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This is for the opponents of Sharkbite and other push-in fittings

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Electric_Light

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Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited)
This is the fitting used on a returnless fuel line. It operates under severe vibration, wide temperature range of sub-zero to ~200F and carries gasoline pressurized at about 50 psi. It comes in from fuel pump at left, then the other end of hose uses another clip-on fitting that connects to fuel injector manifold.

There is a rib on the metal line as opposed to teeth biting onto smooth surface, however the clip assembly is plastic. Disconnecting involves simply pushing on the white part and pulling straight out. Seal is established with an elastomer material (rubber is elastomer, but not all elastomer is simple "rubber").


This setup was chosen over compression or flare fittings and vehicle manufacturer deemed it was satisfactory.

Now, some of you still oppose the use of elastomer sealed connections for WATER???

 
#2 ·
What's the average expected lifespan of a vehicle?

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that the average life span of a vehicle is just over 13 years, with a final mileage of 145,000 miles.
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What's the expected lifespan for a household plumbing system?

Shark bites may have their place, but I'm not seeing the correlation in your example.
 
#3 ·
ChrWright said:
What's the average expected lifespan of a vehicle?



What's the expected lifespan for a household plumbing system?

Shark bites may have their place, but I'm not seeing the correlation in your example.
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:rolleyes:
 
#5 ·
Thanks Chris, you said exactly what I was going to say.

Vehicles have fuel lines that usually rust out in most parts of the northern states in 6-8 years if not before that.
A house plumbing system should last several generations and then some. Sharkbites are going to be a MAJOR problem down the road when they were used for entire houses. I really can't see a plumber being that desperate that they need to cut corners and use those. PEX is fast and a safer system. PEX might even outlast copper. Sharkbites have a gasket that WILL wear out someday and leak, only a matter of time. These companies making them can't test them for 50-100 years before they are released to the public.

I will only use them for bathrooms when we gut them and have to cap the supplies. or kitchens for the same reason.
 
#12 ·
katoman said:
These came up in another thread. I think they're cool, but why not just shut the water off and install shut off valves?

And there's no way mechanical fittings last several generations. Most are toast in 20 years max.
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we shut the water off, cut the lines, push the shark bites on, turn water back on, keep working until the plumber can come to sweat in the new valve and other plumbing work, this to me is WHY these things were invented.

whoever said you could use them permanently was smoking crack that day.
 
#13 ·
WarnerConstInc. said:
They serve their purpose.

Sure beats trying to burn an old house down when you can't get at something.

Who would plumb a whole house in them?
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Believe it or not hundreds of thousands do all across the world. Its very common in Europe to plumb a whole house in these. The last house I did was about 5000sqft and it took me and my boss 2 days to plumb the whole house in. I didn't think it was a good idea. They have an expected lifespand of 15 years under normal use last time I checked. Look what's happens to tap washers after 5 years. The same exact thing will happen to the o rings in these fittings. I don't care what kind of space age rubber they are made from. They will fail much sooner than copper and all at around the same time.
 
#14 ·
BCConstruction said:
Believe it or not hundreds of thousands do all across the world. Its very common in Europe to plumb a whole house in these. The last house I did was about 5000sqft and it took me and my boss 2 days to plumb the whole house in. I didn't think it was a good idea. They have an expected lifespand of 15 years under normal use last time I checked. Look what's happens to tap washers after 5 years. The same exact thing will happen to the o rings in these fittings. I don't care what kind of space age rubber they are made from. They will fail much sooner than copper and all at around the same time.
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so in 15 years, the plumbers and remodelers in europe will have LOTS of repair work to do. sounds to me like job security. lol

how much faster can it be than using PEX for a whole house? plus pex is a lot cheaper than copper right now, so using shark bites for a whole house using copper is not going to be less expensive. and I'm not even sure how much faster it would be VS. pex fittings. some plumbers can chime in here and relay that info.

another shark bite thread, lock it down!!!!
 
#15 ·
Mark my words

One day we will look back and the "sharkbit" fitting will be the largest mistake ever made to the consumer. After all, they are the ones who really pay the ultimate price.

There will be a massive recall....I guarantee it!

They are awesome for temp caps though.

Mike
 
#16 ·
Electric_Light said:
This is the fitting used on a returnless fuel line. It operates under severe vibration, wide temperature range of sub-zero to ~200F and carries gasoline pressurized at about 50 psi. It comes in from fuel pump at left, then the other end of hose uses another clip-on fitting that connects to fuel injector manifold.

There is a rib on the metal line as opposed to teeth biting onto smooth surface, however the clip assembly is plastic. Disconnecting involves simply pushing on the white part and pulling straight out. Seal is established with an elastomer material (rubber is elastomer, but not all elastomer is simple "rubber").


This setup was chosen over compression or flare fittings and vehicle manufacturer deemed it was satisfactory.

Now, some of you still oppose the use of elastomer sealed connections for WATER???

Click to expand...
They look good in your house.

Not in mine.

Enjoy them.

Don't forget to install some of the Qest pipe with them. There were a lot of people who used to argue how good that stuff was too. :thumbsup:
 
#17 ·
There is a rib on the metal line as opposed to teeth biting onto smooth surface
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Maybe if sharkbite required a rib to be put in the pipe it would be received better.
Gas line leaks you know about it. Water line inside a wall leaks you know about it after a few thousand dollars in damage is caused.
 
#19 ·
KillerToiletSpider said:
I don't have an opinion on push fit fittings, they are not code approved in Chicago.
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They aren't code approved in a lot of places. What's frustrating is seeing them in use where they aren't permitted. . . sometimes by licensed plumbers. Personally I think they're garbage. Anyone using them is covering something up.

Keith
 
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#20 ·
wannabe GC's/handy hacks/and ho's use them...i agree there are super cool for caps and temp stuff...

if you wanna see a dead horse beat go to PZ lots of good input there and even more idiots
 
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