you need to cap a pipe. We use them everywhere and then take them back off when were ready to do finish plumbing.
I'm a carpenter. Had to get 20 stitches in my leg from a folded copper pipe stubout in a bar wall. Wish they had them back then.
Yup. Absolutely!
Best use of them right here temporary usage
I'm a master plumber & own my own company in Florida. I don't use sharkbite fitting very often but I have full confidence in them. I have never personally seen one ever fail before. They are pretty amazing products. Whenever I have had to use them they are great and have helped tremendously in certain situations.
Been a plumber for 15 years. Love me a 3/4” X FIP for a HWT connection. When I come back in 10 years to replace it. No messing around.
I’ve been a general contractor for years now and I absolutely love shark bites lmao, they’re a life saver
For real. I've done this work for over a decade. I've seen every connection possible fail. This is nothing but people refusing to accept new technology.
Also - (homeowner here) LOVE my sharkbite home plumbing fixes - Going on 9 years now, not a single drop of leaks. THANKS SHARKBITE!
Can you use it for the hot water connection for the heating system covered inside the ceiling
@@issaissa251 yes. Most push to fit connections are rated around 200°F and approximately 200 psi.
@Issa Issa don't use them. Garbage. If you can get a push connect on, you can get a crimp or solder fitting on. Better , stronger , dependable and long term.
@@jordanharvey2163 you don't know what you are talking about. Push to fit fittings are rated for longer than soldering. The flux we use to solder eats away at the copper. You can clean the outside of the pipe, but not the inside. Copper elbow fittings are usually bent into shape from pipe, not molded or built that way. Since copper is only semi malleable, it leaves a weaker wall at the bend. Which is usually where pin hole leaks occur.
Brass push to fit & press fittings use the same o-rings. But brass push to fit has stronger thicker walls. Eliminating the weak wall problem of copper.
Push to fit and press fittings are priced similarly. Often cheaper than press, and no $3k tool required.
@Allan Alcibar copper nor pex require a 3k tool kid. You failed school or life. A crimp tool is 50$ at the most , copper solder kit can be under 200$. Copper is 10x stronger than brass. Brass can be bent by hand without any tools , so can copper , but copper has a higher pressure rating. Brass is a literal soft metal , that's why they use it for refinery tools ( no spark) , a push to connect fitting isn't even close to a permanent fixed connection. A solder joint won't slip off from movement or pressure , they have been a proven method for years. Clearly you don't have the slightest idea about pex nor copper nor plumbing for that matter. Copper and pex are what real plumbers use , please stop spreading lies to make your diy life feel better and more useful. It's not working kid.
I'm a forensic engineer and investigate plumbing failures. I suspected one of these failing once. So I tested an exemplar. I only engaged the fitting 1/8 of an inch. You could not pull these apart even with that little of engagement. Not saying they are the end all be all but they work. Just make sure installed to manufacturer instructions and your golden.
Its a great plumbing tool, like press fit, pex, copper, sweating, compression all have a time and place they should be used
As a plumber. I can guarantee that we do NOT hate sharkebite. But we only use it when we have to. But I do love their caps. I test my water lines at 100 psi and I've never had a cap blow off. Also I've seen some shake bites when opening walls and they had no problems. It's the future of plumbing, really.
I've been using them for over 15 years and have never had one fail. As lonf as you follow directions and prep the pipe properly they work just fine. But you have to get all the burs offand coat the rings with water and polish.up the outside of the pipe then put it together and make sure your pipes are fully seated into the sharkbite.
Gotta love a guy who will speak for everyone and it turns out not many actually share his opinion lmfao
Sharkbites are trash and leak.
I agree though. And I'm almost a journeyman.
Licensed plumber here. If you have to use a sharkbite to make a fix while on a budget, do it. Just make sure you follow the steps. Then, once you have the money, pay a plumber to properly fix your plumbing problems
I just installed a hose faucet on my house with shark bites. love em. when I replaced my bladder tank I did the good old fashioned soldering. more of a permanent thing. I've got shark bites on everything that may need to be replaced at some point to make it easier on me. I got the better quick release tool than that one though. 4 years and no leaks from the oldest sharkbite in my house.
I work at a mega resort in Vegas and we have used shark bites all throughout the hotel for years. I've never found one leaking, they work great.
Is it the RIO that place is full of them.
UA525
@@jessecoulter3476 nope lol
Resorts World
My plumber told me shark bites are OK just don't bury him in a hard to reach place if they have a failure
If you bury your plumber? You're probably going to jail! 🤣
So with that logic don't burry anything hard to get too
@@spiccolirocks3580 hahaha yeah I see how I made that typo now... Im not gonna change it lol.
@@tjr_4469 according to my plumber friend, sharkbites have a higher potential at failing than a solder joint or others. Ya gotta bury some connections or all your pipes will be exposed, which is an option I guess.
@@spiccolirocks3580 unless no one can find the plumber, in that case you'll be fine.
used these in probably a dozen properties over the years... zero problems. Plumbers hate them because general plumbing is really not that hard and the more people realize that the less they can overcharge.
I used Shark Bite in three places of my house. I installed them myself by following their instruction to a tee. I like it so far. It has been about 2 years. No leak. No problems. The key is follow all the steps. Don't bypass any of the proper steps.
Plumbers hate them because home owners can now do your job at a fraction of the price. I was a union plumber and years later leanred about sharkbite and I have not stopped using them. i have never used copper since.
Sweating pipe is not rocket science any old dummy can do it.
@@user-lb8do4ew6k Yeah tell that to people who burn the pipes, have leaks afterwards. Copper pipe has major flaws that many people will not tell you. First off if it freezes those copper pipes are done for. Pex and sharkbite can take the cold and can even be bent at colder than -40F. Pex is way better than copper in so many ways. You show me a house that can freeze and thaw for the last decade and not have a single leak. I know a aummer home that installed pex and shark bite fittings in it over 10 years ago and the owners forgot to drain the new system after they left for the summer and with no heat the pipes froze and yes it froze because there was ice in the toilet. They were lucky that the toilet did not crack. Yet ever since then when they leave they just pour in some rv antifreeze in to each sink, shower, toilet and that is all they have done. Not once has it ever leaked.
@@kameljoe21 They are less vulnerable to freezing however they are not immune, Especially the isolators, It was -3C this morning and my first job at 5:30am was replacing a PEX that had bust overnight, So much fun especially when the controls on the cherry picker were covered in ice. Brrr.
There's the problem right there you're a union plumber. You just do what the little engineer tells you to do
@@dogwalker666 I am not sure what you are talking about in terms of the isolators? Maybe describe what part you replaced and where it was?
As a homeowner I hate them because the previous owners put them everywhere and they've been failing on me.
I'd like to wager the previous person didn't ream the pipe ends right or at all, messing up the o-ring. That's the most crucial part of a shark bite and yet I don't hear people talk about it much.
They're not for long term use obviously. Good thing to call out during inspection.
I've never seen one fail that's been installed properly.
@@SteedDigital1I definitely agree with you 100 percent!!!
He probably did not cut the pipe clean and or push pipe into fitting all the way. Some people even mix the pipes up with the wrong brand of fitting/wrong inserts.
I have an old unheated warehouse with 18' high ceilings and windows all around, so it gets very cold during the winter months in Detroit. We use heat tape to keep the pipes from freezing, but we still have problems at times (i.e. power outages, etc.) Whenever a water pipe bursts from freezing temperatures, I have to stand on an extension ladder, or even worse, on a pallet lifted by a forklift if the leak is in a spot where i cannot lean the ladder. It's dangerous to work with a torch while trying to maintain your balance standing on a ladder with no hands (because you need both hands to sweat pipes). Paying for a plumber is of the question. It would cost thousands of dollars. I discovered Shark Bites about 20 years ago, and have used them with great success. I've never had a leak with a Shark Bite!
The reason plumbers HATE shark bites isn't that they don't work.... It's that even a little dirt gets into that spacing(exterior part) the thing becomes so damn difficult to remove, they just take so much more time and muscle to remove. Unless you cut it.
Also they have a habit of blowing apart even when at the right depth.
I've never met a plumber who didn't have anything but good thing to say about shark bites...
plumbers... or handymen?
I swear that is the same thing we use on air line repairs for diesel trucks.
And we have a love-hate relationship. 😂
It is lol works too
I always keep shark bites on my van, they are a life saver when you really need them
My dad called roto-rooter and they sent 2 plumbers to fix a pinhole leak in a copper pipe. They used a shark bite coupler, idk if they didn’t seat it all the way or what, but 2 hours after they left the thing slipped off and caused a flood on our first floor caused 15k$ of water damage.
It not a shark bite failure, it plumber failure X2... Make them pay for the damages...
@@Realfrenchie our insurance paid, then they went after roto-rooter. Don’t know if our insurance was able to recoup or not.
First mistake was calling rotorooter. No where in their name does it say or suggest that they are plumbers…lol
Sharkbite fittings have their place but there are some issues with them. First is that if you don’t fully insert the pipe it will leak. That was a major issue with them when the first came out, many people didn’t seat the pipe all the way in and it leaked. After a few times of the system leaking people are quick to jump to “this shit is garbage” and move on. Install it correctly and it shouldn’t leak.
The next issue is rigidity. Had a plumber over to fix the city water main. He used Sharkbites for every connection he made, ended up using 4 of them. Whenever we used water the entire main would shake around. Last thing you want is for your pipes to be flapping around. For starters banging pipes suck, but on top of that I’m sure the repeated flexing could lead to wear on the fittings and cause them to fail.
For temporary fixes, quick repairs, adding an additional line or other simple things a Sharkbite is an amazing thing to have around. Easy to use and gets the job done. For more permanent repairs, long runs and/or where there will be multiple joints, you should solder it.
Press fittings and PEX are also options. I’ve heard people say they suck and others who can’t live without it… I have used some PEX and haven’t had any issues, but it’s also the new system on the market. How long it will last is still up in the air… but I feel like if you already have copper lines, try to stick with copper. If you have PEX, stick with PEX. Interchanging between them isn’t bad… but my OCD don’t like it lol.
Anyway… if you are a home owner and you want to repair things yourself… make sure you do your research and install things correctly. You could end up making a minor issue into a major accident. If you are ever uncomfortable, unfamiliar and/or don’t have the proper tools, call a professional. Plumbing, electrical and construction aren’t extremely difficult skills to learn… but when done wrong they are EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!!!
Homeowners love Sharkbites because they are easy to use as long as they are pushed in completely. Plumbers don't like them because they don't get money for that job...
They make it so we don’t have to call plumbers, or learn how to sweat pipes, or mess with appropriate glue types. Easily removable… shark bites are basically the pinnacle of plumbing tech 👏
They are great in an emergency call at 2:00am bam bam home again. Then go out as soon as you can change them out.. they have a place.
Sharkbite type fittings are permanent and not reusable. The fact they can be removed with a tool doesn't make them temporary.
@@djaa7 there temporary. What state felt bad for you and Gave you a card?
@@tigerbatman7881 if you're going to call people stupid, at least learn the English language first little buddy.
It's "they're" not "there." And yes, they are. Every manufacturer has in the instructions that they are not intended to be removed and reused. The universal plumbing code and every single US state approves their use for new, remodel, and repair plumbing (except for specific projects like high-rise buildings requirements that don't allow them because of pressure issues when pumps are used to get water passed the city supply level.)
If plumbing code allows them to be used in walls and underground, without access panels, they are permanent solutions.
You're arguing from sentiment, not facts. Otherwise, present a logical argument with some sort of point and evidence.
That's how we use them, only on an emergency on weekends at night then we go back out cut the fittings out and install couplings and any ball valves solder the joints up and bam done. We never keep shark bites permanently on customers houses. That's not professional in there eyes
@@fustratedfisher i leave them in. Any questions i get about them i answer. Push to fit fittings are allowed by code for permanent build & repair. They can go in walls, outdoors, and underground (wrapped).
They are rated and warrantied for 25 years. Copper is rated for 5-50 years, depending on many factors from copper type, to water conditions and installation.
They have their time and place. I wouldn't remodel nor build with them. But they are handy and reliable for many situations.
Right, we don't like em, we love em! Nothing like shark bite with stainless braided line, took me less than an hour to drain, remove an old unit and install, refit plumbing to the new hot water tank yesterday. That's an easy $200-300 in the field doing someone else's!!!
I've been in Water Utilities for over 20 years now. Shark bites are a great, reliable, proven product. I recommend them to any homeowner and have used them myself in my own home over the years.
Plumbers hate irrigation engineers too because they realized they weren’t the only ones that could lay pipe.
Hahahaha…irrigation engineers…hahahaha…no such thing
Plumbers love landscapers. We hate the irrigation.
I don't use them in places I can't get back to after a repair but I wouldn't say I hate them
They actually work great and they make them for high pressure broiler systems and they hold up perfectly for what they are intended for...
I wish they made sharkbites in truck sizes. They work good on air lines.
For years newer tractor trailers and straight trucks already come with quick connect air fittings. They're nice but after awhile love to leak air.
I'm a plumber and I both love and hate the shark bite.
Same haha there is definitely a time and place
What is the main reason?
They have there place. Good in a pinch
I would only think the problem with them is the price vs getting into using the welding method, is that correct??? I would like to give it a go, welding but do not really need to
my shop has a 175psi air system going 24/7 and our piping is all sharkbites. no leaks ever and if a pipe gets damaged its quick and easy to repair. just need to make sure install is done correctly
What type of piping are you using?
Exactly all Pneumatics is push fit has been for decades.
@@dogwalker666 No. Industrial systems are typically pipe threaded. It's more expensive but it's the most robust and durable.
@@jamescrud sorry but as I am literally an industrial maintenance engineer I can tell you pneumatics are all push fit, only the main distribution 50mm plus is malleable iron and threaded, I haven’t used copper for decades.
I used all galvanized for my shop. I used it from the compressor to each regulator/filter around the shop. I have no worries about punctures.
Not a milwaukee fan boy, but in hvac I prefer their inkzall marker over sharpie. It can get oily, dusty, wet, frozen solid and more. They still work! That being said, I have both marker types all over my tool bags and shop tables
Hey man, the new SharkBite Max fittings are awesome
As someone who once worked on the side of plumbing catastrophe (insurance)...we also hated those fittings.
As someone who has to do an entire re pipe because of these I agree. Every single fitting in this dude's house was a sharkbite.
Love using them when im doing a repiping job, just transition from the existing copper to pex
Exactly I don’t understand why all these mfs insist on making it hard on themselves when it does the same thing just faster
Never had a sharkbite fail. Technology is awesome. Beats paying arbitrary ridiculous prices for the same result.
As a homeowner I re did my whole house with PEX, I used shark bites to go from the copper to PEX whenever I had to pause a project, now everything is PEX with crimp rings to brass fittings, I love those shark bites but they seem sketchy when you think all that’s holding back 80psi or so of pressure is some teeth in plastic
Problem is homeowners don’t want to spend the extra ten bucks on the debuting tool and they end up cutting the o-ring in the fitting leaks, then they call the plumber to fix it.
This
100% this. I was bored and decided to test one of my water lines to a spare sink in our basement laundry room.. I did one that wasn’t debured with the tool and one that was.. the that wasn’t leaked in about a month or 2.. the other one… still going good, no leaks… 5yrs later
Deburring ? Your point is well taken. Often they just don't know the potential pitfall.
Nothing wrong with them if used correctly. Dont use on roll copper.
Why not? That shouldn't make any difference so long as you aren't getting refrigeration pipe sizes.
That would definitely be a mistake
@@court2379the roll copper is not perfectly round and will not remain so. It does not make a good solid seal compared to Ridgid copper pipe.
@@artimusmillet7795 Drive a mandrel into the end of it has been deformed then, though unless it has been bent sharply it shouldn't be all that distorted. I've never had trouble getting a sweat coupler on, so other fittings shouldn't be an issue.
Thanks for the answer though, even if I don't feel like it is a big concern, it is a valid problem if you aren't careful with the tube or where you cut it.
Had to change out our hot water heater called a local plumber. $700 labor. Bought 2 3/4 sharkbite to 3/4 female braided hose took an hr to replace the unit. Best $36 I have ever spent.
Also half informed DIY'ers don't like shark bite. When my dad did the plumbing in the house he built, he choose to use shark bite. That was about 28 years ago. A couple winters back he went south and I was house siting when I noticed a leak in the basement. Long story short I ended up replacing 20 or so shark bite fittings that had started to leak. The following winter same problem and that time I replace ALL the fittings I could reasonably get to. They last about 25 years. They are great for a temporary fix, but not for permanent plumbing
They might eventually leak but if it is an accessible area you could fix it 10 times before it costs the same as a plumber for an hour!
We have the same thing in heavy duty diesel for air lines. We hate them too. They are infamous for leaks that can be solved by using compression fittings instead.
You’re not using quality ptc fittings if you have that many leaks
@John phillips even if you use good ones, like from parker store they are quite prone to leaks. I was just saying that compression fittings don't have the same kind of problem, as long as you don't over tighten them they won't leak. When you have air leaks the first places I check is all of those fittings because they are prone to leaks, especially since oems don't use high quality ones. Idk it might just be a preference for compression fittings too.
As an electrician, I put Sharkbites in the same category as Wago connectors: Excellent for temporary (and "temporary") work, but has a chance to fail after several years.
I have one shark bite in my house. It’s a ball valve. The copper line it’s in is very secure and anchored down so it don’t move. It’s 5yrs old with no leaks so far 🤞🏻
I just use a clamp on my pex. The pliers are pretty reasonably priced and you will have them your life with homeowner use. I have countless friends that use mine and never really seen a failure.
I’ve never used the clamps I’ve always used the crimp rings for pex and for really tight spaces I’ll use the sharkbites. Are the clamps any easier to use than the crimp rings? All the plumbing I do is only repairs so there ends up being a lot of tight spaces some times
@@macadelic1360 The biggest advantages of the stainless clamps is that they are easier to crimp in tight spaces,they are easier to remove and the same tool is used for all sizes.
@@court2379 thanks, I might give them a try then
I’ve been a plumber now for over 15 years, all types of pipes and all types of techniques. I absolutely love shark bites. It cuts the time at the job by at least 1/3 meaning less time with the water shut off and more money in my pocket. And if it leaks in the future it’s not my problem, it’s your fault for not calling in a professional
Wait what??? You said you are a plumber but not a professional one?
Not a professional and also doesn't guarantee his work.
@@ipick4fun27 it was a shit post 😂 any one using a sharkbite for a permanent repair isn’t a real plumber.
Dude this the funniest comment I've read tonight 😂
Sharkbite fittings have their place. If people want to use them instead of getting a plumber involved; cool whatever it's your house, just know there is a reason almost every plumber distrusts them. (As a plumber, I've seen them fail several times)
I remember when plumbers didn't want sewers to have walls and just used dirt and they would seep through the dirt into the wells and poison the water supply and give everyone in 1854 London cholera.
Personally love my copper pipe, 61 years old and never a leak
Until your furnace stops working and you can use sharkbites on copper
You must be lucky and the water that you have but if you have low pH it'll eat it right up
One of the few
@John wa that's funny I also work building maintenance on 2 buildings. one was built in 1964 the other was built in 1960 both are original copper piped with no leaks. Both buildings are commercial and are used regularly with no copper pipe issues. Lol Now the galvanized and iron drain lines are another story.
@@rogerjustice8835 pin hole in copper starting to happened after 10 years nowadays. Maybe they used better copper material without adding unnecessary stuff that created pin hole. I believed in pex tubing, haven't heard tor have any bad experience with them
I'm not a plumber, but do small remodels. Had my guy tee off of some existing plumbing for a new faucet. He picked up sharkbite fittings. I prefer crimp for price and peace of mind, but sharkbite is code and I've seen the tests people have done testing them so I approved it rather than send him back to get crimps. He used the depth gauge mark and everything. Very meticulous fellow. We repressurized the system an hour before we left while we cleaned to make sure everything was on the up and up. Got a call from the client 10pm that night that her 4th story apartment was flooding (she was also out of town).
Long story short, one of the ¾" Sharkbite tees we installed failed and flooded her apartment and the 2 underneath her as well as 2 restaurants on the main floor... What followed was a week of pure hell. We confirmed that the SharkBite teeth were faulty. I'm not a doom gloom naysayer, SharkBite works ninety-nine percent of the time I'm sure. And I'm sure that crimped fitting sometimes fail. But personally I don't think I could ever go back to using a SharkBite fitting that's not a very temporary solution or in a place that's very easily accessible.
Lol, of course plumbers don't like DIY fixes 😄👏
Sharkbite isn't diy. It's a pro solution and i use them all the time.
You can DIY anything. Push fit fittings have only been around for a few decades, compared with other methods which have been tried and true a lot longer.
@@ChevalierdeJohnstone push to fit fittings were introduced in 1980 in Europe.
@@ChevalierdeJohnstone something being newer doesn't mean it's bad or faulty.
PEX has been used in the east coast of the USA for over 50 years and longer in Europe. But people like you in the west coast where it's "new" make up a million reasons why it's bad. Wife's tales and biased ignorant opinions is all they offer as proof that it's bad.
Threaded metal pipe is superior, but hard to work with. So copper took over. But soldering requires flux, which degrades and ruins the copper. Causing pin hole leaks. Especially in fittings where the bent pipe wall os thinner and getting the most energy from moving water.
Sharkbite style fittings are legal in the universal plumbing code, and in Europe. They are legal for new, remodel, and repair work. Explain why they are code compliant if they don't work
I'll wait.
Shark bites are great for quick temporary repairs, great for long term repairs that are easily accessible. But for everything else there’s better longer lasting solitions
For some weird reason they're was a pipe in my basement connected with an elbow to another piece that was capped. Elbow cracked and i used a sharkbite to cap it off. Been working just fine these past 4 years.