Should You Use Sharkbite Fittings | DIY Plumbing
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- Опубликовано: 3 май 2024
- Sharkbite 1/2" Cap - amzn.to/2U47gB0
Sharkbite fittings can be a great solution for DIY plumbing projects around the house. Like any other type of fitting you need to know how to properly install to ensure you don't run into any issues like leaks which can lead to water damage. This video will demonstrate proper installation, show you the internals and how a Sharkbite works, and then give you examples of where I use Sharkbite fitting at my own house.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:05 Sharkbite Fitting Internal Design
1:53 How To Install a Sharkbite Fitting
3:53 Type of Sharkbite Fittings and Valves
4:29 Pro and Cons of Sharkbite Fittings
7:39 Where I Use Sharkbites for DIY Plumbing
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You mentioned the caps but I'd actually recommend the ball valve for dealing with leaks - if you're trying to cap a gushing pipe, it's a lot easier to attach an open ball valve and then close it.
Pro tip! Good lookin out!
I just did this very thing about two months ago, I had to repair a waterline in a trailer park on an empty lot where the mowers had run over the spigot and cracked it, I grabbed a SB ball valve and a foot of copper tube for one side and slid the valve right onto the gushing pipe and then turned the valve off.
Same as with pvc open valve and push on fitting with glue, then turn off valve.
If all you have is a cap, you can turn on other faucets on the system to lower the pressure and then hopefully it's a little easier to jam on the cap.
Agree have done this a few times
For emergency shutoffs I prefer the shark-bite valves. Install them in the open position then close them when they are seated. You aren’t working against the water pressure, and you don’t tend to get as wet.
Two years ago I replaced a 12 year old water heater that was installed with Shark Bite fittings. No leaks and the new heater still has one of the original fittings on it, so 14 years so far.
Hey Dave great story yeah they're great water heaters yeah they're like nothing now you can adapt any which way you want to it's your call how you want to hook up
In 2022 the US had 41 confirmed shark bites so that is less than one per week.
I like the simplicity but ask any Space Shuttle owner about the reliability of O rings.
@@maxwellhouse750 huge difference between temperature deltas from earth atmosphere to outer orbit and space, compared to turning on and off residential cold/hot water...
@@maxwellhouse750 they love them. It's not rocket science.
I plumbed my entire house with Sharkbite including a sediment filter, softener and on demand water heater leading to a sink, bathroom faucet, toilet and shower as well as a washer- not a single issue. It’s how you install them. Like in every manufacturing process, you may get a defective one- it happens. But for the most part it’s user error that causes leaks.
When I needed to replace my water heater I went with Sharkbite fitting and I'm quite happy with them. Easily installed and no leaks about five years out.
Same here. I wouldn't use them inside a wall, but for a water heater in my basement or anything else where a potential leak won't damage anything they are great.
and the good news is the water heater will probably fail before the shark bite
Same here. I put mine in in 2019. So far so good.
I use them all the time never had an issue, knock on wood… I’ve seen copper pipe burst and soldered fittings blown apart and the shark bites in the same line were still perfect
I've used Sharkbite fittings for years, and have never experienced a single leak. Great products, and I'll continue to use them.
I started to use Sharkbites a little over ten years ago to do a few add on piping to tee branch another pipeline and never had an issue. All the piping is exposed in the basement so it’s easy to repair. All I can say is so far so good.
Thank you for great info. The only times I've had Sharkbite fail has been due to my own error, not squaring the intro pipe enough or deburring it properly. Thank you for explaining the use of the Sharkbite deburring and depth gauge. It'll save me from making future errors. Your videos rock!
I had to replace a PEX crimp fitting and went with the SharkBite tee... 3/4-3/4-1/2 and was able to get it fixed in about 5 minutes... I absolutely love this system... so easy to use and very reliable!
I see a LOT of skoolie people using sharkbite for their conversions. I haven't personally used them, because I didn't know how they worked or what the advantages or disadvantages were compared to normal PVC or copper etc.
Your demonstration about how it works was REALLY good. I loved the cut in half view.
Now that i understand it a bit more, i might go and experiment. I think i would have pushed the pipe only until it was sitting right in front of that o-ring, and thus it likely would have leaked for me.
Sadly, my skoolie is no more, it threw a rod and I had to scrap it, so the places where i can use a sharkbite right now are VERY limited, but it's cool that i have more knowledge about it now.
Very informative. I really liked the cut away of the shark bite, that way you can understand what's going on and have a better chance of not having any leaks. Online there's so much information about whether to use and not to user shake bite, but this made me feel more confident to use it
I used combination of Sharkbite and Waterline "Push and Connect" fittings and ball-valves (3/4" or 1/2") in my house (both hot and cold lines) where they are visible for observations. Both brands are user friendly and easy to use. The only time they leaked on the couplings were the misalignment between the 2 rigid copper pipes. The leaks were corrected by using the pipe holder clips to align and fasten the 2 pipes properly behind a piece of wood.
I’m not a professional plumber, just been a home owner for the last 5 or so years. I’m 26 so even after doing my own basic home repairs as a home owner I have not problem admitting “I don’t have the whiskers” of say someone who’s a diyer in their home that’s older and has owned a home longer, but my precious house I had two pin hole leaks in my copper pipe and I used shark bites and years after no issue. On my second house now I recently had to replace my washing machine shut offs and installed a laundry sink all using shark bites and I’ve had no issue. I wouldn’t use them behind a wall but in plain sight they haven’t let me down so far.
I love those shark bites. I used them to connect my water softener in the garage on my new home build that was pre plumbed with Pex. Easy and fast, however yes I would only recommend using them on the exterior or places that easily accessible and not behind walls. Time will tell as to their durability.
Both of the biggest pros are mentioned in the video. I've actually used a sharkbite ball valve on a pipe in full flow. The next pro is that they can be used to cap pipes. If a connection hasn't been finished and the water needs to be turned back on for whatever reason, the sharkbite caps are great. They can be removed without having to cut the pipe off, or heat up the fitting to remove it or whatever.
And as for seeing them fail... not often. I had a guy call me once and say that he'd tried to put a sharkbite angle stop on for a new toilet but he couldn't get it to stop leaking. He told me that he never should have used the sharkbites and how he knew they were terrible. I turned the water off in the house. Used the bathroom faucet to bleed out the pressure and then pushed the fitting all the way onto the pipe. Problem solved.
Thanks for the feedback. They can be a bit hard to get on especially if there is any pressure so I could see that being a very common mistake where the pipe is basically just butted up again the o-ring as opposed to the o-ring actually being positioned around the pipe.
C'est la vie.
Push to connect, and I mean 🦈 because none of the other PTC offerings have any traceable warranty whatsoever and even the PTC connections for washing machine and ice maker outlets don't have any associated warranty information save 🦈, has a bad rap from everyone being told to just buy this more expensive fitting designed for DIY and stick it on the end all fire-and-forget.
Consumers are practically told that competency is not a requirement for these fittings and that it is a small price to pay to avoid a plumber and associated fees / know-how.
🦈 has now invested some time/money into awareness and tutorials to try to recover from the damage that Western big box of stores did to their brand by having consumers ruin the reputation of what would have otherwise been a decent industry tool, an exception to _"the way"_ just not the standard.
Like caustic soda (drain cleaner), 🦈 is far more dangerous to the consumer than it will ever be to *"plumbing"* in general.
I learned. I installed a cap to stop a leak and it was still leaking. I didn’t have time to think too much about it so I ran to Home Depot before they closed to buy another cap. I thought the cap had failed after I got back I noticed I had not pushed it all the way in.
-problem solved; I have an extra cap. And when I go back to fix it I will have more extra caps.
I've used them on a number of plumbing repair jobs over the years and yeah they are holding up well
I have used these a LOT.
They are great for connecting 2 different types of pipe easily (such as copper to PVC).
I have never had one fail.
I put a Sharkbite valve on the water line that goes into my water heater 5 years ago, and it still hasn't let a drop from it.
I have been using them for years now. I have never had one fail on me yet. They work great when properly installed.
Super for working in and around tight spots next to wooden studs and floor joists. Due to cost I prefer soldering and I purchased a bunch of fittings years ago so I will use up my inventory. I will not be buying Shark-bites , but when the instance arises in a tight spot SB’s are a life saver. I was shocked to find out that millions are used weekly. Have not heard of these until 2021.
I’ve used them under the kitchen sink for the faucet, and for a refrigerator that required a new line for an ice maker. These were several years ago, and no leaks.
But the biggest reason to use them in my estimation, is when you have an area where there’s no room to run the soldering torch without burning the house down. Then Sharkbites are fantastic.
Absolutely!
I've used them for a hose bib connection and to replace one of those terrible saddle taps on the cold water line for the humidifier. They've been perfect.
@@animes2k I did the same.
Aluminum foil works as a fire block when soldering in tight areas.
Exactly where I use one, to close to solder without building a fire...lol
Push-in fittings have been around for over 50 years, mainly in filtration systems, refrigerators, soda machine dispensers, and ice-makers. Shark Bites are just an advanced version of such fittings. They are fully approved by plumbing UPC and IPC plumbing Codes, covering entire United States - and that is buried, and in concealed locations without a need for access door. As a working plumber, with over four decades in the field, I must say that Shark Bite fittings are life savers, especially in emergency situatiions. Will they fail? I am sure they will eventually fail - just like everything else in our life. Question should be asked whether they will last reasonable amount of time before they fail. Answer is: Yes, they will last reasonable amount of time before they fail. I have been using Shark Bite fittings in emergency situations in residential applications for over 20 years - and so far I had not have single fitting to fail on me. I have noting but positive experience with Push-In fittings. Thank you.
Actually they have completely taken over Pneumatics too where they have been used everywhere for decades, They are used around 7 bar (100psi).
Correct, they have been used around the world for 40+ years. Anyone that says they leak does not know how to install them properly. And I have yet to find one in the field that has failed, but I have found plenty of copper, crimp rings and expander fittings of every shape and style that have failed.
Have been using the Shark 🦈 Bite products for years. So far everything has been going well. Just installed the outdoor 🦈 frost proof faucet for the hose. Love it
Scott,
Your Shark Bite Fitting video does a great job of covering the fitting’s design, how it works, advantages and disadvantages, and where and where not to use the fitting (i.e., do not use the fitting behind a wall). COULDN’T HAVE BEEN DONE BETTER.
You solicited recommendations for improvement, so I would like to make one suggestion. While demonstrating how you seated a piece of tubing, I noticed that you used a piece of copper tubing and a Shark Bite Fitting that were not rigidly connected to another piece of copper tubing. So, you didn’t have to apply very much force to get it to seat properly.
In my Jan 2021 video on Installing a Shark Bite Fitting for a Refrigerator Water Line within a section of very rigid ½ inch copper water line, I explained that I initially had a leak with the fitting and had to give a nearby elbow joint a strong tap with a hammer and block of wood to get the fitting to seat and stop leaking. Considering there are some RUclips videos covering Shark Bite leaks, other folks are having this problem. If you are interested in seeing how I seated my refrigerator water line Shark Bite Tee, my video is located here on RUclips: ruclips.net/video/oZWuiTWDEBw/видео.html
Most importantly, I strongly recommend that DIYers installing Shark Bite Fittings review your video prior to starting work. WELL DONE!
Regards,
Lets Fix It Right
I'm a woman, former Ulitilty Electrician, and quite a home handyman. I love sharkbite fittings. You are correct, if you take the time to make sure that they are seated they work!
They will leak later.
For a handyman, SharkBite is a godsend. I’ve installed whole house water filters and water softener systems with PEX and SharkBites, never had any significant issues. Even changed a leaky main shutoff valve with it, went from copper to PEX to PVC with just 2 couplers and a ball valve, under 15 minutes. Can’t beat the speed and the simplicity.
Great video. I've used SBs in two concealed areas inside drywall so far, 3/4" and 1/2". The areas were in a tight place. However, I did create a small area in the wall to check for leaks. 15 years have passed, no leaks.
I work at Lowe's in the plumbing department and I agree totally with SharkBite push to fit being more expensive however one thing I have found since covid very difficult for a customer a homeowner to contract a plumber in a timely manner if they are DIY Savvy these are great fittings we sell a ton of these
I used them in my basement remodel because it made the job so easy! 2 years in and no issues yet.
Very nice video on the use of Shark Bites. Just what I need to make some temporary repaies in this house until I decide to gut it all and install copper plumbing in the basement. Installing a new well tank as soon as it arrives, they will be very useful. I tag all your videos, appreciate all your efforts! Tom R.
As a remodeling contractor of 27yrs experience I think everything you said is on point. I haven’t seen any failure when properly installed but have seen a lot of crazy plumbing work. Caps are a remodelers best friend for convenience. Most work I would use solder/ pex, caps and then sharkbites for less permanent or temp work.
Yes they eventually will leak
I've been using SharkBites for over 10 years, now, and I love them!
Me too. I’ve had no problems.
Thanks for the video. I had a 1/2 inch poly split and fortunately I was home and heard the water leak and shut off the main valve to stop the flow. Most of my house was copper fittings however the previous owner installed a basement bathroom and used the 1/2 inch poly with crimped fittings and 3 feet from the copper/poly take off it failed and no shutoff between the main cold water pipe and the bathroom. I have done copper soldering but never used poly. I watched your video went an bought shark bite ball valve, short poly pipe, and shark bite connector and with 30 minutes I had the water back on. I am going back to buy another set of shark bite fittings in case one of those poly pipes fails again.
I was skeptic about the connections, thanks for this video; great illustration
My home has the old polybutylene from the 90’s and many of the shut off valves have failed over the years. I installed two shark bites on a tub shower unit in my home in 2016 with no problems. Recently I redid a bathroom sink with shut offs and on the water heater as well. I am keeping an eye on them, but so far no problems. Thanks for the video!😉
Thanks for the feedback Eddy!
Very fair explaination
Did not lean to any side of the technology
Thank you and I feel confidence to use shark bite with no hesitation
I used shark bite on the whole house filter system next to the water heater. So far so good for almost 5 years.
I like the shark bite able to move around so that I can turn my filter housing up and down when I changed filter every few months.
I’ve used them for years. Never had a problem. One of the best DIY products ever in my opinion. Get the deburring and gauge tool. It’s worth it.
I have had great success with all push to fit fittings. I replaced a bunch of cracked pvc and cpvc pipes with pex and sharkbite fittings under my home that were damaged due to the big freeze we had in Jan 2024. So far so good and it was so much easier to work with than using the standard glue and pvc fittings.
I USED THEM TO REPLACE FAUCETS IN AN ALL COPPER HOUSE. WORKED GREAT.
I like the fact you can reuse them (I will lubricate the O-ring with a toothpick and some food grade silicone gel) and disassemble the joints easily. With some rental properties i usually keep a little sack with a couple half inch caps and a couple 3/4 inch caps in case there’s an emergency. The fact you can service a wet and dripping pipe is one of the most awesome things.
Completely agree and good tip on the lubrication especially for the reused fittings.
Read a lot about Sharkbites on RUclips, its pros and cons and decided to replace Accor Lite push -pull valves that started to leak ( internally) after 7 years of use . Followed all the cleaning /square cut as well as checking the insert depth and the 2 clicks that ensures proper Sharkbite Installation. The depth is more key as you may not totally notice the 2 clicks if you push hard /fast enough enough so Depth is more critical than the 2 clicks as basis for proper insert. It's been 2 years so far with no leaks on about a 18 units
replacements. I also purposely opened and closed 1 unit 50 times after a year of use and there was no leak unlike the Accor Lite valve I used to have that started to leak even with less than 10 open/closes. The 25 year guarantee on Sharkbite as well as some inputs from plumbing friends who attest they did not have any issue if properly installed made me try this out.
Your cut-away was the best example of how these things work I've ever seen. 1080p video with stabilized camera and no phone and in landscape mode! Is this a DSLR, it looks like it. Sharkbite should hire you to do videos for them. As for expense, the last time I hired a plumber to replace a hose bib in the front of the house he charged me $250. I don't care how expensive Sharkbite fittings are they are far cheaper than hiring a plumber. Gone are the days when I call someone like that without discussing cost first. It seems these trades are rapidly pricing themselves out of business. (at least with me)
I have an honest 132 psi of water pressure at my house. Having moved from a home on a well that had very little pressure I never could make myself reduce my great pressure any. Needless to say, my house gives every fitting a hard test immediately when the house water line is pressurized! Having said that I think I can give a good review of these fittings. The big test came about 11 years ago when I installed a water softener in my house. My house is really big (I have 5 kids) so there are several long runs and I have only used schedule L copper on pressurized side and PVC on drain the drain side.
It got late in the day and I was getting really tired by the time I began sweating lines. Unfortunately, it seemed impossible to get every bit of moisture out of the lines quickly. The result was a constant battle to get rid of the moisture inside the lines and the usually easy job of soldering the fittings got super aggravating! My helper that evening suggested I just go buy shark bite fittings. I told him that I have a LOT of pressure and I couldn’t see them working in my situation. But, already being worn out and aggravated, I decided to humor him and then call it a day and finish the next day. So I ran to Home Depot and grabbed some shark bite fittings.
This work was in my basement that has 9’ ceiling height (but not finished) so we needed a small ladder for everything. As things go, somehow we neglected to properly secure all of the pipe overhead before I turned on the water. ☹️ Needless to say, as soon as the weight of the water got in the line the 1 (temporary) old hanger holding up a 37’ run failed and down comes my new copper lines with all that pressure in them! To my ultimate shock, NOTHING leaked!! Seriously! Several places bent a bit but nothing failed. I got everything up and properly supported and I’ve not touched it since. As I mentioned, that was 11 years ago and I’ve still not had a single leak. I am a big believer in these fittings now and won’t hesitate to use them anytime it is inconvenient to sweat the lines.
I have just started using shark bite and they work great
I've installed Hundreds of sharkbite fittings. I've only had one leak, A valve I installed behind a toilet leaked, The pipe was clean and perfect I removed the valve and reinstalled it and it leaked again, So I removed it and installed a different sharkbite valve and it sealed up no-problem. So out of hundreds on sharkbite fittings I've used only one was defective. I just don't install them behind walls. I am a maintenance guy for over 100 properties in two counties so anything that speeds up my job so I can move onto the next job is a plus.
Hey John, thanks for the feedback. I can only image how long the To Do list is when covering 100 properties.
Yes 100% agree never behind walls and never on water Heater supply lines
You never want to use a SharkBite valve nothing that gets tension on it whatsoever. If you can't strap the SharkBite fitting and make it secure you should never use it
Use a compression valve
@@jonholmes6551 Doesnt every fitting have tension on it in a water system ? Since the service is under pressure then all "fittings" or connections are under tension
You cover most questions and issues very thoroughly Scott. The few plumbers I know or have spoken to, have doubts about the longevity of the connection, with particular regards to the O -ring. One guy won’t use them, but will use the caps. The general consensus is if the connections are in the open, or are able to be easily checked, then maybe use the Sharkbites. Most plumbers will tell you they would never put them in a wall or any other concealed area. Like I said before, I think they have their place and if installed properly, should be alright. I would only use them in an open area, and would check them regularly. Thanks for mentioning the caps. They are very effective, and I have no problem recommending their use. Thanks Scott! 👏🏻👍👍👍👍😁✌🏻🇺🇸🔧
Plumbers ares till saying that copper is better than pex. There is quite a bit of lack of knowledge in every industry.
It’s interesting how so many have doubts about them, but there’s virtually no known failures as far as I’ve heard.
I'd suggest besides deburring the ends of the pipe you also use Scotch Brite or similar material to clean the outside of the pipe where the O-ring will slide during the install and where it will reside once installed. The smoother the surface, the better chance for the O-ring to effectively seal. The prep is the most important part of the entire operation IMHO, for Sharkbites and for soldered joints.
I thought the same thing but the manufacturer says never do that because it can generate micro particles that can cause a malfunction in the seal. I plumbed my whole house with shark bites both in the open basement and behind walls and have no leaks after 4 years. Hopefully it will stay leak free.
The install instructions say not to do this.
SharkBites have rubber O-rings in each fitting, sometimes 2 of them. Rubber O-rings and chlorinated city water DON'T mix. I would only use SharkBites if you can VISUALLY see them and are NOT covered up by drywall for example. Don't even talk SharkBite.
I'm going to look for sharkbite products.
I bought a sharkbite cutter and 💘 it
I've watched several of your videos and I always learn a lot.
You make it look so easy it makes me want to run out and buy stuff ;)))
I've used them when the local hardware didn't have anything but shark bite for a particular need I had. I installed them over 7 years ago and they are still going strong. They are not my first choice however. If I'm repairing or installing pex which is my first choice I use a crimp ring and a Ryobi crimper (up to 1 inch). Its so much less expensive and nearly as quick.
Thanks, I love learning new things!
I'm using sharkbite on a new walk-in shower install. I have confidence in the product, and as a novice, I'm not qualified to use other hard plumbing options. I have confidence as I've used shark bite products in many applications. I know it's not cheap but no more than I use in each application, it's worth the bite out of my pocket. Just today, I encountered EVO SB for the first time. Since I don't plan on removing or reusing this particular connection, I have peace about it's purpose. Thanks for the great video and taking the time to make it.
Have good home insurance
As a general contractor
I have buried SharkBite fittings behind most customer walls. If I ever have a water leak or complaint I will definitely let everybody know.
But as of right now I stand by SharkBite fittings.
Most important thing is to properly prepare your pipe or PEX.
No matter what
And that goes for all types of connections.
Preparation is key
Buy good home insurance too, or hire a real plumber
These are great. Easy to use. What I like is you can rotate the pipe in the fitting so if you have a soldered thread on the other end of the pipe you can screw it in. The pipe will rotate in the Sharkbite fitting.
And leak later.
Great product. Installed correctly they will hold. Good workmanship is key. I have installed them behind the wall and it has been 6 years. No problem. Some pro plumbers will never use them . Everyone has their way of doing things.
💯
Reluctantly, I have used and began to love shark bite fittings. For a couple dollars more in materials, they have saved me many hours of labor and pain. Never had 1 leak...yet. Being licensed bonded and insured, it is on shark bite if they fail.
I'm a True Believer I recommend it 100%, I installed 3 full bathroom and a Kitchen and a Whole House more than 15 years ago and still in great Condition no leaks or anything like that it cost more but it's cleaner and faster to Work with.
I have used sharkbjte fittings with pex on my sailboat rebuild. Has been invaluable in tight spaces.
Nice! I want a sailboat 😁
@@EverydayHomeRepairs NO you don't.....at least you don't want a project boat....😉
Best use I have found for these fittings were transitioning from copper to PEX where space was an issue and for capping off lines that had water in them. I was leery of these until I realized that this same type of fittings had been used in the auto industry at least since 1985. Fuel and transmission line connections.
I had to rebuild my home in 2006 after a flood. I chose to replace the forced hot air with baseboard hot water. Those shark connectors were a life saver. No leaks.
I have used per tubing and share bite fittings in my basement. It is covered by ceiling panels that are fairly easy to get to in event of failure. Still have some cpvc to replace in basement but the cost of the fittings have slowed me down. I was able to pull out lots of cpvc and replace and have back in service quickly and without having to wait for glue to dry. I use similar type fittings with poly-pro tubing and fittings for my job so this wasn't a big deal knowing how the system works.
First timer user, no leaks. Installation video was misleading, I tapped on using a wrench no problem. Good product,quick & easy.
As a DIY that does have copper soldering skills, I prefer to solder. Especially, on a connection that I won’t be able to see. But… I used these a few times on a few projects and I am finding that I REALLY like them. I keep 3/4 and 1/2 caps handy for just in case situations. I haven’t seen any leaks and they work. Win-win
I am pretty much completely align with your thinking but still building my skills in soldering.
One of the best channels around.
i love shark bites they are the best design i think i ever used that actully work
Huh, clicked on this because I'm sick and bored, but you actually helped me fix my recurring leaks :) (Well, we'll see with time, but it appears so for now)
I knew the landlord did the most recent plumbing repairs himself, and lo and behold, they're sharkbite fittings, and judging by the fact that I was able to jam them another 1/2" together, he didn't lock the pipe further than the O-ring, as you described. What a quick fix for something the landlord has been refusing to look at for years!
I did a complete rehab/remodel on a house appx 7 years ago. The house had Polybutylene so I used Sharkbites to transition to PEX in the laundry, bath, kitchen and water heater. They are easy to use and I had no issues of leaks; the biggest downside is, as you said, cost, but definitely cheaper than replumbing inside the walls.
The marking tip you gave is critical as they can leak if not fully inserted. One tip I would add is to use plumbers sandpaper after using Sharkbites demurring tool to smooth the deg and to debar the inside of copper pipes.
One other feature of Sharkbites is they can be removed with their proprietary removal tool and reused.
I liked the cutaway demonstration also.
J
Exactly what I was going to say. Going from older PVC or copper to PEX in my house is my #1 use of these fittings.
I'm looking to install a water softener myself, never having done PEX (or copper) before. What I'm probably going to do is use clamp style connectors for most of it, and use Sharkbite push-to-connect wherever I need to connect to existing plumbing pipes (since I don't know how to sweat pipes). Good idea about having a few caps around, just in case.
Sharkbites are great for making a repair. I keep a few around for emergency fixes. I've never had anyone complain about a leak.
But if I have the time and money and solder the copper.
thanks for demonstrating
Recently I had 2 opportunities to use shark bites; both with cutting out burst copper 3/4" heating pipes after the thermostat batteries died in a unoccupied home with the temp at -4F. Both were in difficult locations. One right on top of a vinyl sleeve with a 200A house input connections. I wasn't willing to try solder. I used the 12" repair part with no prior experience. It was very difficult to seat fully. I bought the lowest cost coupler and practiced on a scrap copper pipe. I found removing the PEX insert made it easier. But still the flex section was difficult. I wound up taking a pair of channel lock and placing it around the solid brass adapter section, not gripping it and tapping the last 1/4" home with a hammer on the channel lock rivit. I then did a 18" sharkbite with the PEX insert removed on a tight space with one end surrounded by 2x4 in a verticle connection to a baseboard hot water heater. I used the channel lock trick again as there was no room to get good hand grip. Both repairs work great and now I dont have to sleep beside a space heater on a heating pad inside a sleeping bag in a 30F house.
I’ve personally used SharkBites to remodel a whole kitchen with PEX, couple laundry rooms, 5 bathrooms, and other uses on other assorted projects over the last 8 years, and have yet to ever have one leak on me. As long as you don’t have a situation where you have a surge of pressure in the system, and use water hammers, then I don’t think they would fail. Also a good idea to use just a little lubricant on the o-rings inside the SharkBites to keep them soft, shouldn’t have any issues ever.
Used them a lot of times, every single time think they are not going to work, BUT I have never had one leak once. I luv'em!
Super handy!
Sand cloth works as well. Also good idea to Dburr the inside of the pipe as well. That will help prevent future internal erosion of the copper What it does is cause an Eddie Water will swirl right there it's almost like a dam at the Burr
Correct installed, they last a long time. I've got some that are about 12 years old. Still fine.
Thanks for all the great info.
Nice video. Not going to lie. I see all that space around your pipe at 7:45, and it makes me give longing looks at my torch and solder. I'm not using a flow-restricting, expensive PTC when I could easily sweat on a full-flow elbow in about 45 seconds.
I carry Sharkbite Max PTC to FNPT ball valves and PTC end caps for emergencies, running water, full pressure installations, crawl spaces, temporary use, mock ups , freeze calls and more
I carry the FMPT ball valves so that I can transition to a variety of brass, copper and PEX fittings, and they eliminate one PTC connection once I stop the flow of water
Great information. I used connection behind the wall on the shower valve that was leaking and till holding fine. This was 11 years ago. I highly recommend using those if you are renting a house and it is in and out since I hate fixing anything that is occupied by people. It just feels uncomfortable for me. Thank you for sharing
I'm not totally sold on them yet. But I will say that have saved me in tight situations especially when I can the water off totally to soilder fitting. Would love to see Sharkbite for Galvanized pipe🙏💭
I work for a small water utility & have used sharkbite& probites in New meter installations,some 10 years ago & have had no leaks or failures whatsoever; sharkbites are good connections if you follow the instructions & keep the pipe clean.
We have a bathroom on an exterior wall above the garage, so those pipe have a high chance to freeze during extreme cold. Apparently, the previous owner repaired several places in that wall several years ago with sharkbite fittings. When TX has it's big freeze this past year, those pipes froze again (yes, all pipes were wrapped and the walls properly insulated). Most of the soldered copper joints in that wall failed, some of them completely separating from the copper pipe. Not a single one of the sharkbite joints, installed the previous hard freeze, failed. It was a no-brainer for me which solution I was going with for the latest repair.
My shark bite end caps were blown off in the freeze in texas lastvyear
@@jamesmurphy7205 Stop lying
If only texas contractors stopped building with plumbing in exterior walls.
You know how many texas builds I see in colorado every winter?
Reason why sharkbite fittings prob didnt fail is due to fixing draft/insulation in that area.
My most common fix in plumbing is replacing O rings.
Plumbers dont like them for good reasons.
All the talk of emergency fix, yet this guy is selling on a ridiculous prep tool too large to use in a wall instead of some sand cloth, deburring pen and eye measurement.
The sharkbite joints and pex piping I installed last year survived the hard freeze we had this year. The lines in that wall were frozen again (despite my best efforts) for 3 days, and thawed with no issues or leaks.
I've seen other reports where they fail from freezing...
Good video. Good information. Thank you.
I've used Sharkbite connectors and shut off valves in my crawlspace without any problems. But inside a finished wall I use Pex fittings exclusively (Just my rule). I've had no leaks using Sharkbite fittings though they tend to be a little expensive. Other than that, they're easy to use and very convenient for the DIYer. Highly recommended.
This comment is a little odd.
If you are already set up to run pex as you say you do for in-wall application, you would only have to continue operating as normal in basements and crawl spaces but instead you switch to 🦈 fittings which have a preparation requirement (deburring and marking, and lubing) neither of which is required for a standard barb fitting and a maintenance interval where the _properly installed_ fitting is warrantied for 25 years.
It amounts to more work *and* greater expense.
I say they have merit, but your statement almost asserts that your operational standard is 🦈 with a caveat for in-wall operations.
Do you trust 🦈 more than barbed pex fittings?
If so, are you running a or b/what kind of retention system are you using?
I prefer straight runs with copper or PEX, soldering or clamping makes little difference to me as the labor is always in the quote.
That said, I always keep 🦈 on hand for emergencies *_or_* transitions.
Not everyone with CPVC wants to do a complete re-pipe, they should though, I will either rock the appropriate transition for in-wall or use a shark bite with an access panel or just a SharkBite in an unfinished area.
I have a hard time understanding the use of a shark bite fitting to go from PEX to PEX under any circumstance that isn't temporary (let's say I stop the immediate problem using 🦈 but I will be back in a week to make a more deliberate repair).
On the one hand this is good for DIY in the event that they can have a pack of couplings and shut offs for the interim, and I keep them for the same reason, but a crimper/clamper and the associated fittings are not exactly a barrier to entry.
ProPress, on the other hand, has a significant startup cost and would easily be a barrier to entry which accommodates 🦈.
ProPress also has redundancy and the o-ring act more as a failsafe than a primary barrier.
The downside is that most of the bad press for 🦈 comes from DIY where people are told to just cut the pipe and jam the thing on there which leads to a lot of nicked seals, by the time they've sorted themselves out to cut straight, deburr, mark for insertion depth, lube the pipe, and slide that sucker on there they would have already been on their way with a standard PEX fitting and clamp.
Used Shark Bite to replace leaking copper elbow, liked that it fits in exact space a copper elbow was. Had failure when wire hanger lost grip in joist. Secured with copper strap to joist & copper wire in other direction. I'd think I'd feel more confident if they had two o-rings.
Great point, I think you should share it with Shark bite. Cheers.
Shark bites are the BOMB!! I've been using them since they first came out. Are they pricey? Yes! If time is money then the time you save and their quality are WELL worth it!
Installed my Hot Water Heater using shark bite. 6 years ago. Still good.
I had to replace the water heater in the house I bought, sharkbite fittings on the old (maybe 8-9 year old) water heater. No leaks on original fittings, water heater was toast due to buildup and the honeywell controller locking out. This was a natural gas water heater with hard water. Just bought new sharkbites and threw in a new rheem (originally was an off brand water heater). 3 years later no leaks. House was a well kept rental (original since built, family owned) and sat for a year so I can't say anything bad for the old water heater and I have pretty high water pressure.
I’m a diy’er and I’ve used Sharkbites on all the plumbing I’ve done in my house. Never had a problem with any of them.
As a journeyman plumber I think sharkbit is definitely user friendly especially to someone with little or no experience. I deal with service, repair and remodel mostly this is also what I started in. I had an amazing teacher and his company was structured around god. On a normal day doing service I try and be 100 percent considerate to the customer. I try and sweat male adapters for faucet supplies water heater, toilet and so on. I have had customers compression angle stops pop off and have no clue how to handle this situation even myself before my experience would have no clue what to do. Now IP most know what and how to deal with it and this is why I like sharkbit because it gives most an edge and can be done without calling a professional and can be used on any pipe like size and can be IP and can connect to pipe same with all the different variations, ball valves, hose bibs, water heater supplies. Even slips parts to makes repairs. And even being in areas where you have tons of minerals in the water and it strips copper you can cut bad parts with pinholes slap a sharkbit fitting on and make a repair with pex and it’s a fairly decent amount of time and customers do not have to go without water for several days at a time…and as a professional I use it when I can..I’m 100 percent old and would rather sweat copper any day…but it’s useless in areas with tons of minerals..
Excellent product..
thank you
This was so helpful in understanding my current problem. I’m trying to change my water heater connections and have no idea why my 3/4” supply hose flex with the ball valve (I bought it as a kit) doesn't fit on the 3/4” cooper pipe; it’s driving me crazy, lol. But thanks to this video, I know part of the problem now. For some reason, it does not fit correctly compared to another 1/2” coupling where it reaches the ring teeth with absolutely no force. If anyone knows what might be going wrong, all suggestions are welcome. Thanks!!! 👍
love them, as long as they are not hidden. many pros will argue about the o ring failing, but those pro press fittings also have an o ring. they just require a very expensive tool to crimp them that diy'ers won't buy. time will tell
Sharke bite is the best, I have been using tjme since 2011, never had any issues god bless Sharke bite
I actually recently replaced a failing, soldered on faucet cutoff valve with a sharkbite. Made my life a lot easier since I didn't have much room to get a torch under the kitchen sink. As long as they are properly installed, I have no problem with them for jobs like that.
Great info ! Thx
Thanks. Bravo.
Very educational video. You do a great job!
Thanks, appreciate the kind words 👍
I have been using them in the last ten years. With no issues whatever, they may cost more but a hell of a lot cheaper then calling a plumber.
Cheers 🇨🇦