Shark Bite Fittings

lopreste

Yes, unfortunately you have to solder the tub spout or the sharkbite just keeps on a turnin' and the spout wont fit snug to the wall.

smellslike$tome

Ok, I'm revisiting this thread after about 3 years.

I have repaired shark bite leaks inside walls (not mine).

I do not and have not placed shark bites in conceled locations.

In fact the only place I use them are in the places that I previously mentioned, mobile homes only and I did use one once in a location in which I could not use a torch without burning the house down.

Any thing else impo is hackery. I only use them under mobile homes because they do work there and they work better than the available PB compression fittings.

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protechplumbing

You don't even need them there smells. You can use poly x pex brass crimp transition fittings.

I too have been seeing more and more leaking sharkbite fittings. It takes a few years but some do start leaking. I avoid using them unless there is no good alternative. Most polybutylene systems lasted at least a few years before leaking. Sharkbites are now failing in the same time frame. I really don't see how someone can hate polybutylene but love sharkbites. In fact, I think I would trust polybutylene with brass or polysulphone fittings more than I would a sharke bite. At least a polybutylene joint is crimped and imobile where a sharke bite will leak right out of the box due to lateral stress and will leak later due to rotation/vibration/thermal expansion.

I have a hunch that propress may not be to far behind but only time will tell.

O-rings fail all the time, why wouldn't they fail in a sharkbite fitting?

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BCConstruction

I have never been keen on any type of speedfit type fitting. Back in the day when JG bought them out in the UK i have seen issues from missing o-rings, Cracked jaws, premature failure and so on. A lot of the UK timber frame houses use the stuff through out and i guess they will be pulling the stuff out after 15 years as thats the avg lifespan under normal use for the o-rings. Thats without hot and cold cycles. The pipe is nice though as it's a barrior pipe and it's dam hard wearing.

protechplumbing

Are you talking about that "friatherm multi" potable water distribution system that they use over there?

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BCConstruction

Very similer system. these are the JG versions



Lowes now sell a version which is almost identical. The friatherm system was way way over priced and i only ever come across is once the whole time i was plumbing. Whilst JG version is everywhere. I have tested the JG kit upto 25bar which is way above what they say it can safely handle. But thats when it's brandnew.

TPDATLANTA

Hi all, I am new here and thought I would add my 2 cents worth. I do use Sharkbites as well as Gatorbites. I have done so since Cash Acme first came out with them several years ago. At first I was skeptical and did not want to use them. One job I had come across changed my mind. I had a gray poly line fail in a tight location in a wall around the water heater and there was no room to use a crimping tool. Reluctantly I pulled out a 1/2" sharkbite couplng that my previous employer had stocked on my truck and in 5 minutes the water was back on. I've used them ever since and now that I started my own plumbing company, they're a part of my truck stock!

Wth that said, I would NEVER plumb an entire house with them, nor would I use them in place of Flo Control fittings underground. Used in the manner I described, I think they're fine and do serve a purpose. I'm glad we have them!

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Matt Weinstein

We use them all the time. Probably have installed thousands of all shapes and sizes. We install epoxy in pipes in lieu of a traditional repipe and our product requires that future repairs and additions be performed without flame, so we rely on shark bites and pro press fittings. Both work at least as well as solder and don't require as much access to the pipe as solder.

Good Luck

bob_cntrctr

Call me suspicious, but I can't help noticing that the most fervent supporters of Sharkbites in this thread are people with like 10 or 20 posts - online forum marketing?

I got a couple of 1/2" caps in my plumbing box - great for capping a line at the end of the day so the water can be turned on over night 'til you get back tomorrow. But I'm a copper and solder guy.

BCConstruction

Im exact same as you. Speedfit type fittings have there place but never as a complette install.

Daveylad

Your Sharkbite fittings look identical to our Tectite fittings made by "Yorkshire" over here in the UK, we have been using them for a long time now (20 years), I think they are by far the best of the push fit type fittings around. The mains pressure where I live can be as high as 10>12 bar (140 165 psi) during the day and higher a night when there is not much demand never seen a failure or had to change any due to o ring failure. As long as tube is cut using tube cutter and not a hacksaw which would leave a burr and possibly the slice the o ring. In fact the way it is going here now for some contractors on government work, they are not permitted to use solder fittings due to high insurance premiums becasue of using a naked flame and the fact they (insurance co) stipulate that the contractor stay on site at least 3 hours after last using a blow torch.

Daveylad

BCConstruction

I have never liked them tectite fittings. When i was in the UK the only brand we would use was JG speedfit. I also hated trying to disconnect them dam tectite fittings. What you will find in most commercial is flameless jointing or something like propress if they are using copper but it was very rare i would ever see copper used in commercial in the UK. They also use electrofusion fittings. They aint cheap though. But the goverment dont care.

protechplumbing

I have seen several push-fit fitting failures (including shark bites). Many were less than 5 years old. Shark bites are not as good as solder, period. O-rings fail all the time, is there something special about shark bite o-rings? Off course not. An o-ring is not as good as a solder joint. Seriously, is anyone actually going to argue that? You really think that o-ring will be there leak free in 50 years?

I'm not some old timer stuck in his ways. I use pex pipe and even cpvc (reluctantly). I even use sharkbites in certain situations (reluctantly).

The fact is an o-ring seal is not as good as solder. You can argue that it might last 5-10-15-20 years but it will never outlast a solder joint.

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Daveylad

I don't think anyone would disagree with the fact that a properly made soldered joint will outlast a push-fit joint and I for one will always use copper tube with soldered joints when I know it will be built over or covered and will not be able to be got at again. But I do see plenty of examples of slap dash soldering where the plumber has not bothered to clean off residue self cleaning flux which has then corroded the pipe and caused pin-holing within 5 years, not only is it on the joint but you also find flux finger prints all the way up the lengths of the tube which has the exact same effect.

The situations where push-fit fittings are generally used bathroom re-model for example the installers are not worried about the fact they won't last 50 years because they know the life span of the bathroom before it goes out of fashion and gets re-done is about 10 to 15 years.

I carry a selection of solder, compression and push-fit on my truck and use which ever best suits the situation

protechplumbing

You are definitely right about about the flux being corrosive. Water based flux only!

I saw a commercial kitchen done with only sharkbites. They started leaking within a few years. I think it was do to the equipment being jarred around constantly. Soldered joints would not have failed. I've seen several leaks behind the wall that were not mobile. To be fair, it was on soft copper and of course it was not perfectly round. Shark bites are not rated for soft copper but you know everyone still uses them on it (especially DIYers and hacks)

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Bonafide

I seen one blow off, fortunately it was in a basement, unfortunately it was full of stored furniture. Not sure why, it kind of slipped half way off and BOOM, water everywhere. Then again this was a 1/2" cap put on by the home owner himself. He said a plumber did it, but i think he cut with a hack and didnt deburr it causing the gasket to rip. Personally i think they're making it too easy for the diyer.