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Shark Bite Fittings
Posted on 5/11/24 at 4:09 pm
Posted on 5/11/24 at 4:09 pm
Anyone have experience with Shark Bite connectors to copper pipe? Wanting to use them to connect new hoses to copper water supply for water heater.
11
Posted on 5/11/24 at 4:44 pm to Canvasback
The shark bite fittings on my copper water heater pipes have been trouble free for 12+ years
Posted on 5/11/24 at 4:58 pm to Canvasback
plumbers like to shite on them but they seem to work quite well. I wouldn't use them in a wall or ceiling that's going to get closed in though. Also wouldn't personally use them on a connection that lives in the attic if your WH is up there. Probably would be fine but the amount of water damage that could result isn't worth it imo.
Posted on 5/11/24 at 5:12 pm to Turnblad85
Yes, the water heater is in the attic which makes me nervous with the shark bite fittings.
However all I heard is good reviews like the post above.
However all I heard is good reviews like the post above.
Posted on 5/11/24 at 6:33 pm to Canvasback
They sell a million of em every day
I wont usem tho ......
I wont usem tho ......
This post was edited on 5/11/24 at 6:34 pm
Posted on 5/11/24 at 7:39 pm to weadjust
quote:
The shark bite fittings on my copper water heater pipes have been trouble free for 12+ years
Same, going on 5 years. They made the water heater install so much easier.
I've also used them on other plumbing with zero problems.
Posted on 5/11/24 at 8:10 pm to Shexter
Had one leak in my new home in attic 3 years ago, 20k worth of damage and insurance claim to fix it
Posted on 5/11/24 at 9:04 pm to Canvasback
They work great.
Posted on 5/11/24 at 9:30 pm to Canvasback
Once I found out about these, I immediately recalled the many times I would have loved to have ,back in the day.
Posted on 5/11/24 at 10:19 pm to LSUFootballLover
quote:
Had one leak in my new home in attic 3 years ago
I'd be pissed if they were in a new home.
When these do leak I do wonder about how much care was taken when they were installed. I believe they seal to the outside of the pipe with an o-ring. If the outside of the pipe is rough or scratched it may be the cause of a leak. I've seen where people dgaf and just shove them on no matter how nasty the pipe is.
Posted on 5/12/24 at 9:08 am to Turnblad85
I put one on my hose spigot repair. Works great
Posted on 5/12/24 at 9:31 am to Canvasback
quote:
Anyone have experience with Shark Bite connectors to copper pipe? Wanting to use them to connect new hoses to copper water supply for water heater.
Don't have that experience with what you mention but knowing some that have, they have had no issues, yet. Some have had disaster with that specific setup you mention. So its a 50/50 shot.
Being your water heater is upstairs, I would spend the extra few hundred dollars and get a reputable local plumber to fix it right with copper on copper. Or you may be able to DIY with a small propane bottle and copper fittings.
Yes, using Shark Bite quick-connects is an easy, inexpensive fix, I would not trust it, specifically on your water heater and being it is located upstairs.
I remodeled my bath and kitchen about a year ago and went with PEX piping. Instead of using Shark bite quick-connects, I used the crimp-style on most of the joints and connectors.
Good luck
Posted on 5/12/24 at 1:50 pm to Canvasback
I typically propress myself lately, but you'd have to find someone to lend you or rent you the tool.
I have used compression water heater adapters recently and I've had great results from them.
Haven't seen them at many Home Depots near me. Lowe's keeps the kits on the shelf. I prefer them to Sharkbite, but they're about the same. Like everyone else is saying, I would never put a Sharkbite or compression fitting into a closed wall.
Link for the compression kit I've used.
LINK
I have used compression water heater adapters recently and I've had great results from them.
Haven't seen them at many Home Depots near me. Lowe's keeps the kits on the shelf. I prefer them to Sharkbite, but they're about the same. Like everyone else is saying, I would never put a Sharkbite or compression fitting into a closed wall.
Link for the compression kit I've used.
LINK
This post was edited on 5/12/24 at 1:51 pm
Posted on 5/12/24 at 3:15 pm to Reubaltaich
quote:
So its a 50/50 shot.
If shark bite fittings had a 50% failure rate they would be out of business
Posted on 5/12/24 at 6:12 pm to Canvasback
quote:
Anyone have experience with Shark Bite connectors to copper pipe? Wanting to use them to connect new hoses to copper water supply for water heater.
I keep a set for temporary fixes in case of a burst pipe. I do not use them for permanent work or work where failure means catastrophic damage inside of the house. They can work but their resistance to failure modes is about the lowest of all types and to get the best out of them you have to do nearly the same prep as you would a sweated joint. Very clean, burr free, perfectly round. I use F1960 PEX whenever I can, still sweat copper, and might get into a press system when I come across a good deal on the equipment but I will never use sharkbite fittings and call it "fixed".
This post was edited on 5/12/24 at 8:13 pm
Posted on 5/12/24 at 8:26 pm to Canvasback
They're fine for me. Do keep in mind this shark bite fitting "technology" is used in high and low pressure connections, both pneumatic and hydraulic, in the industrial world for decades.
Posted on 5/13/24 at 12:35 pm to East Coast Band
Industrial grade stuff is another level of quality though. For SharkBite fittings, including the new version, the mode of failure is the same where the stainless steel ring that bites into the surface of the tubing will pull through the body of the fitting itself. That's why the fittings usually work better on new PVC and plastic tubing than copper but still require a very clean and smooth surface.
Posted on 5/13/24 at 2:41 pm to Canvasback
I used them on the copper supply lines to my upstairs bathroom. Lines are accessible in the atic. That have not presented a problem in 15 years.
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:20 am to Canvasback
I use them on anything I work on, but I'm just doing pipes I can see and nothing in the walls. But all this technology has the potential to go tits up. Doesn't matter if it's commercial or residential. They are having problems with the expansion tool fittings leaking as well on pex. Probably will be having deteriorating pex some time soon that will need a formula change. Same with the blue pvc pipe everyone used in the 80's to go from the meter into their home that now needs replaced.
We're learning not to really trust their claims of lifetime guarantee or will never fail. Good luck with claims with some of these companies that seem like they change every year or so.
We're learning not to really trust their claims of lifetime guarantee or will never fail. Good luck with claims with some of these companies that seem like they change every year or so.
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:29 am to OU812ME2
I've used them a few times, but down in the basement where all of my water lines run along the joists. If there's a failure there, I just have wet concrete in my garage. We had some renovations done about 10 years ago, and they used the brass compression rings. I had one of those fail and create a small leak. It had only been there about 5-6 years. I cut out that section and replaced with shark bite, and it has been fine. Anything can eventually fail, but for transitioning between copper and PEX, they work fine. Thankfully the plumber put an in-line cutoff valve before the transition from copper to PEX, so my quick repair was fairly easy. I just had to turn that valve off and drain the line, cut and replace. I wouldn't hesitate to use them for stuff like that again.
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