I have done a lot of plumbing; especially re-model plumbing in commercial and residential buildings over the years and Shark Bites can save your butt on occasion. I have used them even above textured ceilings for copper repair; however it's best to use a regular 1/2 or 3/4 inch brass compression union - they simply will not fail and they can be disconnected to drain if necessary w/o any degradation in sealing ability. Recently, I did extensive remodel/new on a 3 million dollar house - I was not the prime heating contractor but I did switch out and temporarily re-route the existing hot water system while the new construction was being integrated into the existing. Shark Bites made the job so much less labor intensive especially considering it was a short term arrangement. What totally surprised me is that the primary hot water heating contractor used Shark Bites in 90% of his installation beginning immediately out of the brass manifolds. He claimed that he had no problems in all the jobs he had done and that it was an accepted practice.
The key is knowing what fittings are available from which companies and using the correct fitting for the situation. I recently installed 2 hybrid water heaters and PTC fittings are the solution I used. I used 3/4” Push to Connect CTS x 3/4” Female Threaded Swivel Elbow, along with a PTC-Tee for a copper to PEX transition. The option was not available from other manufacturers but was the correct fitting for the job.
I'm a service plumber, and I can tell you I have made some money replacing leaking sharkbites. Professionally.... They are the BEST temporary repair. Perfect to get the water back on till the weekend or till your plumber is available. Decent for a customer with a tight budget, who can't afford the (IMO) professional solder repair, but needs the water on. Handfuls of these caps for isolating manifolds for a leaking slab pipe. Are they good? They're great, but that oring does leak, I've frequently seen them go in 5 years and less (possibly installation errors too though) . I have found solder joints 60 yrs old and so much tinsile strength that the old pipe will rip before the joint breaks. How can the o ring top that? Would never think of building a house with oring fittings, i could risk one here or there, but that would also be insanely expensive
It could be that they are leaking because the installer did not debar the pipe before sliding on the Sharkbite fitting....they sell a tool to debur but I know that many do not...
@@johnstumbaugh4941 there's a lot of reasons they leak, but i will say I just removed 2 sharkbite couplings from some 1" pex about 3 days ago, improperly seated. What was the Professional repair? Not another sharkbite lol my point is they kept their water on till there was a cast of limescale on the pipe. The professionals General won't rely on them, and the general public seems good at showing them to me leaking. Seems to take a professional to know how to install them. They really do work pretty good IF correctly installed. But it is usually just as easy and cheaper to use more trusted style of fitting, unless it's a minimum repair, one or 2 fittings for someone with no tools.
The legend brand looks like it reduces the 1/2 inch pipe to about a quarter inch capacity, maybe 3/8 at best. It seems to me that could present some real pressure and volume issues if more than one or two existed in any run. Even the plastic pex connectors reduce flow more than I like. I use brass barbed pex fittings or Shark Bite almost exclusively for that reason.
I have sharkbite fittings in my house. Since 2014 and they are great. I installed them myself, saved 600$ that the plumber wanted to charge me. Although, I am well aware the risks i am glad i took them
I have done quite a bit of plumbing with PTC connectors and certainly would not go back to copper and sweat connections. I have used all types of PTC connectors but I truly depend on Shark Byte fittings but I would be subject to change for something as dependable but more cost effective. I am now going to try the pex crimp fittings but at 75 I hope to have at least another 25 years to test everything.
I would put EvoPex in my homes. Just learned about that a couple months ago and am impressed. They have a very long replacement warranty on that system...I think 25 yrs.
and I don't think uponor has paid out a single dime due to failure- or was that viega propress? If you only have a single job, then these push connects seem like a viable choice. However, if each fitting is the same or more expensive than shark bite (5-10 dollars a fitting) it is way cheaper to go with uponor propex, and extremely cheap to do standard crimp/clamp pex, even with pro grade tools.
I like PTC for exposed fitting only, especially water supply valves as those often need to be replaced and are in hard to reach locations, in cabinets, tucked behind toilets, so the PTC quarter turn ball valves are the way to go, so you doing for new construction these are nice because it allows for easy replacement down the road. I can't see the ptc's saving enough time to be worth the extra money compared to crimp fittings for PEX.
All these people that say Push to Connect fittings are junk and will leak, base their claims off thin air. Basically they were told sharkbites are junk by someone, who also based their claim off of nothing, other than assuming. I've been a plumber for 18 years now and have never once had any style of PTC fitting ever fail on me. Besides that, the main reason I have so much confidence in them is because I use them for compressed air. I have pumped them up with literally 300 psi (way past specs) and they hold no problem. I have tested PVC glue fittings (just for fun) under air pressure and they always burst around 90 psi. The beauty of PTC fittings is that the more pressure, the tighter the seal on the ring.
Restoration/water mitigation companies love you contractors who use the push connect in your remodels. Eventually they will fail over time and you have a mess or a very large claim. Insurance companies always want to know what was the source of the leak and sometimes want the pipe or the device that leaked in order to subjugate the maker of the device or the contractor who installed it.
I had a house with polybutylene plumbing that had to be replaced with copper so I am generally against plastic plumbing. That being said, I'm starting to warm up to PEX. I feel, however, that I would be more comfortable with a crimp system than a push to connect for in-wall plumbing. Under sinks or spaces with exposed plumbing I think the push to connect is an option. I do like the double O-ring, but I know for a fact that O-ring is just not going to last as long as the PEX.
PE-RT stands for Polyethylene of Raised Temperature and despite the name like High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) except its.. higher density. The density comes from the number of tie chains in the polymer. PE by it self is a thermoplastic and it is not UV stable. That raises a few serious alarm bells. The fact that the pipe could be recyclable is a really silly quality because its a long term use product with much lower volume compared to say milk cartons. Generally speaking PVC is still going to be used for domestic water where PE-RT is mostly used for radiant heating.
EPMD is using in some automotive coolant hoses good for about 250 F max, it's probably a better idea to use copper behind the wall or high use areas. Obviously the advantages of the flexible hoses is welcome, especially in tight areas to plumb, and resistance to weather damage.
Still sold on pex-a after using it I will never use anything else. The thicker interior components in those new fittings will definitely affect flow rate.
I like the components and construction of the Legend... however... not a fan of the internal aspect of it. Please correct me if I'm wrong (I work with electric... not water... definitely not both at the same time), but wouldn't that restrict flow?
So with Legend, it does change the inside diameter of the pipe. I seem to remember something about pi R squared and area from high school, thus new water volume of the pipe
Please freeze test the hydropure PE-RT pipe and compare with PEX. I watched Legend Valve's video and they touted better burst pressure resistance in hydronic testing but no mention of resiliency to cold/freezing weather. Just wanted to know where it stacks up against PEX in this condition.
The problem with all these systems is the o-ring will always fail sooner than a GOOD solder joint, Pex has some issues with UV light and can't be used outside, old school lasted 100's of years, I've been replacing all that with Type l sweat copper, due to failing and causing thousands in damage, shark bites are used incorrectly by many buy may freeze and burst faster that copper...
Matt - great review. I don't have any experiance with the Legend product yet, but they appear superior to the Nibco and Sharkbite fittings and I'm willing to try them. I'd trust any of these fittings in any of my personal and rental homes as I've never had a leak when using, some have been installed over ten years on copper to copper and I was just under that house and still no leaks. Picked up a good tip from you on marking the pex pipe, if you could answer me one question please. Explain how you gauged the mark? Used the Sharkbite and Nibco fittings - love them, especially adapting copper to pex and in a hurry between jobs, where my time is valuable. The reduced time from my hourly rate more than pays for the fitting price.
How much does the Smart Click fitting reduce the ID to accommodate all the o-rings, clamp rings and the other stuff it uses? Sounds like you would need to transition 1/2" copper to 3/4" PEX and back to minimize the pressure drops at the squirty end?
Five years ago the "you have to get a professional plumber" types were saying Pex is bogus and SharkBite is out of the question. Sweating expensive, corrosion prone copper is the only way to go.... and of course you must have a "professional plumber" do all of the work. Now the "professionals" are swearing that Pex is the best and SharkBites are acceptable in certain situations. What a joke. I'll never let a "professional plumber" set foot in my house. Any Diy homeowner can do a better job themselves without having to go further than their local Home Depot and without paying stupid expensive "professional plumber" rates.
Despite the recommendation to measure and mark the pipe for Sharkbite connectors, I have yet to have a problem doing it by feel. There is initial resistance as it passes into the bite ring, and then again as it bottoms out in the connector. The Legend PTC connectors don't appear to have captured consumer market interest, as 3 years after this video, I didn't find any results for them at national companies (Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon).
I'm an Electrician by trade. I think the Unwritten rule in plumbing is the "Fifteen Year Rule". Usually we find products that hit the market after 15 or so years if they're good or bad products. Here in Central Florida many plumbing contractors are banning the use of CPVC. The local news did a clip about how the CPVC's glue is failing and causing leaks already 15 or so years later. Contractors locally now are only running copper or Pex. Period. Just my 2 cents. I personally like Sharkbite fittings and have used them for years. God bless.
Exactly !! big problem in MN, CPVC hot lines get real brittle after only a year, fittings crack at mold seams, Not great in a commercial application all pipe repairs need to be done at night due to the dry time on the glue, Plumbers get double time for night work so more expenses for service work, I only put in sweat copper type L with canfield solder or Uponor PEX only.--- pro press also uses o-rings, and guys are using it on type M copper, which you are not supposed to do. water eats rubber before metal, unless electrolysis or ph issues.
Yeah almost everything is pex now. Sharkbites are a no go in the plumbing business though. The cost is wayyyyyyyyy too high. Unless its just a small quick fix shark bites are never used in my company.
I hate CPVC.. my house is almost 15 years old and it’s plumbed with CPVC.. it’s not to a brittle state yet, but I’m hoping to not be living here before it becomes an issue.
I never see anyone stress the importance of beveling the outside of pipe used with sharkbite and sharkbite like fittings. The sharp straight edge of Pex tubing, copper, or CPVC pipe can definitely cut the internal o-ring causing a leak that will ruin your day and test your liability insurance.
Agreed. Every anecdotal story I hear about Sharkbite failures seems to be due to improper prep and installation - exactly as will happen if you don't do proper prep and installation of any other connection system. Especially sweating.
When it comes to non traditional plumbing connections, I like to use known dependability. Shark bite has me hooked but legend is intriguing. Going to wait for your pressure test before I put one blue collar dollar on it though.
Something I think you didn't notice that makes a huge difference. Both the Evo and legend have a defect that really ruins it for me and anyone with volume or pressure issues. The connectors drop you down nearly an entire size. The I.D. of a ¾ fitting is closer to ½ for example. For most systems that is not acceptable. I personally will never use them for that reason alone.
I'd found a SharkBite removal tool that resembles a pair of tongs, and is A LOT easier for removal than the half moon-shaped original. Maybe $12-15 , but it's worth having instead of a headache. I'd used their PTC fittings a bit, and at least for the last 5 years I hadn't had a drip from any of them @ 70psi.
Would be nice to see how they stack up. Also have you ever thought about trying to do a flow test? I would think a disadvantage of having the o-rings on the inside would be the fitting choking the flow.
I have used many shark bites when necessary and have reused many. With PEX you don’t need inserts, it is stiff enough. First time I heard of legend making these, but they look like an excellent product. I have never had a problem with shark bites, but as a plumbing contractor I have reservations about concealing in walls, even though they were recently approved by our plumbing code
Yep. One of the best things about Sharkbite is they are almost fully open. I try to avoid any PEX connectors that have thicker inserts that reduce the flow. PEX already has a smaller I.D. than copper, why reduce it further at every fitting?
11 years on my water heater connection. 3/4 inch and not failed yet. Central Florida here too. Keeping my fingers crossed tho until I replace the heater in a year or 2
65 year old house. Solder copper everywhere. So far Sharkbite has helped me through every project. Fast, clean and so far all fittings even from over 10 years ago dry as a bone. No leaks and tie ins and build ons have been a breeze.
@@dank.459 Might be time to find a new job. If you can't get a sharkbite to work you might be too dumb to do anything. late 90s, had a pin hole leak in crawl space of ski resort condo. We gently sanded the outside of the copper. got all the tools ready. Turned the water off, cut the pipe in 2 spots, entire building of water poured out while we cut pushed in a shark bite valve. Turned the water back on, guest service didn't got a single call. We expected some calls about air in the line but we were so fast no one noticed. Went back before the spring of the lock down. Sure enough the valve we put in was still there and 0 signs of failure or leaking. Sharkbites won't last forever but they will out most sweat connections. Especially ones that are done in a hurry. The resort which manged 43 condo building official policy is to only use push in connectors and Pex b products to do repairs. ironically new building are often have to put int he same crappy sweat copper per code.
Only problem I see from the legend system is flow restriction, you may have problems with 1/2" lines to shower valves and it may require up sizing to get the same results as a traditional connection.
For the price of those couplers, having the ability to remove them is quite a game changer for me personally. Plus if you want to make changes later on, you can and that adds a ton of value to a good plumbing system. Legend: "Ooops, I needed a T in there not the Y...crap...oh well, I guess I have to cut it off now." Sharkbite: "No problem, let me just remove this again real quick" As for the marking, if you make a small template with a pen holder, it is quick and easy and with all the connection close to each other, you can mark them all at once, we are not that cheap with time, but we sure like convenience and reusability/upgradeability .
It's fine *inside* or in spaces where crimp tools or soldering is impractical, but those seals make for a mid-term liability and trash in the long run.
@@stewartstewartstewart partially true in EU push connector are used but for ground water installations in buildings we use press or screw fittings for alumpast (pex/al/pex) or pex pipes. In some parts of europe with lower quality standards like spain you could see a push connectors inside building too. Real plumbers in my part of EU (central europe) use a hydraulic press clamps to install fittings and all fittings have 2 seals if you see a plumber with only a hand clamps or even with push connectors (one seal) for indor use run away
PEX expansion fittings! No flow lose due to inserts, expensive milwaukee power tool but easy one handed application and my old bones can still work all day long. I'm assuming better prices than the Legend and I know it cheaper than sharkbite
The legend fittings look like what I've been wanting for those spots where a water heater is sitting in front of a broken line. I would spend the extra money if I was sure the fix would go from a 5 year durability to a 20 year and didn't require me becoming a contortionist.
I've used sharkbite on water heater. It is exposed and easy to see/fix leaks, and connected water heater only expected to last 6 to 15 years, so about the same expiration date. I'd never consider using a push on connection behind/inside a wall. Save (maybe) a few bucks, spend thousands to fix.
@@MyFortressConstruction I've tried to use sharkbite on toilet before. But even after deburring copper line then polishing with wet emery cloth, two different turn off valves had very slight leak (only seen using tissue below the valve). I ended up using a standard 5/8 of compression fitting, immediately no more leak. So, maybe the 3/4" sharkbites are just more likely to work?
@@JasonW. The larger the diameter of the pipe, the less resistance it has to deformation. A shark bite fitting, unlike the legend, has only one O-ring with a bearing surface of around 1mm on the pipe and it relies on that pipe being perfectly, or almost perfectly, round and without any damage running perpendicular to the O-ring (probably the issue with your leaking shutoffs). What I like about these legend fittings is that they not only increase the bearing surface by doubling the O-rings, but they also introduce an additional force onto the pex pipe which forces it into a more even circumference and puts more pressure on the O-rings. The problem though is that the already narrow ID of the pex pipe is narrowed even further by the fitting.
PE-RT tubing and pipe are sold in coils and straight lengths. Definition: PE-RT is a polyethylene (PE) resin in which the molecular architecture has been designed such that a sufficient number of tie chains are incorporated to allow operation at elevated or raised temperatures (RT). Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), a type of flexible plastic, is currently replacing traditional copper and galvanized steel as water supply lines in both new construction and remodeling projects. ... PEX pipe remains popular for radiant floor heating. ... Red PEX pipe carries hot water. I was trained as a metallurgist, so the above organic chemistry is little out of my wheelhouse. However both PE-RT and PEX-red are polyethylene that apparently have lots of cross-linked molecules that give them added creep strength at higher temperatures.
I am not a licensed plumber, but have done a bit of remodeling in the house me and my wife purchased 3 years ago. I also owned a double wide modular home, and have done extensive plumbing work for an ex-landlord for well over 20 years. During my time with repairing, remodeling, or installing fresh water lines I have always used shark bites since their debut and have been very pleased with their versatility, durability, and longevity. I have had only a few issues with them not connecting fully or just a bad connector in general. I layed new water lines in the floor for my wifes mom before purchasing the home from her and over the winter before moving in, there was no electricity for the heat, I live in NY so we get real cold winters and this one was no exception, one week of below zero temps and the lines did indeed freeze. The PCPV pipes I used as well as the shark bite connectors held with no issues, the remaining copper lines all but burst, cracked, or the joints that were welded all snapped apart. All the products shown here are very useful, some better than others. If I built a brand new house, I wouldn't be afraid or worried about using them.
well...I can add to that... I learned to sweat copper in 1967... so, I would like to say, it's a PIA now, in comparison, because of all these new alternatives, for the most part but sure beat the days of leading pipes, threading galv or black...I think Sharks have been around appr 20 years now... one day I was in the plumbing supply store and had some Shark fittings sitting in front of me and another plumber was busting my chops saying Whatsa madder, can't solder? I said, well Smart-ass let me ask you this...what's your time worth...when I use these things, I would bet big bucks that I could be on my second water heater install before you finish 'soldering' your first... so to really return the insult I said... you must be an employee and not the owner of the business advertised on your shirt because the owners are concerned about time and turnaround to keep their guys working, as well as quality...and you have a good day too junior.
@@robwest1297, good point. I have a friend who was a plumber for over three decades. He is a flint of plumbing information. He also has neurological issues and his hands shake a lot. I can’t help but wonder if exposure to all of the acid from soldering, chemicals in his trade contributed d his current medical issues.
I don’t really see the point personally. Maybe just for repair work on pex. A 1/2” smart click elbow runs at nearly $6, a tee is over $7. I use Uponor expansion pex which is fast enough not to use push fittings. Uponor makes nice manifolds also which cuts down the number of connections in a house. I also don’t feel a need for shark bites on copper with ProPress around.
Completely agree. At this price the only reason to use these is for an inexperienced home owner to fix it on their own. At the moment uponor is the way to go and even that is a little pricey.
Pity the homeowner having to decide the pros and cons of each of these fittings. They are supposed to make the DIY jobs easier, but the result is getting brain-damage from having to decide which system to use on a major home renovation. Making a wrong decision could be a disaster because some of these new products might not be around 10 years from now.
I had a bear of a time pulling the pex off an apollo crimp fitting AFTER removing the crimp ring, had to use tools! The pex deforms over the barbs very solid system, $50 tool is a nice bonus and way more reliable than a push connect
August Damn straight. In a sealed wall or floor for me is only brazed copper or rehau/(pex ring/sleeve style) I find Bpress acceptable in accessible areas. If I found my apprentices using PTC on my jobs they would be unemployed other than a temporary/emergency cap and seal
If you live in a climate that never freezes cpvc is the way to go it is cheap easy and fast but would not recommend for places that have any chance of freezing
I trust Sharkbite even behind walls but always regardless Sharkbite or copper install an access panel whenever possible. I will start to use Legend if I can find them.
I certainly see the benefit of push connectors I’ve been a professional home repair man for over 30 years and I have use them on tight and difficult locations where open flame is not advisable. But a new home construction I’m still leaning towards compression fittings or solder.
@@tranderrick I just completed a job using mostly pex and I really enjoyed it it was easy to work with and I went with the shark bite crimp System that you can buy it Lowes
At 3:13, Matt points out that a rubber EPDM gasket inside the shark bite is the only thing that provides waterproofing for the pipe fitting. No kidding? And this fitting is being installed in homes as a permanent solution? Can anybody trust a simple rubber gasket to last 20, 30, 50 or more years without that gasket deteriorating and the fitting failing? I would NEVER rely on that system, and pity the homeowners who purchased a house with this system installed in their plumbing. Imagine the tsunami of lawsuits that will be certain to come around the bend…
Most plumbers are professionals with reputations to protect and they are using these fittings and pipe. Codes allow them. My question is I.D., time test, and rodents.
Ive heard a lot say that they help make them money. I personally haven’t had to fix any before aside from one job about a month ago where two failed but they failed due to pvc and one copper just not being seated correctly.
That's the first thing I thought of. I've done alot of wrenching in my life, and o-rings fail! No doubt someone will say that the material of this o-ring is designed not to fail. Not sure if I wanna find out.
Yes. I don't like the chance that one or more of the teeth scrape across the sealing surface and potentially create a leak upon re-use if the pipe isn't cut back.
With the internal stiffeners of all of these fittings, the pipe rating is reduced because it reduces the internal diameter of the tube (you're only rated as high as your narrowest point in the tube). Some of these fittings look like they are thicker than others and therefore would rate lower than others. It would be good to know how these compare to one another because it would affect the pressure and flow rate of the system.
It would take a large number of these fittings in your system to really have any impact. I would expect no more than 3 or 4 of these in any system prior to an outlet. If they have a pressure drop that's really high like 1 psi that would be a 4 psi pressure drop at your delivery. In most modern municipal water fed plumbing systems this would be insignificant. If you are on your own water well water supply with a weak pump and a large plumbing system than you might be concerned but in those cases the flow velocity would be reduced and your pressure drop through the fittings would be even less.
@@dollyhadbraces9361 per code has nothing to do with the amount of pressure drop you actually see in a system. Yes when you build a system it needs to meet code. When you calculate pressure drop that is governed by physics and not code.
I have worked in building maintenance for over 20 years and the last five taking care of geared to income gov housing - so i’ve seen failures with basically every type of system out there - from what I have seen - it’s almost always an installation step-skipped or someone rushing - possibly even, a one in a thousand connector - that contained a slight defect (possibly) or maybe even a shark bite type connector that someone removed improperly before, maybe even more then once. Now that being said as far as maintenance goes for drains i would personally vote for ABS every time anytime - other then for toilet flanges - it reigns supreme in my world - That wasn’t my opinion however just a few years ago I would have touted copper drains as a 100 year install, which for a homeowner it almost always is - but in low income you have tenants that can at times, pour anything and everything down the drain. To the point I have one in particular, that needs annual, yes annual, copper toilet drain pipe replacement due to pin holes. Sounds unbelievable right, yeah I know. I should mention - This isn’t some sloppy installation where to much flux was used that ate the copper pipe over time or some thin walled el cheap o copper pipe. This is professionally installed copper by a license plumber (I can’t do everything at my sites, and thankfully, I didn’t at least in this case) that’s been eaten through three times - now - at the 90 - around the one year mark - we have some theory’s as to what maybe going on but hard to say for sure. ABS seems to me to resist acids better from what i’ve experienced, although due to “it’s plastic, “ I wouldn’t have thought so - I was proved otherwise. Now supply lines are a mixed bag to me and I personally like copper and I ain’t some grey haired old dude, just yet - my experience started young, due to family business in maintenance. I like copper feeds - easy to work with I have yet to see any catostraphic failures even when exposed to freezing and over pressure - which I can’t say the same for pex. Copper will pin hole over enough time, but can be bandaided easily and reworked easily and it’s standard. The worst part about pex IMO is the competing types, also shark bites don’t help with more types knock offs and smaller then normal ID’s especially when barbed fittings are used after say a hot water heater. Can become maintenance issue due to low flow and even clogs as the sacrificial metal inside the hot water tank erodes. Anyway love the build show - keep up the great work - just throwing in my two cents take it for what it’s worth - possibly not much lol. cheers
They did do ok not them but I've seen pressure test and shark bite did really well. Same as per pipe did better than copper pipe for freezing . PEX will split but will expand and shrink if it doesn't split. Cooper always splits
ptc futtings can make an impossible connection possible. O ring performance has an 80 year history....why all the fuss? when you fly, you're dependimg on about 8000 o-rings to get you there safely
These fittings are great, and they have their place. However, those rubber o-rings being the only thing between watertight and disaster leave me with a very difficult time trusting one of these inside a wall..
@TheCheesePlease No... you really can't. There is a big difference between the physical connection that a crimped fitting makes, and the connections that a rubber washer makes. And what's with the comment about PEX being better because it can freeze? We arn't debating about why you should use PEX, we are debating about why a crimped PEX fitting is better than a chinnsy rubber washer...
@@SuperDd40 Oops, I should have been more clear. I never said they were rated for in wall instuallation, my comment was more directed towards the comments made in the video about how some contractors are using them in walls.
+SuperDd40 Could be for several reasons. Could be a temp issue, nail or screw through wall could penetrate it without you knowing, PEX moves around a lot more than traditional pipe (constant abrasion), vermin can chew through it easier.
Copper can errode somewhat due to water softners. But if the rubber seal does last, that PTC is way faster and less tools than sweating. I wouldn't put one in a wall though.
@@RPostWVU The only in-wall sharkbite plumbing I've used so far is the master bath shower. I left myself an access door in my closet. It was a whole lot easier than sweating those connections for the new shower valve. No problems so far, but it's only been a couple to three years.
I'm a homeowner builder, not a pro, but I've done quite a bit of crimp pex plumbing for my home. Aside from the cost factor of sharkbite and the similar push fittings, I'm kind of a guy who likes to keep things simple. Fewer moving parts, fewer mechanical dependencies, usually means greater reliability overall. Plus, depending on a EPDM gasket to keep my plumbing secure and home flood-free, well, I'm not there yet. I've got EPDM gaskets on some strainers that I have in my (tankless) hot water closet, but that's about it. (I've also got a wet deck and drain in that closet should some plumbing fitting in that closet fail, to control flooding to that local area. So, I'm willing to take more risks there than say, with a sharkbite fitting embedded in my second story home's wall.)
I rub some silicone grease on the O-ring on my sharkbite. Hopefully it will prevent the o-ring from drying out. Also prevent the o-ring from scratching during installation. I only use sharkbite for quick fix. they are too expensive for whole house installation. I also always have 1/2 and 3/4 shark bite cap. in emergency repair off hours, i could cut out the pipe and Shark Bite Cap that pipe come back tomorrow when all the stores are open. not a professional plumber but owner of 27 units rental properties and buying fixer upper to renovate.
I'll stick to sweating copper......I'm 40 and have been sweating copper for 25 years....I'll put my quality copper job up against pex any day as far as fit and finish
@@plumberguy1689 I am also one of the sweat it old guys. But I love new inventions! But sweat just seems like a more secure and dependable install without expensive replacements. And I can sweat a street ell to a valve inside a Cracker Jack box without scorching the pop corn! Without any leaks! And labor saving? It took work to produce that extra cash to buy these things!
@@MrHarvywallbanger I disagree. I have worked with both old copper and old steel. The corrosion in steel is a horrible attribute of that element. I have see steel pipe closed up so badly due to corrosion water will no longer pass. I have never seen that with copper pipe. Steel pipe is better for fire suppression but only because those stay dry until needed, and they are not effected by a fires high temps like a soldered copper joint.
History British manufacturer Hepworth Building Products (founded 1936 in Doncaster) introduced these fittings under the brand Hep2O in 1980. It was a grey plastic material for the first couple of decades. The pipe is Polybutylene. There was a reusable fitting that could be unscrewed and a slimmer single-use fitting which could not. A new grab washer was required each time if a joint was reused. Stainless pipe inserts were used for internal support. Hepworth was acquired by Wavin in 2005[1]. Hep2O changed material and design in the 2000s to a smooth white plastic and a push-to-demount design. This gives a physically smaller fitting that is easier to release, especially in a confined space. John Guest (Established in 1961, West Drayton, UK) developed the Speedfit push-fit connector for compressed air use in 1974, and introduced plumbing fittings in 1987 [2]. These fittings are white plastic, and are unscrewable to replace components, like Hep2O, but also have a push-release mechanism. Speedfit uses plastic pipe support inserts. Brass demountable push-fit fittings are manufactured By Pegler under the brand Tectite. In the US several different brands are available. Sharkbite, PlumBite, Nibco Push, which are all brass, demountable, similar to the Pegler Tectite design. Some fittings are only designed for plastic (PEX and PERT) pipe and are non-removable. In the US, Legend Valve make a single-use push-fit system, and Sharkbite have one called EvoPex. SharkBite was introduced to the USA market in 2004. SharkBite is an efficient and reliable push-to-connect plumbing system that replaces the high cost and labor-
@@rodneybrand8521 I was telling my wife this exact same thing as we watched this video lol. Hes not a plumber anybody who is gonna make videos glorifying push on fittings for permanent use clearly isnt a plumber and does not know much about plumbing. I think its really cool how this guy was able to parlay the fact hes a general contractor into being a somewhat construction celebrity here on youtube though. I mean hes got companies paying him to make videos like this and sending him free stuff.
@@PlumbingExplained He's not glorifying anything u douche. He's just showing people what's out there. He's not for or against and in one of his earlier video`s he says straight out he wouldn't`t use in a hidden location or inside a wall. He gives you the inside look and it's on you to decide for yourself.
Shark bite fittings have a tool to take them off please nobody twist and pull on the fitting it has a release coller on it. Please see other videos before taking advice from one person
Being a licensed plumber I will say these fittings have use in certain situations. But I would never bury a mechanical fitting behind a wall or under a floor.
I am a plumbing contractor and I've seen two homes damaged from SharkBite fittings. One of them the lady was in Florida for the what a mess. It was attached to a water heater the bronze part of the SharkBite deteriorated. It wasn't until neighbor saw water running down the after filling the all the flooring on first floor had to be replaced I would never hide or bury one of these feelings behind a wall
@@sewerat11 LOL, what about the other 95% of you call outs for traditional copper/pex failures... Or are you claiming you never saw copper joints fail? Cause
As a remodeler, I use PTC fittings all the time. I like the removability of the Sharkbite. You can put a cap on a line to get the water back on and then take it off later. But, per manufacturer recommendations, I would never put one in an inaccessible place ie..inside walls.
@@fungiuse You are not supposed to use sharkbite fittings in inaccessible areas because the seal is reliant upon a rubber O-ring that can fail over time.
@@stunnerdoc you are right, I misstated. Sharkbite claims that they are guaranteed safe up to 25 years, but how many people change out their plumbing every 25 years?
I've gotten several jobs where they blew up in the walls. I only use them in basements or for quick caps or connects for pressure testing the pex, then swap em out. I've definitely definitely seen them freeze and blow. They are convenient, but a propress or pex crimper is just barely more inconvenient. Don't trust these jammies too far x because of they do fail you are fucked
Every mechanic: yep been dealing with push lock connections for years. Fuel, ac, big truck air etc Every plumber: the union says... If it's good enough for brake lines on a semi truck (air and we know that air pulses destroy PVC) and in a much harsher environment than a stationary temperature controlled house.
Not true, sorry. I am a plumber who also works on vehicles and push to fit connections on vehicles use a smooth tapered male end specially designed not to harm the oring in the female fitting. With shark bite, you're forcing it onto a pipe that definitely has damaging sharp edges (even plastic pipes!) Unless you specifically removed them and did a good job doing it. Even the slightest ridge can and will cause a leak eventually. Not so with automotive style push to connect connectors!
Dave Wolf Agreed. I have no opinion other than PTC will never go in my house or one of my jobs. One little drip over the years will f your house up. It’s not about trade protectionism
Timothy Dillon as a plumber I will whole heartily say you don’t know what your talking about. With a vehicle, a leak escapes the vehicle and goes to the ground. A leak in a house can cost you thousands. Any mechanical joint has no business inside a finished wall. Period end of conversation.
Ptc fittings are fine with me. When they leak I get called to fix them properly. Everyone seems interested in repairing waterlines, no one wants to take our shitty work.
They work fine for decades in municipal water lines buried underneath city streets, O-rings in your car are subject to much higher physical stresses, including temperature and pressure
Nick Makris International space station has these same type o rings keeping the air astronauts breath from escaping to the vacuum of space. They can be very reliable but I still wouldn’t trust them in a wall.
I renovated my 106yr old Victorian in 05 and used the Sharkbites on a quick fix to supply heat to my basement cast iron radiators. 15yrs ago. I’m impressed.
I used pex and SharkBite over a decade ago where it has been regularly subjected to freezing temperatures. Zero problems since. Push connections didn’t require use of solder or torch which would have been a fire hazard in the old wood structure. These newer options are worth considering.
Any amateur can push together SharkBite and it can be rotated and separated whenever needed. Can’t do that with soldered or crimped connections. It’s just another available option to choose from. Use whatever suits your needs.
@@Private-GtngxNMBKvYzXyPq: I agree, any amateur can do it, but there’s a 40 yr ‘professional plumber’ commenting on this video who says he can’t get them to work at all and that they’re complete garbage, lol.
For residential purposes, that's really a non-issue. You're not going to see that become an issue until you reach into industrial applications, and by then you're using copper or galvanized pipes.
Just about all if not all Pex fittings go inside the pipe. You don't have to use the stiffener for copper or cpvc so it's a non issue there. Also just about all residential fixtures have flow regulating aerators or "water saving" shower heads so you wouldn't notice the difference in that slight reduction of diameter if it was present.
I had one day to move my pipe off the wall so I can water proof my basement and im not the best at soldering so I used the sharkbites with copper pipe. I have to say it's pretty awesome... But make sure you reem and deburr your pipe before inserting into the sharkbite or you can potentially have a leak
Yeah, if you need it for a few points, that's fine, but if you're doing a moderate or larger project, just buy the crimps and crimp tool. It will pay for itself and provide a connection that doesn't rely on a seal that'll fail more easily.
I disagree. If a valve is leaking me the home owner or landlord can repair- w a horse shoe in my glovebox. I do it once rather than hire a plumber I just paid for it 5 times over- when I retire I ll call the plumber
@@joulian0720 Matt was actually saying that the push to connect technology would become the norm in new construction. I don't think so. I taught a guy who is barely technical enough to put a roll of toilet paper in the holder, how to sweat copper pipe in 3min. Given that a 90 deg fitting is only $0.30 in copper and $9 in Sharkbite, I'll stick with sweat on copper over sharkbit wherever I can. However, for new projects, the simple crimp on 90s and tees in pex are crazy cheap and fast. Also, no o-rings to wear out! If a person isn't technical enough to sweat copper (from watching UA-cam), they probably shouldn't touch plumbing at all. Where Sharkbites really shine is in profesional service situations and for multi unit landloards. Regardless the plumbed technology (copper, PVC, Pex, etc) Sharkbite is compatible with it. Not true with this new style he's pushing. I believe he's being blinded to the negatives of this new style because they are a sponsor.
Not everybody is good at soldering and some plumbers are too lazy to do it right. My cold water copper pipes started to leak because the plumbers were dipping the copper pipes into the flux rather than brushing the flux onto the outside of the pipe. I found flux inside the pipe and pinholes downstream from every copper T fitting. The hot water pipes were not affected because the hot water flushed the flux away.
Always remove the plastic inserts inside sharkbites!! Those damn things always get in the way and cause the sharbites to refuse to position properly Note: forget the orange remover...they make tongs that remove sharkbite sssoooo much easier
A couple years ago we had a minor earthquake at my 1966 home in Oakland, CA. About 4 or 5 days later my wife was in our walk-in crawlspace to get something out of storage, and noticed it was wet. I investigated and discovered our 3/4-inch copper main water line, just as it entered our house foundation from outside, was leaking via a very small hole that the small earthquake caused. I believe it was a cracked solder joint, from the 3/4 inch main water line and the hose-bib one-foot higher, on the outside of our house, where the water line enters the house. The hole drilled into our foundation wall was only slightly larger that the 3/4 inch water line, but the minor earthquake must have caused a leak or solder crack as the house moved ever so slightly. I now wonder if some type of flexible pipe would have been more "minor earthquake friendly". My fear is that we only go into our crawlspace a few times a year to pull out stuff in storage, and the 5 or so days of leaking water added several hundred dollars to our water bill. I can't believe how lucky it was that my wife just happened to grab a suitcase and told me about the wet crawlspace. I later called EBMUD (our water company) what happened but they would not credit us the water leak. I'd add that we called what is considered the most high-end plumbing company in our area (Albert Naham Plumbing), I no longer use them because they are ridiculously expensive (but they also never screw up a job). They repaired the main line with new copper and used a battery-powered clamp tool that uses fittings that I'm certain uses pretty much the same type of o-rings. The plumber was super experienced and been in the trade forever, so I was expecting him to solder the new copper pipe.
1980+ homes with their copper always leaks. We had our 1990s condos and 2 regular homes get pinhole and slab leaks. So much so for the condos that the association redid everyone's home to pex. Best thing is the water pressure with pex and the much faster hot water due to the runs
@@donaldlee6760 any pipe going through a footer or foundation should have been sleeved with a pipe 2 pipe sizes larger than the 3/4" waterline, so basically the hole should have been filled with a 1"1/2 piece of pipe so that if the foundation ever moves it is left with a little play. It sounds like you didn't have that. I'm guessing codes in the 60's didn't require it.
As someone who has had a slab leak with copper in a late 80's house, I can tell you that it definitely leaks. No issues with the pex repipe after the fact and I can service it myself.
I have done a lot of plumbing; especially re-model plumbing in commercial and residential buildings over the years and Shark Bites can save your butt on occasion. I have used them even above textured ceilings for copper repair; however it's best to use a regular 1/2 or 3/4 inch brass compression union - they simply will not fail and they can be disconnected to drain if necessary w/o any degradation in sealing ability.
Recently, I did extensive remodel/new on a 3 million dollar house - I was not the prime heating contractor but I did switch out and temporarily re-route the existing hot water system while the new construction was being integrated into the existing. Shark Bites made the job so much less labor intensive especially considering it was a short term arrangement.
What totally surprised me is that the primary hot water heating contractor used Shark Bites in 90% of his installation beginning immediately out of the brass manifolds. He claimed that he had no problems in all the jobs he had done and that it was an accepted practice.
The key is knowing what fittings are available from which companies and using the correct fitting for the situation. I recently installed 2 hybrid water heaters and PTC fittings are the solution I used. I used 3/4” Push to Connect CTS x 3/4” Female Threaded Swivel Elbow, along with a PTC-Tee for a copper to PEX transition. The option was not available from other manufacturers but was the correct fitting for the job.
I'm a service plumber, and I can tell you I have made some money replacing leaking sharkbites. Professionally.... They are the BEST temporary repair. Perfect to get the water back on till the weekend or till your plumber is available. Decent for a customer with a tight budget, who can't afford the (IMO) professional solder repair, but needs the water on. Handfuls of these caps for isolating manifolds for a leaking slab pipe.
Are they good? They're great, but that oring does leak, I've frequently seen them go in 5 years and less (possibly installation errors too though) . I have found solder joints 60 yrs old and so much tinsile strength that the old pipe will rip before the joint breaks. How can the o ring top that?
Would never think of building a house with oring fittings, i could risk one here or there, but that would also be insanely expensive
I agree!
I used them for my shutoff valves in my tiny bathrooms. I live alone so felt it was worth the gamble.
It could be that they are leaking because the installer did not debar the pipe before sliding on the Sharkbite fitting....they sell a tool to debur but I know that many do not...
@@johnstumbaugh4941 there's a lot of reasons they leak, but i will say I just removed 2 sharkbite couplings from some 1" pex about 3 days ago, improperly seated. What was the Professional repair? Not another sharkbite lol my point is they kept their water on till there was a cast of limescale on the pipe. The professionals General won't rely on them, and the general public seems good at showing them to me leaking. Seems to take a professional to know how to install them.
They really do work pretty good IF correctly installed. But it is usually just as easy and cheaper to use more trusted style of fitting, unless it's a minimum repair, one or 2 fittings for someone with no tools.
The quality of the content of your video was great. Very impressive and useful. Will be waiting for more updates. Keep posting.
The legend brand looks like it reduces the 1/2 inch pipe to about a quarter inch capacity, maybe 3/8 at best. It seems to me that could present some real pressure and volume issues if more than one or two existed in any run. Even the plastic pex connectors reduce flow more than I like. I use brass barbed pex fittings or Shark Bite almost exclusively for that reason.
Came to the comments hoping someone pointed this out. Obviously negative not mentioned. Not a deal breaker, but should have been discussed.
I have sharkbite fittings in my house. Since 2014 and they are great. I installed them myself, saved 600$ that the plumber wanted to charge me. Although, I am well aware the risks i am glad i took them
I have done quite a bit of plumbing with PTC connectors and certainly would not go back to copper and sweat connections. I have used all types of PTC connectors but I truly depend on Shark Byte fittings but I would be subject to change for something as dependable but more cost effective. I am now going to try the pex crimp fittings but at 75 I hope to have at least another 25 years to test everything.
I was only 15 when the Challenger exploded, but I have had trust issues with o-rings ever since.
I get that.... I never forgot
I would put EvoPex in my homes. Just learned about that a couple months ago and am impressed. They have a very long replacement warranty on that system...I think 25 yrs.
and I don't think uponor has paid out a single dime due to failure- or was that viega propress? If you only have a single job, then these push connects seem like a viable choice. However, if each fitting is the same or more expensive than shark bite (5-10 dollars a fitting) it is way cheaper to go with uponor propex, and extremely cheap to do standard crimp/clamp pex, even with pro grade tools.
I like PTC for exposed fitting only, especially water supply valves as those often need to be replaced and are in hard to reach locations, in cabinets, tucked behind toilets, so the PTC quarter turn ball valves are the way to go, so you doing for new construction these are nice because it allows for easy replacement down the road. I can't see the ptc's saving enough time to be worth the extra money compared to crimp fittings for PEX.
All these people that say Push to Connect fittings are junk and will leak, base their claims off thin air. Basically they were told sharkbites are junk by someone, who also based their claim off of nothing, other than assuming.
I've been a plumber for 18 years now and have never once had any style of PTC fitting ever fail on me. Besides that, the main reason I have so much confidence in them is because I use them for compressed air. I have pumped them up with literally 300 psi (way past specs) and they hold no problem. I have tested PVC glue fittings (just for fun) under air pressure and they always burst around 90 psi. The beauty of PTC fittings is that the more pressure, the tighter the seal on the ring.
Restoration/water mitigation companies love you contractors who use the push connect in your remodels. Eventually they will fail over time and you have a mess or a very large claim. Insurance companies always want to know what was the source of the leak and sometimes want the pipe or the device that leaked in order to subjugate the maker of the device or the contractor who installed it.
I had a house with polybutylene plumbing that had to be replaced with copper so I am generally against plastic plumbing. That being said, I'm starting to warm up to PEX. I feel, however, that I would be more comfortable with a crimp system than a push to connect for in-wall plumbing. Under sinks or spaces with exposed plumbing I think the push to connect is an option. I do like the double O-ring, but I know for a fact that O-ring is just not going to last as long as the PEX.
PE-RT stands for Polyethylene of Raised Temperature and despite the name like High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) except its.. higher density. The density comes from the number of tie chains in the polymer. PE by it self is a thermoplastic and it is not UV stable. That raises a few serious alarm bells. The fact that the pipe could be recyclable is a really silly quality because its a long term use product with much lower volume compared to say milk cartons. Generally speaking PVC is still going to be used for domestic water where PE-RT is mostly used for radiant heating.
EPMD is using in some automotive coolant hoses good for about 250 F max, it's probably a better idea to use copper behind the wall or high use areas. Obviously the advantages of the flexible hoses is welcome, especially in tight areas to plumb, and resistance to weather damage.
Still sold on pex-a after using it I will never use anything else.
The thicker interior components in those new fittings will definitely affect flow rate.
I like the components and construction of the Legend... however... not a fan of the internal aspect of it. Please correct me if I'm wrong (I work with electric... not water... definitely not both at the same time), but wouldn't that restrict flow?
I love the concept definitely a better place to start for push to connect fittings than what SharkBite came up with.
So with Legend, it does change the inside diameter of the pipe.
I seem to remember something about pi R squared and area from high school, thus new water volume of the pipe
My 2018 rv is completely done with pex
Please freeze test the hydropure PE-RT pipe and compare with PEX. I watched Legend Valve's video and they touted better burst pressure resistance in hydronic testing but no mention of resiliency to cold/freezing weather. Just wanted to know where it stacks up against PEX in this condition.
The problem with all these systems is the o-ring will always fail sooner than a GOOD solder joint, Pex has some issues with UV light and can't be used outside, old school lasted 100's of years, I've been replacing all that with Type l sweat copper, due to failing and causing thousands in damage, shark bites are used incorrectly by many buy may freeze and burst faster that copper...
You would definitely have flow restriction with the ledge down fittings
lets look at our sponsors product.....
My house is a mess of pex and copper behind all the walls, so I’m force quite often to use sharkbite.
The legend PTC seems like it would restrict flow a little. Looks like it has a smaller opening as water travels through the connection.
Matt - great review. I don't have any experiance with the Legend product yet, but they appear superior to the Nibco and Sharkbite fittings and I'm willing to try them. I'd trust any of these fittings in any of my personal and rental homes as I've never had a leak when using, some have been installed over ten years on copper to copper and I was just under that house and still no leaks. Picked up a good tip from you on marking the pex pipe, if you could answer me one question please. Explain how you gauged the mark? Used the Sharkbite and Nibco fittings - love them, especially adapting copper to pex and in a hurry between jobs, where my time is valuable. The reduced time from my hourly rate more than pays for the fitting price.
We had so many problems with sharkbite fittings in ireland that almost no plumber uses them on a house permanently. I use them for testing only.
How much does the Smart Click fitting reduce the ID to accommodate all the o-rings, clamp rings and the other stuff it uses?
Sounds like you would need to transition 1/2" copper to 3/4" PEX and back to minimize the pressure drops at the squirty end?
Most of the fittings I expand & sleeve with a tools ,dont have orings. But for the average handyman, stick to a well known brand. Evopex is fine.
Five years ago the "you have to get a professional plumber" types were saying Pex is bogus and SharkBite is out of the question. Sweating expensive, corrosion prone copper is the only way to go.... and of course you must have a "professional plumber" do all of the work. Now the "professionals" are swearing that Pex is the best and SharkBites are acceptable in certain situations. What a joke. I'll never let a "professional plumber" set foot in my house. Any Diy homeowner can do a better job themselves without having to go further than their local Home Depot and without paying stupid expensive "professional plumber" rates.
I like the Watts brand of a similar tyoe fittings
I like John guest fittings
Yes
thanks for the great info!
Despite the recommendation to measure and mark the pipe for Sharkbite connectors, I have yet to have a problem doing it by feel. There is initial resistance as it passes into the bite ring, and then again as it bottoms out in the connector. The Legend PTC connectors don't appear to have captured consumer market interest, as 3 years after this video, I didn't find any results for them at national companies (Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon).
I'm an Electrician by trade. I think the Unwritten rule in plumbing is the "Fifteen Year Rule". Usually we find products that hit the market after 15 or so years if they're good or bad products. Here in Central Florida many plumbing contractors are banning the use of CPVC. The local news did a clip about how the CPVC's glue is failing and causing leaks already 15 or so years later. Contractors locally now are only running copper or Pex. Period. Just my 2 cents. I personally like Sharkbite fittings and have used them for years. God bless.
Exactly !! big problem in MN, CPVC hot lines get real brittle after only a year, fittings crack at mold seams, Not great in a commercial application all pipe repairs need to be done at night due to the dry time on the glue, Plumbers get double time for night work so more expenses for service work, I only put in sweat copper type L with canfield solder or Uponor PEX only.--- pro press also uses o-rings, and guys are using it on type M copper, which you are not supposed to do. water eats rubber before metal, unless electrolysis or ph issues.
Yeah almost everything is pex now. Sharkbites are a no go in the plumbing business though. The cost is wayyyyyyyyy too high. Unless its just a small quick fix shark bites are never used in my company.
I hate CPVC.. my house is almost 15 years old and it’s plumbed with CPVC.. it’s not to a brittle state yet, but I’m hoping to not be living here before it becomes an issue.
Cpvc should be banned nationwide.
@@perfectlygoodslouch5212 glue takes 10 min to set up
I never see anyone stress the importance of beveling the outside of pipe used with sharkbite and sharkbite like fittings. The sharp straight edge of Pex tubing, copper, or CPVC pipe can definitely cut the internal o-ring causing a leak that will ruin your day and test your liability insurance.
Agreed. Every anecdotal story I hear about Sharkbite failures seems to be due to improper prep and installation - exactly as will happen if you don't do proper prep and installation of any other connection system. Especially sweating.
When it comes to non traditional plumbing connections, I like to use known dependability. Shark bite has me hooked but legend is intriguing. Going to wait for your pressure test before I put one blue collar dollar on it though.
Unfortunately if you can see PEX it will fail. It is highly susceptible to UV damage.
Something I think you didn't notice that makes a huge difference. Both the Evo and legend have a defect that really ruins it for me and anyone with volume or pressure issues. The connectors drop you down nearly an entire size. The I.D. of a ¾ fitting is closer to ½ for example. For most systems that is not acceptable. I personally will never use them for that reason alone.
I agree wholeheartedly. That's why I won't use Pex B as well.
Thank You for this! For me....non-removable, non-reusable equals me Non buy. I trust them for accessible connections that I can see and monitor.
I'd found a SharkBite removal tool that resembles a pair of tongs, and is A LOT easier for removal than the half moon-shaped original. Maybe $12-15 , but it's worth having instead of a headache. I'd used their PTC fittings a bit, and at least for the last 5 years I hadn't had a drip from any of them @ 70psi.
No freeze or pressure test?! Come on Matt!
Good point!
Legend gonna have to send out some more
Would be nice to see how they stack up. Also have you ever thought about trying to do a flow test? I would think a disadvantage of having the o-rings on the inside would be the fitting choking the flow.
He did the freeze test in a previous video. The shark bites passed.
@@buildshow Time to head out to Demolition Ranch with an 8 million PSI pressure and Flak Jacket test session.
I have used many shark bites when necessary and have reused many. With PEX you don’t need inserts, it is stiff enough. First time I heard of legend making these, but they look like an excellent product. I have never had a problem with shark bites, but as a plumbing contractor I have reservations about concealing in walls, even though they were recently approved by our plumbing code
The Legend seems to have a small inside diameter. Affect water flow?
totally agree
3/4'' Pex is actually 5/8'' I.D. AND 1/2'' is 3/8'' I.D. Always go a little bigger with Pex.
First thing I thought of too when he mentioned the gasket is on the inside.
Yep. One of the best things about Sharkbite is they are almost fully open. I try to avoid any PEX connectors that have thicker inserts that reduce the flow. PEX already has a smaller I.D. than copper, why reduce it further at every fitting?
It's going to cause water turbulence. Water is going to tear the inside of that fitting up over time.
Have used sharkbites several times over many years. Great product Not a single failure!
10 years on my far bathroom hot and cold mated pex to poly grey pipe
11 years on my water heater connection. 3/4 inch and not failed yet. Central Florida here too. Keeping my fingers crossed tho until I replace the heater in a year or 2
65 year old house. Solder copper everywhere. So far Sharkbite has helped me through every project. Fast, clean and so far all fittings even from over 10 years ago dry as a bone. No leaks and tie ins and build ons have been a breeze.
You are one of the lucky ones then, plumbing almost 40 years and not one Shark bite has ever worked.
@@dank.459: Perhaps you should’ve considered another career, lol.
@@dank.459 Might be time to find a new job. If you can't get a sharkbite to work you might be too dumb to do anything. late 90s, had a pin hole leak in crawl space of ski resort condo. We gently sanded the outside of the copper. got all the tools ready. Turned the water off, cut the pipe in 2 spots, entire building of water poured out while we cut pushed in a shark bite valve. Turned the water back on, guest service didn't got a single call. We expected some calls about air in the line but we were so fast no one noticed. Went back before the spring of the lock down. Sure enough the valve we put in was still there and 0 signs of failure or leaking. Sharkbites won't last forever but they will out most sweat connections. Especially ones that are done in a hurry. The resort which manged 43 condo building official policy is to only use push in connectors and Pex b products to do repairs. ironically new building are often have to put int he same crappy sweat copper per code.
@@rayray8687he probably didn’t prep the pipe lmao.
Only problem I see from the legend system is flow restriction, you may have problems with 1/2" lines to shower valves and it may require up sizing to get the same results as a traditional connection.
Would be no different than your crimping of PEX I would imagine. Those are also internal fittings.
Sharkbite is the bomb!
Why bother using a copycat?
For the price of those couplers, having the ability to remove them is quite a game changer for me personally. Plus if you want to make changes later on, you can and that adds a ton of value to a good plumbing system.
Legend: "Ooops, I needed a T in there not the Y...crap...oh well, I guess I have to cut it off now."
Sharkbite: "No problem, let me just remove this again real quick"
As for the marking, if you make a small template with a pen holder, it is quick and easy and with all the connection close to each other, you can mark them all at once, we are not that cheap with time, but we sure like convenience and reusability/upgradeability .
If your plumber uses push to connect as a permanent fix you should find another plumber
It's fine *inside* or in spaces where crimp tools or soldering is impractical, but those seals make for a mid-term liability and trash in the long run.
@@ashotinthedark3182 Copper won't last a decade on well water in South Alabama. PEX with plastic fittings is best.
@@stewartstewartstewart
partially true in EU push connector are used but for ground water installations in buildings we use press or screw fittings for alumpast (pex/al/pex) or pex pipes. In some parts of europe with lower quality standards like spain you could see a push connectors inside building too.
Real plumbers in my part of EU (central europe) use a hydraulic press clamps to install fittings and all fittings have 2 seals if you see a plumber with only a hand clamps or even with push connectors (one seal) for indor use run away
@@ashotinthedark3182 In South Alabama?
Agree 100%
I've seen a lot of plumbers doing an entire project with pex and I've done some small fixes with it, i think it's awesome
sure Uponor all day , no fitting restriction
PEX expansion fittings! No flow lose due to inserts, expensive milwaukee power tool but easy one handed application and my old bones can still work all day long. I'm assuming better prices than the Legend and I know it cheaper than sharkbite
The legend fittings look like what I've been wanting for those spots where a water heater is sitting in front of a broken line. I would spend the extra money if I was sure the fix would go from a 5 year durability to a 20 year and didn't require me becoming a contortionist.
I've used sharkbite on water heater. It is exposed and easy to see/fix leaks, and connected water heater only expected to last 6 to 15 years, so about the same expiration date.
I'd never consider using a push on connection behind/inside a wall. Save (maybe) a few bucks, spend thousands to fix.
@@JasonW. Exactly.
@@MyFortressConstruction I've tried to use sharkbite on toilet before. But even after deburring copper line then polishing with wet emery cloth, two different turn off valves had very slight leak (only seen using tissue below the valve). I ended up using a standard 5/8 of compression fitting, immediately no more leak.
So, maybe the 3/4" sharkbites are just more likely to work?
@@JasonW. The larger the diameter of the pipe, the less resistance it has to deformation. A shark bite fitting, unlike the legend, has only one O-ring with a bearing surface of around 1mm on the pipe and it relies on that pipe being perfectly, or almost perfectly, round and without any damage running perpendicular to the O-ring (probably the issue with your leaking shutoffs). What I like about these legend fittings is that they not only increase the bearing surface by doubling the O-rings, but they also introduce an additional force onto the pex pipe which forces it into a more even circumference and puts more pressure on the O-rings. The problem though is that the already narrow ID of the pex pipe is narrowed even further by the fitting.
so apparently the plumbers are going to be cheaper in 5 years to come and do it right! LOL
It looks like the Legion might restrict flow or cause noise (turbulence) with the thicker inner stiffener.
PE-RT tubing and pipe are sold in coils and straight lengths. Definition: PE-RT is a polyethylene (PE) resin in which the molecular architecture has been designed such that a sufficient number of tie chains are incorporated to allow operation at elevated or raised temperatures (RT).
Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), a type of flexible plastic, is currently replacing traditional copper and galvanized steel as water supply lines in both new construction and remodeling projects. ... PEX pipe remains popular for radiant floor heating. ... Red PEX pipe carries hot water.
I was trained as a metallurgist, so the above organic chemistry is little out of my wheelhouse. However both PE-RT and PEX-red are polyethylene that apparently have lots of cross-linked molecules that give them added creep strength at higher temperatures.
Thanks for the copy and paste... what's your point
I am not a licensed plumber, but have done a bit of remodeling in the house me and my wife purchased 3 years ago. I also owned a double wide modular home, and have done extensive plumbing work for an ex-landlord for well over 20 years. During my time with repairing, remodeling, or installing fresh water lines I have always used shark bites since their debut and have been very pleased with their versatility, durability, and longevity. I have had only a few issues with them not connecting fully or just a bad connector in general. I layed new water lines in the floor for my wifes mom before purchasing the home from her and over the winter before moving in, there was no electricity for the heat, I live in NY so we get real cold winters and this one was no exception, one week of below zero temps and the lines did indeed freeze. The PCPV pipes I used as well as the shark bite connectors held with no issues, the remaining copper lines all but burst, cracked, or the joints that were welded all snapped apart. All the products shown here are very useful, some better than others. If I built a brand new house, I wouldn't be afraid or worried about using them.
Old brittle Copper keeps plumbers busy. I understand that Sharkbite has been used in the commercial industry for over 25 years.
@@kimariokiji Push to fit fittings have existed that long, but not Shark Bite.
I learned to sweat copper over 20 years ago, so that's what I use for my repairs around the house.
well...I can add to that... I learned to sweat copper in 1967... so, I would like to say, it's a PIA now, in comparison, because of all these new alternatives, for the most part but sure beat the days of leading pipes, threading galv or black...I think Sharks have been around appr 20 years now... one day I was in the plumbing supply store and had some Shark fittings sitting in front of me and another plumber was busting my chops saying Whatsa madder, can't solder? I said, well Smart-ass let me ask you this...what's your time worth...when I use these things, I would bet big bucks that I could be on my second water heater install before you finish 'soldering' your first... so to really return the insult I said... you must be an employee and not the owner of the business advertised on your shirt because the owners are concerned about time and turnaround to keep their guys working, as well as quality...and you have a good day too junior.
@@robwest1297, good point. I have a friend who was a plumber for over three decades. He is a flint of plumbing information. He also has neurological issues and his hands shake a lot. I can’t help but wonder if exposure to all of the acid from soldering, chemicals in his trade contributed d his current medical issues.
I don’t really see the point personally. Maybe just for repair work on pex. A 1/2” smart click elbow runs at nearly $6, a tee is over $7. I use Uponor expansion pex which is fast enough not to use push fittings. Uponor makes nice manifolds also which cuts down the number of connections in a house. I also don’t feel a need for shark bites on copper with ProPress around.
Completely agree. At this price the only reason to use these is for an inexperienced home owner to fix it on their own. At the moment uponor is the way to go and even that is a little pricey.
Pity the homeowner having to decide the pros and cons of each of these fittings. They are supposed to make the DIY jobs easier, but the result is getting brain-damage from having to decide which system to use on a major home renovation. Making a wrong decision could be a disaster because some of these new products might not be around 10 years from now.
I see the reusable as essential to my skill set.
Do some water pressure and freezing tests like you've done before with all of these!
Colin Stuart I would like to see this as well. Thats a true test
Yes, what about ratings?
@@drummerguy676 8hb
@@drummerguy676 8hb
@@drummerguy676 k
The only fittings I would trust inside a wall, are soldered copper and the expanded Pex with the extra ring on a barbed brass connector, JMO.
Yes - Uponor PEX
I had a bear of a time pulling the pex off an apollo crimp fitting AFTER removing the crimp ring, had to use tools! The pex deforms over the barbs very solid system, $50 tool is a nice bonus and way more reliable than a push connect
Sadly I have seen more wiersbo style expanded rings leak in walls that I only use the viega style crimp ring. Never had one leak when done properly.
August
Damn straight. In a sealed wall or floor for me is only brazed copper or rehau/(pex ring/sleeve style)
I find Bpress acceptable in accessible areas.
If I found my apprentices using PTC on my jobs they would be unemployed other than a temporary/emergency cap and seal
If you live in a climate that never freezes cpvc is the way to go it is cheap easy and fast but would not recommend for places that have any chance of freezing
I trust Sharkbite even behind walls but always regardless Sharkbite or copper install an access panel whenever possible. I will start to use Legend if I can find them.
Excellent idea. I have wondered why houses aren’t built with regular maintenance or upkeep in mind. Commercial properties are...
I certainly see the benefit of push connectors I’ve been a professional home repair man for over 30 years and I have use them on tight and difficult locations where open flame is not advisable. But a new home construction I’m still leaning towards compression fittings or solder.
in new construction, pex b is the way to go.
@@tranderrick I just completed a job using mostly pex and I really enjoyed it it was easy to work with and I went with the shark bite crimp System that you can buy it Lowes
At 3:13, Matt points out that a rubber EPDM gasket inside the shark bite is the only thing that provides waterproofing for the pipe fitting. No kidding? And this fitting is being installed in homes as a permanent solution? Can anybody trust a simple rubber gasket to last 20, 30, 50 or more years without that gasket deteriorating and the fitting failing? I would NEVER rely on that system, and pity the homeowners who purchased a house with this system installed in their plumbing. Imagine the tsunami of lawsuits that will be certain to come around the bend…
Plumbers hate these things. Takes away their easy money. That's from their mouths not mine.
Most plumbers are professionals with reputations to protect and they are using these fittings and pipe. Codes allow them. My question is I.D., time test, and rodents.
Ive heard a lot say that they help make them money. I personally haven’t had to fix any before aside from one job about a month ago where two failed but they failed due to pvc and one copper just not being seated correctly.
as a master plumber ,I hav plenty of work fr you stupid homeowners ,,,wannabe plumbers,,keep up the trend !!!...hehe
@@stevestadterman9270 nice... way to promote for you trade (insert eyeroll here)
who thinks putting o ring seals inside a wall is a good idea? i don't.
That's the first thing I thought of. I've done alot of wrenching in my life, and o-rings fail! No doubt someone will say that the material of this o-ring is designed not to fail. Not sure if I wanna find out.
When removing sharkbites. Push in before pulling off.
Tony Crisci channel locks or adjustable wrenches help keep the force even as well.
Yes. I don't like the chance that one or more of the teeth scrape across the sealing surface and potentially create a leak upon re-use if the pipe isn't cut back.
Yes. It is counter intuitive to push on when you are trying to get something off but it releases the shark teeth much easier.
Thank you
That's what she said to u last night
With the internal stiffeners of all of these fittings, the pipe rating is reduced because it reduces the internal diameter of the tube (you're only rated as high as your narrowest point in the tube). Some of these fittings look like they are thicker than others and therefore would rate lower than others. It would be good to know how these compare to one another because it would affect the pressure and flow rate of the system.
It would take a large number of these fittings in your system to really have any impact. I would expect no more than 3 or 4 of these in any system prior to an outlet. If they have a pressure drop that's really high like 1 psi that would be a 4 psi pressure drop at your delivery. In most modern municipal water fed plumbing systems this would be insignificant. If you are on your own water well water supply with a weak pump and a large plumbing system than you might be concerned but in those cases the flow velocity would be reduced and your pressure drop through the fittings would be even less.
@@OttoComin wrong , look up garden valve compared to hose bibs , any restrictions counts PER CODE
@@dollyhadbraces9361 per code has nothing to do with the amount of pressure drop you actually see in a system. Yes when you build a system it needs to meet code. When you calculate pressure drop that is governed by physics and not code.
Just a note - the newer Sharkbite Max connectors no longer require a stiffener for Pex.
I have worked in building maintenance for over 20 years and the last five taking care of geared to income gov housing - so i’ve seen failures with basically every type of system out there - from what I have seen - it’s almost always an installation step-skipped or someone rushing - possibly even, a one in a thousand connector - that contained a slight defect (possibly) or maybe even a shark bite type connector that someone removed improperly before, maybe even more then once.
Now that being said as far as maintenance goes for drains i would personally vote for ABS every time anytime - other then for toilet flanges - it reigns supreme in my world - That wasn’t my opinion however just a few years ago I would have touted copper drains as a 100 year install, which for a homeowner it almost always is - but in low income you have tenants that can at times, pour anything and everything down the drain. To the point I have one in particular, that needs annual, yes annual, copper toilet drain pipe replacement due to pin holes. Sounds unbelievable right, yeah I know.
I should mention - This isn’t some sloppy installation where to much flux was used that ate the copper pipe over time or some thin walled el cheap o copper pipe. This is professionally installed copper by a license plumber (I can’t do everything at my sites, and thankfully, I didn’t at least in this case) that’s been eaten through three times - now - at the 90 - around the one year mark - we have some theory’s as to what maybe going on but hard to say for sure.
ABS seems to me to resist acids better from what i’ve experienced, although due to “it’s plastic, “ I wouldn’t have thought so - I was proved otherwise.
Now supply lines are a mixed bag to me and I personally like copper and I ain’t some grey haired old dude, just yet - my experience started young, due to family business in maintenance.
I like copper feeds - easy to work with I have yet to see any catostraphic failures even when exposed to freezing and over pressure - which I can’t say the same for pex. Copper will pin hole over enough time, but can be bandaided easily and reworked easily and it’s standard.
The worst part about pex IMO is the competing types, also shark bites don’t help with more types knock offs and smaller then normal ID’s especially when barbed fittings are used after say a hot water heater. Can become maintenance issue due to low flow and even clogs as the sacrificial metal inside the hot water tank erodes.
Anyway love the build show - keep up the great work - just throwing in my two cents take it for what it’s worth - possibly not much lol.
cheers
it would be great to see water pressure tests with all of these and include prices
They did do ok not them but I've seen pressure test and shark bite did really well. Same as per pipe did better than copper pipe for freezing . PEX will split but will expand and shrink if it doesn't split. Cooper always splits
PEX pipe not per pipe stupid auto correct
ptc futtings can make an impossible connection possible. O ring performance has an 80 year history....why all the fuss? when you fly, you're dependimg on about 8000 o-rings to get you there safely
Aircraft are maintained regularly, not home connectors. Not saying this stuff is bad, just saying your analogy is limited.
These fittings are great, and they have their place. However, those rubber o-rings being the only thing between watertight and disaster leave me with a very difficult time trusting one of these inside a wall..
They are not rated for in wall installation , they even write it on the packaging now .
@TheCheesePlease Why would they recommend NOT to use them for in walls connection then ? They must have gotten sued or it's not code or something.
@TheCheesePlease No... you really can't. There is a big difference between the physical connection that a crimped fitting makes, and the connections that a rubber washer makes.
And what's with the comment about PEX being better because it can freeze? We arn't debating about why you should use PEX, we are debating about why a crimped PEX fitting is better than a chinnsy rubber washer...
@@SuperDd40 Oops, I should have been more clear. I never said they were rated for in wall instuallation, my comment was more directed towards the comments made in the video about how some contractors are using them in walls.
+SuperDd40 Could be for several reasons. Could be a temp issue, nail or screw through wall could penetrate it without you knowing, PEX moves around a lot more than traditional pipe (constant abrasion), vermin can chew through it easier.
Lubricant RECTOR Seal PTF sealant Applied To The Pipeline And O Ring will Greatly prolong the Life of your Adapter
The solder fittings in my house are 65 years old and will still be there for another 60. How long will rubber O-rings last?
Copper can errode somewhat due to water softners. But if the rubber seal does last, that PTC is way faster and less tools than sweating. I wouldn't put one in a wall though.
@@RPostWVU
The only in-wall sharkbite plumbing I've used so far is the master bath shower. I left myself an access door in my closet. It was a whole lot easier than sweating those connections for the new shower valve. No problems so far, but it's only been a couple to three years.
It’s a no brainer quick connections are the way to go for DYI in the other hand Plumbers hate them cause it takes away profits 💰
@@johnmendoza6421 insurance claim waiting to happen...
@@johnmendoza6421 True !
I'm a homeowner builder, not a pro, but I've done quite a bit of crimp pex plumbing for my home. Aside from the cost factor of sharkbite and the similar push fittings, I'm kind of a guy who likes to keep things simple. Fewer moving parts, fewer mechanical dependencies, usually means greater reliability overall. Plus, depending on a EPDM gasket to keep my plumbing secure and home flood-free, well, I'm not there yet. I've got EPDM gaskets on some strainers that I have in my (tankless) hot water closet, but that's about it. (I've also got a wet deck and drain in that closet should some plumbing fitting in that closet fail, to control flooding to that local area. So, I'm willing to take more risks there than say, with a sharkbite fitting embedded in my second story home's wall.)
Those Legend fittings look awesome, love to see you do another pressure testing video.
I would sort of trust them but do question if or by how much the Legend system, with its thicker pipe insert, will affect/restrict flow
WHY NOT use sharkite in inaccessible walls, if it works in other exposed places????
Wouldn’t an inside seal result in a restriction at the fitting? Unlike an outside seal.
I rub some silicone grease on the O-ring on my sharkbite. Hopefully it will prevent the o-ring from drying out. Also prevent the o-ring from scratching during installation. I only use sharkbite for quick fix. they are too expensive for whole house installation.
I also always have 1/2 and 3/4 shark bite cap. in emergency repair off hours, i could cut out the pipe and Shark Bite Cap that pipe come back tomorrow when all the stores are open.
not a professional plumber but owner of 27 units rental properties and buying fixer upper to renovate.
I can't believe we are calling Pex traditional at this point. It still seems new to me, but I guess it really isn't.
I'll stick to sweating copper......I'm 40 and have been sweating copper for 25 years....I'll put my quality copper job up against pex any day as far as fit and finish
Gimme copper any day over I rings that will dry out and leak
@@plumberguy1689 I am also one of the sweat it old guys. But I love new inventions! But sweat just seems like a more secure and dependable install without expensive replacements. And I can sweat a street ell to a valve inside a Cracker Jack box without scorching the pop corn! Without any leaks! And labor saving? It took work to produce that extra cash to buy these things!
Compare it to threaded pipe and copper seems like a joke.
@@MrHarvywallbanger I disagree. I have worked with both old copper and old steel. The corrosion in steel is a horrible attribute of that element. I have see steel pipe closed up so badly due to corrosion water will no longer pass. I have never seen that with copper pipe. Steel pipe is better for fire suppression but only because those stay dry until needed, and they are not effected by a fires high temps like a soldered copper joint.
History
British manufacturer Hepworth Building Products (founded 1936 in Doncaster) introduced these fittings under the brand Hep2O in 1980. It was a grey plastic material for the first couple of decades. The pipe is Polybutylene. There was a reusable fitting that could be unscrewed and a slimmer single-use fitting which could not. A new grab washer was required each time if a joint was reused. Stainless pipe inserts were used for internal support. Hepworth was acquired by Wavin in 2005[1]. Hep2O changed material and design in the 2000s to a smooth white plastic and a push-to-demount design. This gives a physically smaller fitting that is easier to release, especially in a confined space.
John Guest (Established in 1961, West Drayton, UK) developed the Speedfit push-fit connector for compressed air use in 1974, and introduced plumbing fittings in 1987 [2]. These fittings are white plastic, and are unscrewable to replace components, like Hep2O, but also have a push-release mechanism. Speedfit uses plastic pipe support inserts.
Brass demountable push-fit fittings are manufactured By Pegler under the brand Tectite.
In the US several different brands are available. Sharkbite, PlumBite, Nibco Push, which are all brass, demountable, similar to the Pegler Tectite design.
Some fittings are only designed for plastic (PEX and PERT) pipe and are non-removable. In the US, Legend Valve make a single-use push-fit system, and Sharkbite have one called EvoPex.
SharkBite was introduced to the USA market in 2004. SharkBite is an efficient and reliable push-to-connect plumbing system that replaces the high cost and labor-
I thought most Building Codes prohibit the use of pushed on fittings behind non-accessible walls.
They do. this dude is not a plumber
@@lostandgone9929 i agree..he don't know how to remove the sharkbite...
@@rodneybrand8521 I was telling my wife this exact same thing as we watched this video lol. Hes not a plumber anybody who is gonna make videos glorifying push on fittings for permanent use clearly isnt a plumber and does not know much about plumbing. I think its really cool how this guy was able to parlay the fact hes a general contractor into being a somewhat construction celebrity here on youtube though. I mean hes got companies paying him to make videos like this and sending him free stuff.
@@PlumbingExplained He's not glorifying anything u douche. He's just showing people what's out there. He's not for or against and in one of his earlier video`s he says straight out he wouldn't`t use in a hidden location or inside a wall. He gives you the inside look and it's on you to decide for yourself.
@@rodneybrand8521 amen brother
Shark bite fittings have a tool to take them off please nobody twist and pull on the fitting it has a release coller on it. Please see other videos before taking advice from one person
Being a licensed plumber I will say these fittings have use in certain situations. But I would never bury a mechanical fitting behind a wall or under a floor.
I completely agree - do some pex systems contain said mechanical fittings ?🥳
I am a plumbing contractor and I've seen two homes damaged from SharkBite fittings. One of them the lady was in Florida for the what a mess. It was attached to a water heater the bronze part of the SharkBite deteriorated. It wasn't until neighbor saw water running down the after filling the all the flooring on first floor had to be replaced I would never hide or bury one of these feelings behind a wall
@@sewerat11 anything and everything can fail. I'm sure many more homes have been destroyed from traditional piping joints over sharkbites.
@@sewerat11 LOL, what about the other 95% of you call outs for traditional copper/pex failures... Or are you claiming you never saw copper joints fail? Cause
Hmmm........that’s interesting. I thought electric Jack hammers were invented to bust up concrete floors to get to those bullit proof sweat fittings.
As a remodeler, I use PTC fittings all the time. I like the removability of the Sharkbite. You can put a cap on a line to get the water back on and then take it off later. But, per manufacturer recommendations, I would never put one in an inaccessible place ie..inside walls.
WHY NOT in inaccessible walls, if it works in other places????
@@fungiuse You are not supposed to use sharkbite fittings in inaccessible areas because the seal is reliant upon a rubber O-ring that can fail over time.
@@dodge7854 i don’t think the manufacturer’s recommends not using it in inaccessible areas as you stated
@@stunnerdoc you are right, I misstated. Sharkbite claims that they are guaranteed safe up to 25 years, but how many people change out their plumbing every 25 years?
I've gotten several jobs where they blew up in the walls. I only use them in basements or for quick caps or connects for pressure testing the pex, then swap em out. I've definitely definitely seen them freeze and blow. They are convenient, but a propress or pex crimper is just barely more inconvenient. Don't trust these jammies too far x because of they do fail you are fucked
Every mechanic: yep been dealing with push lock connections for years. Fuel, ac, big truck air etc
Every plumber: the union says...
If it's good enough for brake lines on a semi truck (air and we know that air pulses destroy PVC) and in a much harsher environment than a stationary temperature controlled house.
Not true, sorry. I am a plumber who also works on vehicles and push to fit connections on vehicles use a smooth tapered male end specially designed not to harm the oring in the female fitting. With shark bite, you're forcing it onto a pipe that definitely has damaging sharp edges (even plastic pipes!) Unless you specifically removed them and did a good job doing it. Even the slightest ridge can and will cause a leak eventually. Not so with automotive style push to connect connectors!
Dave Wolf
Agreed. I have no opinion other than PTC will never go in my house or one of my jobs. One little drip over the years will f your house up.
It’s not about trade protectionism
@@davewolf8869 And it's a consider a rolling O-ring connection. So not no but hell no.
Timothy Dillon as a plumber I will whole heartily say you don’t know what your talking about. With a vehicle, a leak escapes the vehicle and goes to the ground. A leak in a house can cost you thousands. Any mechanical joint has no business inside a finished wall. Period end of conversation.
Ptc fittings are fine with me. When they leak I get called to fix them properly. Everyone seems interested in repairing waterlines, no one wants to take our shitty work.
Wirsbo is still the best Pex system ,copper tryed and true
You have the new product in hand but don’t know the price? Bullshit!
These O rings fail in every other industry. Similar O rings are in your work trucks and they fail all time on millions of vehicles, everyday
They work fine for decades in municipal water lines buried underneath city streets, O-rings in your car are subject to much higher physical stresses, including temperature and pressure
@@jsncrso
Who told you that
Nick Makris
International space station has these same type o rings keeping the air astronauts breath from escaping to the vacuum of space. They can be very reliable but I still wouldn’t trust them in a wall.
@@jsncrso - Cars are not expected to last 50 years, though. Time is a different stressor sometimes.
I renovated my 106yr old Victorian in 05 and used the Sharkbites on a quick fix to supply heat to my basement cast iron radiators. 15yrs ago. I’m impressed.
I used pex and SharkBite over a decade ago where it has been regularly subjected to freezing temperatures. Zero problems since. Push connections didn’t require use of solder or torch which would have been a fire hazard in the old wood structure. These newer options are worth considering.
any journeyman plumber can solder around wood
Any amateur can push together SharkBite and it can be rotated and separated whenever needed. Can’t do that with soldered or crimped connections. It’s just another available option to choose from. Use whatever suits your needs.
@@Private-GtngxNMBKvYzXyPq: I agree, any amateur can do it, but there’s a 40 yr ‘professional plumber’ commenting on this video who says he can’t get them to work at all and that they’re complete garbage, lol.
Your going to reduce flow and Pressure with a fitting that goes on the inside.....it reduces the width of the pipe
For residential purposes, that's really a non-issue. You're not going to see that become an issue until you reach into industrial applications, and by then you're using copper or galvanized pipes.
* you're
"reduces the DIAMETER of the pipe".
It's quit true, especially in residential applications that have low water pressure.
Just about all if not all Pex fittings go inside the pipe. You don't have to use the stiffener for copper or cpvc so it's a non issue there. Also just about all residential fixtures have flow regulating aerators or "water saving" shower heads so you wouldn't notice the difference in that slight reduction of diameter if it was present.
I had one day to move my pipe off the wall so I can water proof my basement and im not the best at soldering so I used the sharkbites with copper pipe. I have to say it's pretty awesome... But make sure you reem and deburr your pipe before inserting into the sharkbite or you can potentially have a leak
These are only good for emergency fixes or tight spots that no saw or torch will get too. Cost is way too high.
Yeah, if you need it for a few points, that's fine, but if you're doing a moderate or larger project, just buy the crimps and crimp tool. It will pay for itself and provide a connection that doesn't rely on a seal that'll fail more easily.
Sure but they are pretty damn handy when the situation calls for it.
I disagree. If a valve is leaking me the home owner or landlord can repair- w a horse shoe in my glovebox. I do it once rather than hire a plumber I just paid for it 5 times over- when I retire I ll call the plumber
@@joulian0720
Matt was actually saying that the push to connect technology would become the norm in new construction. I don't think so.
I taught a guy who is barely technical enough to put a roll of toilet paper in the holder, how to sweat copper pipe in 3min. Given that a 90 deg fitting is only $0.30 in copper and $9 in Sharkbite, I'll stick with sweat on copper over sharkbit wherever I can. However, for new projects, the simple crimp on 90s and tees in pex are crazy cheap and fast. Also, no o-rings to wear out!
If a person isn't technical enough to sweat copper (from watching UA-cam), they probably shouldn't touch plumbing at all. Where Sharkbites really shine is in profesional service situations and for multi unit landloards. Regardless the plumbed technology (copper, PVC, Pex, etc) Sharkbite is compatible with it. Not true with this new style he's pushing. I believe he's being blinded to the negatives of this new style because they are a sponsor.
I have used the SharkBite and other fittings many times without any trouble. Some of them have been in place for over three years so far.
I’ll stick to soldering. 5 year fixes don’t inspire me. Especially when walls and ceilings are at stake
True. Really depends on how good a job so you want to do and do you want it to last. I want it to last.
They work fine for decades in municipal water lines buried underneath city streets
Terrence Dillon
handy duggy here ..thread and sweat...or compression ...
Not everybody is good at soldering and some plumbers are too lazy to do it right. My cold water copper pipes started to leak because the plumbers were dipping the copper pipes into the flux rather than brushing the flux onto the outside of the pipe. I found flux inside the pipe and pinholes downstream from every copper T fitting. The hot water pipes were not affected because the hot water flushed the flux away.
Always remove the plastic inserts inside sharkbites!! Those damn things always get in the way and cause the sharbites to refuse to position properly
Note: forget the orange remover...they make tongs that remove sharkbite sssoooo much easier
U need those inserts for pex
The tongs are called a crescent wrench and they are adjustable to fit all sizes.
ive removed the caps and used them on about 7 different bath remodels so far
I'm a copper solder guy. It never leaks, why would you rely on degrading o-ring inside a finished wall?
A couple years ago we had a minor earthquake at my 1966 home in Oakland, CA. About 4 or 5 days later my wife was in our walk-in crawlspace to get something out of storage, and noticed it was wet. I investigated and discovered our 3/4-inch copper main water line, just as it entered our house foundation from outside, was leaking via a very small hole that the small earthquake caused. I believe it was a cracked solder joint, from the 3/4 inch main water line and the hose-bib one-foot higher, on the outside of our house, where the water line enters the house. The hole drilled into our foundation wall was only slightly larger that the 3/4 inch water line, but the minor earthquake must have caused a leak or solder crack as the house moved ever so slightly. I now wonder if some type of flexible pipe would have been more "minor earthquake friendly". My fear is that we only go into our crawlspace a few times a year to pull out stuff in storage, and the 5 or so days of leaking water added several hundred dollars to our water bill. I can't believe how lucky it was that my wife just happened to grab a suitcase and told me about the wet crawlspace. I later called EBMUD (our water company) what happened but they would not credit us the water leak.
I'd add that we called what is considered the most high-end plumbing company in our area (Albert Naham Plumbing), I no longer use them because they are ridiculously expensive (but they also never screw up a job). They repaired the main line with new copper and used a battery-powered clamp tool that uses fittings that I'm certain uses pretty much the same type of o-rings. The plumber was super experienced and been in the trade forever, so I was expecting him to solder the new copper pipe.
1980+ homes with their copper always leaks. We had our 1990s condos and 2 regular homes get pinhole and slab leaks. So much so for the condos that the association redid everyone's home to pex. Best thing is the water pressure with pex and the much faster hot water due to the runs
@@donaldlee6760 any pipe going through a footer or foundation should have been sleeved with a pipe 2 pipe sizes larger than the 3/4" waterline, so basically the hole should have been filled with a 1"1/2 piece of pipe so that if the foundation ever moves it is left with a little play. It sounds like you didn't have that. I'm guessing codes in the 60's didn't require it.
2 big reasons...
Labour and freeze tolerance.
As someone who has had a slab leak with copper in a late 80's house, I can tell you that it definitely leaks. No issues with the pex repipe after the fact and I can service it myself.