How SharkBite Fittings Actually Work
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- Опубліковано 9 гру 2022
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I am a big fan of SharkBite fittings for DIY plumbing repair. Take a look at what is inside these fittings that result in a leak-free repair.
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And remember, always leave the burrs on the inside and do not under any circumstance clean the inside free of copper
If your plumber has shark bites fire him on the spot trust me I have the ruined kitchen cabinets to prove it
@@infotechsailor the burrs give an added surface for the o ring to grab on to
@@kristoferraypolman4066 hahaha
we hired a plumber for a bathroom remodel. thus guy tried to use shark bites for every connection under the concrete slab we were gonna pour. he was fired on the spot and another plumber was contacted
OMG 😱 Worst nightmare. I'm glad you caught on and kicked them out. I can't imagine the plumbing disaster that would have caused down the road.
On the installation instructions, Sharkbite themselves state that the fittings should never be installed in an enclosed space.
Your second mistake is running your plumbing through the concrete. I’ve replumbed entire houses for this reason. After 10 plus years the concrete would break the water lines.
@@duganfr or they use PVC and the crap breaks off damn near flush with the concrete so now you get the task of chipping away at concrete just to make a decent repair, that'll probably break off again in future
@@myadhdSquirel what are you talking about? PVC for a water line?
@@duganfr Ever worked much highrise? It's everywhere. And in PVC conduits. If you put pipe even copper acid in concrete will eat it. Any pipe should have a non pervious material around it and it should be fine
I'll use them to temporarily cap something, if it's going inside of a wall or a place with no access, it's getting brazed in, no exceptions.
You mean solder. Brazing is for gas.
@@boomer2131 correct.
@@boomer2131 No.
Brazing isn't strictly for gas. The difference between brazing and soldering is temperature and filler metal, not the application.
It’s a good thing brazed (I.e. soldered) fittings never leak, right? I guess all plumbers out there just work new construction, right? Right?
@Manny doesn't matter if it's new construction or a repair, you always braze or solder.
I have used them as temporary caps when I was remodeling the bathroom. Would not use one in a wall or a place without access though. I've seen one with a slow drip. I think it was a very small scratch on the o-ring or something like that.
I think the same. Never use permanently. Flux and solder is best. I've seen 80 year old systems that are still in operation. Good luck with o rings lasting that long.
Yep! Using them as temp caps is fantastic! I do that all the time.
My bro In law is a tile guy. He insisted sharks bites are forever. He uses shark bites to plumb his own bathroom remodel. 3rd year in a shark T let loose behind the beautiful 2x2foot marble wall tiles.
A single oring is not up to the task of holding nack 60 psi of water. even less so if it moves vibrates or sees large temperature changes.
Improper installation.
sometimes on plastic pipes for a temporary repair but not for real life plumbing. I've had to remove alot of sharkbite fittings since they're invention
Having worked with o-rings a lot, I understand that after a few years, o-rings will dry out, lose their elasticity and shrink, or crack causing leaks.
really? I think about a billion have been installed worldwide in the last 2 decades. If they were all leaking by now I think we would know about it. The choice of most professional plumbers now are pro press fittings. Guess what they have inside to seal the fitting? Yes an O-ring.
Just like propress
These make plumbers happy, we know they are going to leak and you are going to realize that you need someone who can actually use a torch and has the tools to work any plumbing system you may have
AAAAAND, sooner than later, that coupling is going to leak anyway.
Do u have proved
@@Christopher-kj9us Do I have proof?? Other than the installed connectors I have seen leaking, no. I'm not a plumber, but do enough with my family's houses that I have witnessed leaks. These seem good for a quick fix until a more permanent repair can be done. No way in the world I would use one of these in a repair i was putting behind a wall or underground. However, you are free to try them out and see if they work well for you.
@Christopher I have hundreds of proof if you want. Engineer for major hotel. They work temporarily. Some times years. Sometimes weeks or days. Your relying on a 2 or 3mm rubber seal to hold as long as a copper pipe.
They work fine. The only time I’ve seen them leak is when they weren’t installed properly.
@@mustangdemon87 Right
Licensed plumbers who use SharkBite fittings as permanent solution should have their licenses taken away
in many places code allows sharkbites now, just as long as the shark bite is easily accessible. so crawlspace yes but walls no unless theres an access panel
@@joahpineapple3239 indicating that they acknowledge their temporary use. Corruption all the way to the top.
@@submaxcw7947 everything is temporary
Poly butylene is still code in Palm Beach County that doesn’t make it right and no one uses it……. it’s just still on the books for what reason I don’t know, shark bite is garbage
@@larrymarcum1673amn, they haven’t switched to PEX? Do the plumbing repair companies have lobbyists down there or something? Lol sharkbites and poly-b on the books
Yup....the O RINGS ARE GREAT !!!
JUST ASK THE CREW ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE🤯😵💫
A plumber wanted to charge me $1,000 to replace two hose bibs. I did it myself using these fittings in a couple of hours, and it only took me that long because it was my first time doing it. Tired of getting robbed by contractors.
i dont do any type of plumbing but for some reason i dont trust that to last
It's because you have a brain.
Just came here to see all the UA-cam plumbing experts.🧐
Been working construction for 45+ years, I’d NEVER put on a these time bombs inside a wall & don’t know any reputable plumbers who would, in a area easily accessible while I still would sweat a proper connection I don’t see a problem with homeowners saving a buck using em, as long as they keep a eye on em cuz they all fail eventually, a old fashioned compression fitting can last for decades, these just don’t
Thanks “Expert”
Lol trust the video then.
I worked at a hardware store and had to explain to a builder with apparently 30 years of experience that the hardware labeled "zinc" was in fact galvanized. He refused to believe me because it was "too shiny". I even brought my phone out to prove that the zinc coating was what makes it galvanized and showed different pictures of galvanized items coming in both dull and shiny finishes. Still a brick wall. Some people refuse to accept new info that didn't come directly from their grandpa's mouth.
Thanks for “splaining” that. Now go to your nearest convenience store and grab a cookie. 🙄
The shark bites I stuck in my basement have held up longer than some pex ive seen. Going on 12 years
As an electrician this reminds me of backstabbing a receptacle (similar concept where a steel spring bites into the copper) backstabbing is a huge no no because it wears down so quickly overtime and wires can fall out of the device. I can't imagine these sharkbite things being good
There is a company called "Legris" that has been making this type of fitting for at least 30 years. I work on machines that use these and we ALWAYS replace them with compression fittings on liquid delivery systems, because of the failure rate and the mess it creates. I will use them on pneumatic systems, because I don't mind cleaning up after an air leak. These types of fittings do not handle side loading well and eventually the oring will dry rot and crack. $15 for a 1/2 sharkbite coupling or $0,50 for.a copper sweat coupling.
I’m pretty familiar with these and with general home repair fixes, but this was def one of the best ELI5 descriptions and demos. I like that you don’t make assumptions about what is known
I agree don’t use shark bites. I have had three shark valves fail in my house so I am replacing all of them. Take the pressure off the system and as soon as the pressure is reapplied they leak!!. One problem I found is the Plummer did not clean the fitting before installation. On two of them the copper pipes had paint or wall mud dripped on them.
I believe it too! That sucks man, but now you know, fire a plumber on the spot if they use shark bites for permanent installations
Some years ago, because I didn't know better, I made the mistake of using some of these on PEX in a hydronic heating system.
The vibration from circulators caused the stainless retainer to wear a groove in the PEX, which eventually leaked.
"Quothe the Raven, nevermore..."
Do yourself a favor - if you're working with copper, sweat the joints; if using PEX, get fittings made for the brand of tubing you have. These Sharkbite things might be OK for temporary or emergency use, but NOT a real solution.
I avoid them unless I have a very specific situation where it’s needed.
I had one on a 3/4 copper outdoor irrigation line. When I went to pressure, that thing shot 20+ feet away.
I love sharkbites, especially when you have about 6 of them fail in your plant in one day. I've been trying to fix the guy we just fired's messes for fucking months now.
Keep in mind these are called push to connect and there are much cheaper brands out there. You can buy a bag of 10 for the price of 2 or 3 shark bite fittings. I have used xfitting for a number of years and they are good.
If I recall, when steel and copper touch don't they cause corrosion due to the difference in their galvanic potential?
That is correct - that is the reason for dielectric unions.
I’ve seen videos of those failing.
Most likely the people that?have them leak either don't get the pipe all the way in or they remove and reuse them a lot. Push connections go bad when you do that.
theres a reason solder is still the industry standard
Yes. Solder is much cheaper and if you are reasonably facile with solder it's probably almost as quick.
actually SharkBite EVO has already replace soldering just as PEX has replaced copper for the most part .time is money!🇨🇦🍀
@@capnkirk5528 soldering/solder also leeches chemicals into the water even new solder is now almost lead free but not 100% lead free but has as been for some time, but at same time unknown amount of homes with the leaded solder. my point is lead-free solder still contaminates the water supply as well the smoke is bad for the installer
@@marcfavell Lead is a soft metal and will leach out fast. 50/50 solder is another story and I think that's what you're talking about
@@daddy1571 I'm talking about the old Sauder that used to have lead in it now it's lead-free but still has unknown health effects
I appreciate you taking the time to show the cross section of the fitting and demonstrate the deburr tool. I've been wanting to have something like that tool.
cuz o-rings r so freaking great! 🤣🤣🤣
Morton Thiokol swore they were all good.
I have had one on a cold water inlet to a water heater for years, so I know they work. I heard good advice that it is better to not install one behind a wall or where it would be difficult to access in case of a leak.
I know they get a bad rap, but they come in clutch when there's an easy access pipe that burst and you don't want to mess with brazing/hiring a plumber to do it. A few years back, we had a pipe that went to an outside spout bust, so we replaced the pipe from the broken spot to, and including, the spout and have had no problems. Even put a drain to keep it from happening again. Now for permanent installations, that's a big ol' nope from me.
i been plumbing for ten yrs and ive used sharkbites tons of times... If you set the sharkbite all the way on the pipe, itll work just fine. I havent personally plumbed an entire house in sharkbites but I have been to house that were and some of those houses were plumbed 10 yrs ago and not a single leak...
Sharkbite is expensive. Just run some garden hose .instead of having a push connect fitting you have an actual threaded fitting. Remember though if running garden hose for natural gas buy the black one
Now THAT was friggin funny. I needed a good laugh.
Deburr of the inside is a customary go with the flow best practice.
I hired a plumber to replace a hot water heater which was in my walk-in attic. He used shark bite fittings and pex tubing. I didn’t know any better. 2 days later it failed and flooded my attic which also flooded my downstairs. He made good on the repairs but I know never to use these again.
But... the internet told me "just as good" "stop being afraid of innovation" "you're afraid these will take your job". Turns out if it ain't broke, don't fix it, it really holds true.
Yeah maybe you shouldn't use that plumber again either
Is the orange tool not also used to mark the correct insertion depth on the pipe? Ooops!
I wish they had a double o ring design
That looks lit it will star leaking the moment you get off the job site
Shark bites are ok for very temporary issues. I use them while diagnosing slab leaks on manifolds before soldering it back together.
never use sharkbite. you only deburred the outside, you must deburre the inside as well
Sharkbites make work easy for lazy plumbers and DIY'ers. They also help keep real plumbers employed by faithfully leaking later on and thus generating service calls for real plumbers to come and fix.
the water equilavient of snap on MC connectors
Those things leak all the time but some municipalities made it legal to put them behind walls and hard to reach places to save homeowners money. Don’t hate the plumbers when you didn’t wanna pay up to tear walls down and have the pipes done right
the way they work is, you put the pipe in it and then have it leak out of sight until wood starts to rot and you see black mold on your wall, then you will have to tear down your wall to take the fitting off of the pipe and put it in the garbage where it belongs and then use a proper copper coupling with flux and solder. take the extra 5 minutes it takes to solder or use and actual press tool.
This concept has been in the automotive industry on fuel lines from what I've seen commonly from the mid early 90s to present. I wonder who stole the idea from who. There are a lot of crossover, its interesting stuff
still need to deburr the inside of your cut. otherwise youll be transporting metal slivers through your system.
In my area the codes clearly state shark bites are allowed in any enclosed application. And remember photographs don't steal your soul either.
Well demonstrated
Sharpened the burrs, good job.
For all the haters. Had poly pipes for 25 years, finally one joint leaked, replaced with pex using a shark bite, 5 years later, all good. Don’t assume
Shark bites rly are just good for water heater installations cuz they’ll last as long as new water heaters nowadays
These are fine as long as they are accessible. You don't want these to be hidden in the walls or out of sight.
that's good advice but they're rated for underground as well so that's not necessarily true but is good practice for sure
Installing, piece of cake.. removing, absolutely nightmare 😂
I bought those when they 1st came out there was more on reasonable prices but now they're crazy price my personal opinion
My fingers know a thing or 2 cause they've seen a thing or 2...😂
NEVER PUT BEHIND A WALL OR ENCLOSURE.
UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE SUED WHEN IT LEAKS
NOT IF BUT WHEN
You also want to deburr inside, or it will create torentual water flow that will eat away at inside of pipe
I see why plumbers hate these things. These seem like a pretty good idea.
You should do a follow-up on how they don't work
I use a .50 cal chamfer/deburring tool for reloading and the sharkbite thing just for measurements
A plumber told me not to use them in a wall.
How many psi can it handle? Could you use it with gas?
I love these. My pipes kept freezing, even with the water running. It was below -30F here recently. I went below the house, cut the pipe, put one of these with a valve on in its spot, and now I have a quick spot to access to feed the 40 feet of tubing down toward the well to thaw it
"How the sharkbite works..."
"It Don't"
All of these plumbers are just worried about their jobs.they work great
There have been "shark bite" type fittings in the automotive industry for the past 3 decades. About time yall get with the program
Crazy that they 50 year warranty those fittings. I was changing out some rubber in some 15yo valves the other day & the material just doesn't last.
How do you change one out when it leaks?
Now you can have TWO burrs for the price of one!
In the uk we call these tectite been out for years we also have plastic ones called speedfit hep20 and Flomasta there’s other brands aaswell
What about the internal burrs that you can clearly see?
great for emergency use only.
I noticed the tooth marks on his pipe from being installed before then removed. Those tooth burrs will rip up the O-rings if you don't polish out the tooth burrs.
these got installed in our house after 5 years they started leaking everywhere when the company that installed our water system came back they were taking things apart and the oring's in these fittings were the cause they all rotted out just like a leaking faucet.
he said its common and the chlorine in the water degrades the oring's
we ended up switching to copper and solder.
If O rings are the problem then pressed fittings wouldn't work either, and they are everywhere. Just about no one still solders fittings here in europe.
Gotta deburr inside too.
While this looks interesting, it looks like they could have used at least two o-rings to help with leaks
I've used many of these, not a single leak-- if you prep the pipe/deburr as he shows, they work great.
Ok cool they sell a tool to deburr the outside edge, now what about the inside one or will that not affect the o ring
looks like a buna o-ring. They have a 10 year shelf life.
We have had these in the UK since the late 90s there called tectite over here, they are very good why does hardly anyone trust them in the US? I’m a plumber and my dad is a plumber he tested a blank end on a pipe and I held up to 100 bar before we took the pressure out the soldered blank blew off at 20 bar
You should only use shark bites for a temporary fix. If you live in cold weather,never use outdoors. If pipe freeze and expands. Well that shark bite will blow off. I sweat my copper pipes,or sodder. And I prefer pex and stainless steel rings.
Working for IAPMO R&T laboratories, I can tell you that the testing of push-fit fittings is grueling! I have tested many of the sharkbite brand fittings and they stand up to high pressure and temperature in the shoulder term very well. The fittings design concept is sound but the rubber is the weak link. One other thing to note is the "sharkbite" brand fittings are the best ones. The other brands I have tested are not great. Also, if you're considering using this type of fittings, stay away from the double o-ringed copper versions of these. They are terrible!
Laboratory setting and real life applications are two different dimensions. I can’t tell you how many SharkBite fittings I replaced because they leaked and caused property damage.
Sharkbite work for temporary connections, In accessible locations. Even though they can be removed i would only use them as single use. O rings fail.
You forget to do the inside of the pipe. Burrs in the pipe causes whistling during water flow.
Always wondered. Do the fittings pass/conduct the electrical ground ?
I'm an electrician. The answer is Yes. They sure do pass conductivity. I've ohmed them out and they do conduct a means of Grounding.
I would have thought the orings would break ground, just a plumber though
As a trainee renovator I’m sorry I listened to my boss when he told me to use shark bites on all fittings for a shower 🤦🏽, i didn’t know plumbing so I naturally went to UA-cam to study and saw shark bites aren’t as good as pressed, i did mention using the press method but he said shark bites were better and cheaper although I’m sure he was wrong, and it would have cost me nothing to pick up the tool for myself and just use the press method
He wasn’t even a plumber either just a general handyman, i thought I was gonna learn from him but I’ve learned more online than with him and my coworkers
I’m uncomfortable that you didn’t debut the inner edge of the copper pipe. That will score the white inner nylon flange.
What about the inside edge
People complain but everything is temporary in this life. Even couplings go bad. Sometimes customers have budgets and can’t afford a brand new pipe.
That tool is putting a champer on the outside and doing nothing for the inside which is just as important.
The chamfer on the outside ensures there's no sharp material left that could potentially cut the o-ring as you slide the tube into the fitting. It's a critical step. Leaving the inside of the tube edge rough is bad workmanship but it's not "just as important."
Why do you think it's just as important?
Good thing o rings don't fail
Slivers, which we call “burrs”.
Continues to call them slivers.
I've had fittings like this fail, but only slightly, and flood a house over a weekend away...the rubber seal degrades over time and WILL fail, thus providing future work...
and we all know that o ring seals never go bad right?
I like the part where you show us how you put it on
Shark bites aren’t a permanent thing, neither is pro press. As a mechanic do you know how many dried up O-rings I’ve had to change? I don’t care what you think, the rubber will dry out and shrink causing a slow leak over time.
It seems they have figured out how to make plumbing part of the planned obsolescence thing
Can it last year over years?
... not to mention the drywall-enclosed waterfall-effect you get if the Sharkbyte goes through a few heating and cooling cycles
Lifetime employment for future plumbers, because O rings don't last forever.
This video should be very self-explanatory of why you should never use a shark bite fitting only in an emergency if that’s all you have, and cannot get it sweated until a professional can do it O-rings where out and leak
How long till the o-ring fails?
But the tool doesn’t clean the inside of the pipe?