[bob_cntrctr]

Anyone made much use of Sharkbite connectors? I was in HD picking sweat parts today and the sales guy was all hot about how noone's doing sweat anymore, everyone's going Sharkbite.

Call me old school, I'm not comfortable with anything but a nice sweat connection inside a wall.

 

[JonM]

You can also go broke @ 5 bucks for one connector...but I guess it has a place for the DIYer...


How about this tool?

http://www.antexpipemaster.com/

 

[rickmccarthy]

My god all this crap out there I guess I will be getting alot of repair calls to fininsh the projects these DIYers cant finish when they have all their leaks

 

[Darwin]

Anyone made much use of Sharkbite connectors? I was in HD picking sweat parts today and the sales guy was all hot about how noone's doing sweat anymore, everyone's going Sharkbite.

Call me old school, I'm not comfortable with anything but a nice sweat connection inside a wall.

I use them for only a few things:
1. A connection near a gas line.
2. a connection where there is limited workable area. Don't want to burn the house down for just a little soldered connect.

These shark bite connectors are also very expensive. I just use 'em if I must. But, I love to solder my connections. Maybe it's the fire....

 

[Mike(VA)]

Shark bites are a great way to transition from pex to cpvc for a simple job like installing a diverter valve or new shut-off valves.

 

[Warren]

As a carpenter doing demo work they are great. Many times we have to remove fixtures with no shut offs and the sharkbites make it easy. When it comes to the final permanent hookup, I will defer that to you plumbers.

 

[rbsremodeling]

As a carpenter doing demo work they are great. Many times we have to remove fixtures with no shut offs and the sharkbites make it easy. When it comes to the final permanent hookup, I will defer that to you plumbers.

I use them the same way. When my plumbing partner comes in after my guys demo he always screams out SHARK BITE. I get a kick out of it every time for some silly reason

We reuse them from job to job though

 

[bob_cntrctr]

Well, the best use I've read about for them is to cap off at the end of the day during a reno job. Cap off where you are and you can turn the water back on for the HO for the evening, then easy to remove with the removal tool and re-use the next night.

 

[piercekiltoff]

I use female adapters in well houses when someone used copper for the supply system - usually for me, soldering is a pain in the ass when all I'm trying to do is get back to Schedule 40/80 PVC.

Alternatively, I've had bad luck with them developing leaks - it seems that I've replaced probably 1 out of 5 because of leaks.

 

[Mike(VA)]

Pierce, out of curiosity. Did they leak right at the moment the water came back on or did they leak 'sometime' later? Makes a difference since it is a lot easier to deal with a leak while you are still there and before everything is closed up.

 

[DetailHandyman]

Had a customer who was finishing basement...adding wet bar, etc.

The "plumber" did his entire install with SharkBites. Must have been 40 of them in there. Not a soldered pipe anywhere. Taped all the compression fittings too. :blink:

She called me in to redo it all. She wasn't too happy with the work and wanted everything soldered.

Got a bin full of free SBs on the truck now. :thumbsup:

 

[mrmike]

They are the cat's Meow in old work when you can't get a valve to stop leaking by, or in a place where it is very hard to solder-they are worth their weight in gold !! Best product in the last decade!!

 

[skylands]

I'm with Mrmike.

I work in, under, on top of, in the walls, in the ceilings, and in the floors of old houses.

Pex and shark bites have saved me countless hours of work.

 

[The Coastal Craftsman]

There's def times when they come in handy. Like at full arms length between floor space under a wallplate and bath. They have saved me a lot of hours and mess but don't expect them to last anywhere near as long as endfeed fittings. I have installed thousands of feet of speedfit pipe and fittings and can tell you now that it's quick but i have had numerous call back because of parts failure. I have also seen o rings fail as short as a year. If you catch them wrong when inserting pipe you can chaff the o ring and life is greatly reduced. I have heard they have a life expectancy of 15 years which in my eyes is no good for a new install.

 

[Southern Build]

They are good for the transition between materials cpvc / copper / pex, otherwise I avoid them aside for random confined spaces. Other than that, the conventional method of connection makes more sence, it looks better / professional, its cheaper, and we know the conection type has a longer track record for working.

 

[slowforthecones]

sharkbite is expensive, good for temporary fix or transitions. i would not use them as a perm fix or solution.

 

[slowforthecones]

anyone use that electronic soldering tool by antex? antexpipemaster?

 

[Big A]

Shark bites my-$$

If I see a plumber useing a shark bite, I just say to my self he is putting his self out of business and he's not a profesonal, that like plumbers useing them flex connecters on water heaters, any home owner watching him know when that water heater goes out just unscrew it and screw them back on to the new water heater, I spend alot of money on tools to make my job faster and I like the pro press system, Now That impresses the home owner and I dont have to worry about them going out to buy a $2200.00 tool and they dont know where to get the fittings. LMAO

 

[Ron The Plumber]

That like plumbers useing them flex connecters on water heaters, any home owner watching him know when that water heater goes out just unscrew it and screw them back on to the new water heater,

Some places require it do to Seismic Zones, like the PNW

 

[slowforthecones]

tell me more about this pro-press system. I heard about it in a magazine but i am still very old school doing plumbing/fire protection .