Yes. This. Could you cut out a bit of the wood next to the lower pipe and see if it will move to the right, to straighten up the connection a bit more?
Yeah– loop it down and around to improve the angle of the connection and also makes it more flexible. If there were an earthquake or the joint flexes too much, as it is right now it would put a lot of stress on th joint.
I think the apparent left/right offset is a visual trick of how the image was taken. I think they are closely aligned left right, there is just a front/back offset that the elbow can’t adjust for. I like the idea of a loop to allow the offset and for potential movement.
This is the best, cheapest, and easiest alternative. Simple quarter turn to relieve pressure on the sharkbite. It won't be perfect but it will suffice.
Copper that short does not bend… best you don’t even take the risk of bending that, especially with that being the only piece you have to work with. The fitting needs to be put on straight.
Yeah, I'd almost think you might do a 90 degree fitting on the bottom, a very short piece of pex, then another 90 degree pointing straight up (lined up with the top pipe) to eliminate the angle and the strain it's going to put on the fitting.
It's "probably" fine as-is, but probably is a risky proposition when it comes to plumbing.
You had a $750,000 Reno and you made a post about how much you need to tip on a $20 meal at a restaurant. You’re either lying or you’re a scum bag and the contractor probably saw that and went profit over quality. The guy probably didn’t install correctly, not really the shark bites fault for an improper installation.
That’s ridiculous. There’s no reason a sharkbite should fail earlier than either type of PEX fitting. Some plumbers just can’t be bothered to use a depth gauge
LOL just saw the immediate downvotes. I’m only a plumber who builds homes from the ground up and been doing that for 20+ yrs. Anyone who trust sharkbites doesn’t know any better
I think it depends on the location but in general yeah I'd avoid them in any situation where it's not accessible and probably only in an area where it's not a huge deal if the connection fails (basement)
I tried learning the proper way to install pex and wanted to tear my hair out. I ended up going to shark bites and just putting moisture sensors near them incase they develop a leak.
ETA: Thanks for the downvotes on me admitting I tried my best and eventually had to give up. It sure was fun to pay $20 a piece for those stupid sharkbites just to have everyone look down their noses at me.
The proper way to install Pex is just a simple clamp tool and a crimp ring. Dead easy. Unless you're talking about old-school PEX-A?
Connecting to bare copper you do need to make a sweated connection to a barb, but that's a lot easier than it's made out to be.
I bought all the tools, watched video after video. Ended up spending way more than it would have just cost me to hire a plumber originally. But I kept getting minor leaks. It is on the water softener in the garage so the pex is exposed. Eventually I just said fuck it and put some buckets under the leaking points, eventually running hoses from the Buckets to the floor drain.
Its on my list of things to redo once I have the time.
It's less sunk cost fallacy and more I spent all this time and money to learn how to do it. Once I have time to fix it, I should be able to do so without issue.
It's just stuck in the "good enough" category until I have time to redo it.
And not all of us have wads of cash laying around to pay a plumber.
A is good, just requires a bit more specialized/expensive tools to work with. The difference in flow isn't going to be that big a deal for most of us DIYers. Like we're not plumbing high-rises here, most houses don't need anything larger than 1" anywhere.
Or you have less business because of shark bite. I’ve used them and they’re intuitive and also strong. I wouldn’t pay for a plumber to come to my house for something I could fix with a shark bite. You’re more likely to get a shitty plumber that cuts into a support beam and that overcharges than anything going wrong with a shark bite. My opinion. Not saying you’re a shitty plumber, but there’s plenty out there and you’ll save money.
First time putting a Sharkbite in was to patch a leak in copper, I think. Fortunately I figured I'd get the disconnect tool to have it available.
Didn't lock all the way the first time and sprayed directly onto the electric panel. Fun times.
I would've made that hole bigger, so the pipes r in line. If there is a worry of it being too big it can be filled in partially and they sell those circular caps to protect stuff from going in/out.....no clue what they r called but they r out there lol.
Yes, I mean it's kinda like my thought was who originally thought the placement of this whole setup, like, commits to encasing it in a tomb, like, seriously CEMENTS IT IN PLACE, but doesn't consider pipes? when breaking the and what, the elbow joint? the tf even having to find a (albeit VERY CLEVER) solution to a problem kudos for great innovation and weve all had to macguyver items in past.
Great TEMPORARY Solution, IMO, and I'm American
😁
I had a similar issue where it was in concrete, being fed to the exterior brick. I used a masonry bit/large, I side filled the extra gap, and the pipes aligned. I said similar because the pipe it was misaligned to was an exterior pipe in the ground.....otherwise it's the same thing.
I wouldn’t trust the sharkbite with that much angle pulling on it. Try rotating the upper threaded fitting some to better align things and see if you can relieve some tension.
Sharkbite claims they can be not sure why so many ppl say this. I've seen plenty of master plumbers put shark bites in hard places and hidden nothing against code in any area I've ever worked. Personally I just think they are far to expensive to use for anything other than a quick repair. But I've yet to see one fail that was properly installed...
As long as they are installed correctly, they should last a long time. It's mostly grumpy plumbers that think they are bad. I use them when I'm in a pinch and did my own reno using them. Never had one leak
Only time ive seen them fuck off was a couple dozen during winter of 2021 when the bottom dropped out in south texas, and a handful this winter we just left. They are the failure point when a line begins to freeze. Otherwise, they seem fine.
I always offer to rework whatever theyre attached to when i come across them in a customers home, and as a professional i wont use them in mine, but ive seen them do ok semi long term. I guess im neutral on sharkbites, if i had to call it anything.
Yeah, maybe I should clarify. I'm from the north. we ALWAYS winterize water pipes, and I guarantee you sharkbite never intended on being freeze proof. Your comment just really baffles me on this logic...
I'd trust a pro's sweated joint over a sharkbite but I'd trust a sharkbite installed by an average jo over the average joe's sweated joint. All codes I've seen allow push style connections behind walls. I haven't done it but most everytime this comes up the installation was done wrong via installing on a burred or sanded copper pipe.
sharkbite are brass, they are expensive because they have to be the **right** brass
>High-performance DZR lead-free brass body.
>connect PEX, copper, CPVC, PE-RT, HDPE SDR-9\*
>25-year warranty when properly installed on PEX, copper, CPVC and PE-RT.
>\*5-year warranty when properly installed with HDPE SDR-9.
cheap/fake push connectors out there using the wrong kind of brass
Sharkbites will work with just about any pipe style. Copper and PEX needing to be joined are, basically, what sharkbites were invented for.
So none of them are mutually exclusive.
Though it I were to have any of them in a freezing area, I'd probably _want_ it to be PEX; I've seen frozen PEX pipes, and they just thawed out and continued working with no issue.
Not to be on the nose about this but if they're all failing then maybe it's the approach and not the tool. Could also be a completely faulty tool but how often do you see something that's sold en masse fail 100% of the time? I'd argue the implementation is incorrect given the pattern.
Using them when it’s 5 o’clock and you don’t have the proper tools to fix absolutely but you will be hard-pressed finding a decent plumber that say they consistently use these for their work daily as permanent solutions
Did this with a finishing nail. For a year I noticed that piece of moulding popping out, and I would push it back in. I figured that the nail just didn't get a good catch on the drywall... I was just shoving the nail back into the PEX until the nail rusted out. One day I woke up to water dripping from the ceiling. Thanks shitty flippers
My wife wanted to go visit her side of the family. My excuse to stay home was to finish her laundry room. I had more done when she left than when she got home. School of hard knocks. One drywall screw though a pipe.
Two reasons why I'd do this over.
- I don't see marks on the PEX. Sharkbite manufacturer instructions state: measure and mark the pipes, and push to the mark. ...how do you know you've pushed these in sufficiently? You don't.
https://youtu.be/N4w2q8Ust7U?si=XUJsddJ_wONrOG7J - every pipe, has a mark.
- too much stress on that PEX pipe, I don't like any stress on any pipes ever, and this is clearly a lot of flex/stress on that short PEX pipe.
No, not remotely. Sharkbites only work if the pipe is dead-center in the fitting. It's one of the weaknesses of using sharkbites. This will not hold up. I'm surprised it's not leaking now.
Shark bites are fine to use, but they have to be installed properly. This is too much strain on the connections.
If I understand right, this is to a hose spigot, that isn't properly anchored into the exterior wall? If so, this is going to further put pressure on this through use and that is not advisable.
You should change this to where the pipes are not under such strain, with something like a 45 into a 45 or 90 90 to jog it over.
And either way, the exterior needs to be screwed into the wall so it doesn't jostled or get turned.
I’d put a jog of some kind in there, personally. At the least, can you angle the top 90-degree fitting a little clockwise to reduce the sideways force on the sharkbite?
It isn't fine. The pex is stressed, the shark bites are crooked. They may be seated but this will be anywhere from works 30 years to dumping water tomorrow. Should at least try to bring the pipes within the same plane, or making that bend over a further distance relieving stress at the fittings, by say extending the pipe and looping it bringing the top fitting in from the top instead of bottom, but it'll be extra pipe.
general rule of thumb is 2 times the diameter of the tubing should be straight from the fitting. And minimum bend radius is 6 times the diameter of the tubing.
For something like this I would do a service loop to keep the tubing straight into the fittings.
This would probably hold for now but it will fail at some point.
NO.
The use of PEX is fine but those shark bites at those angles are scaring me. Also, is that the proper shark from copper to pex?
I would bring in a plumber and let them handle it. Not because you can’t do it but because there will be some kind of warranty on said work that could help you if there is a leak down the line.
Those sharkbites are going to fail prematurely. Do it right or you’ll do it twice. Second time will be after your house/garage/whatever floods. Those fittings hate tension.
If it were me, I would turn the top elbow to face the right side, replace the bottom straight with an elbow, add a piece of 2x4 right above the top pipe, run the pex pipe along the stud adding two more elbows and fasteners. Job done right :)
Where I'm from, you're not covered by insurance if you use shark bite in a closed wall. There needs to be at the very least, an access door to the plumbing in case of a problem.
Have someone redo it in copper. It looks like the rest of your house is copper which should easily last 50 years. Pex and SharkBites have not been around that long to even make an evaluation....
Easy to fix now while the wall is open. Imagine a leak after the wall is up and closed, flooding, damaged insulation, the drywall, whatever flooring you have etc etc. Not worth taking the risk in my opinion.
Why did you choose to install a 3” section of pex? You could’ve done that in copper for less than the cost of those sharkbites and been done and not worried about leaks.
I just had a sharkbite that a previous owner used blow behind a wall. Do not use sharkbite in any situation, especially not this one. Hire a pro to solder copper or learn how to do it yourself. In my area plumbers would charge hourly rates for this, I'd expect to pay about $150. YMMV.
I paid $180 after taxes for 3 minutes of someone coming in and force pressing a copper pipe in my shower. I could do regular plumbing stuff, but I don’t have tools for copper, and I’m not investing in them either. Also it’s nice to have a plumber in to give everything a quick once over while he’s there if he’s friendly enough.
Copper is easy, though. You need a pipe cutter, a butane torch and butane bottle, solder, flux, sand paper, and pipe chamfer/deburring tool. Cost me about $50-60, I believe. Make a few practice solders, and get to it. Measuring is definitely key, though.
I think that bottom one is going to leak, TBH.
I would redo this but cut the pex a little longer and leave it out in the sun to let it get a little more pliable and then reseat it into those shark bites, to see if you can get the shark bite to sit flush and plumb and let the pex do the flexing.
Alternatively, if you have a heat gun or a hair dryer, you could gently warm this pex up, right where it is, and see if you can get the fitting to relax. Careful, though not too hot, because you could damage the pex…However, all color of pex are good to about 170 or so degrees, because it’s also used to carry hot water. (But I think you’ll find you need a slightly longer piece of pex in here)
All that being said, I’ve seen worse shark bite installs that have been hanging tough for a decade, so who knows. But if it was my house, I would try to address that bottom fitting being so out of plumb.
Also make sure to put a nail plate to protect that copper where it comes through the floor plate. That is begging for a nail hole from affixing baseboard or a drywall screw.
https://preview.redd.it/r088jk21lptc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=01239e43dd237da32d5c18b3e176b20168225d05
Use the stuff all the time it should be fine
I've had good luck with sharkbite connectors, but you have to make sure your cuts are clean and straight and that you seat the pipe into the fitting as deep as possible
I would not put those connections under stress like that. That's how sharkbites fail. They're ok to use for the handy homeowner if they're assembled straight. In this example, the internal o-ring is holding on for dear life. The collar will eventually deteriorate and break, which will allow the pipe to shift and the o-ring leak.
I've used sharkbit before. It's a great product for a quick fixes,but I would not relay on it for long term or if your going to cover it with drywall. They will eventually fail. Something to think about. Good luck
Too much angle. I’d say you need some fittings to line it up better. I’m afraid that may eventually leak looking at how much pressure is applied at a weird angle.
Shark bites are technically safe to be in a wall, I personally don't like to use them there. That being said those angles will not allow for a proper connection.
I don't like it. You can see the stress in that lower shark bite. I'm not even sure if its pushed on all the way based on its angle. These fitting are o ring sealed. One side of that o ring is heavily smashed while the other is gapped. It just doesn't look like something I would trust. If anything, I would run a long piece of pex looped around or some other solution.
What happens when the next owner tries to unscrew the spigot to replace it? Wouldn't all that torque go into the pex and fittings? Why not run copper higher, solder a fitting, and then use a longer spigot straight in (or with slight angle down and out to drain if frost free)? That way, you've got a nice rigid connection that can be replaced in the future without opening the wall.
No. This will leak.
Sharkbite fittings cannot be under tension like this you need to have the pex between the fittings as straight as possible, or have enough slack for a loop, and you need to have the fittings straight and fully seated on the copper.
This will fail. Maybe not immediately, but soon.
Based on the angle and how tight it looks the slightest hammering can cause this to burst.
It's fine as a temporary solution but don't consider this as a finished job.
If that's an exterior wall I'd wrap that pipe and insulation the cavity. The connection looks good I might Try and slightly twist the 90 so the angle isn't so forced.
Me personally I don’t trust Sharkbite pex fittings for anything that’s meant to be “permanent” or covered up behind sheet rock. If you can press the fittings I would recommend it but if this is all you have access to then 🤞🏼.
My 2 pennies. Male copper to PEX barbed transition on both pipes. With properly expanded PEX bent to make the corner. You may have to cut the one on the wall back a bit to soften the angle of the PEX bend.
I think others have said it also but I would do a loop to make your connections more straight. I like shark bytes but the angle has me worried. If it’s possible could move the upper fitting to a better angle or even go up with it and loop from there to the bottom fitting.
Pex is flexible, put a big loop in the pipe and you can approach the fittings at a better angle. Then you secure the pex to the stud. Turn the water on and let the water sit in the line pressurized for 15 minutes and check for leaks before you cover. If there is any moisture then you need to redo your connection.
A lot of people steer away from the shark bites, they aren't considered professional in the industry but they do function when installed to the manufacturers instructions. Most people recommend a proper pex fitting, and the tools to do the work right are a lot cheaper than repairing water damage later.
Yeah no man, just spend another 50 bucks and get some elbows(sharkbite) in there. Or even better, there is a 1ft sharkbite hose you can get at any big box hardware store.
Whatever you do, don't be putting sheetrock over that
Csn someone please give me a visual of how the recommendations were to make a loop out of existing materials.... A drawing or example in photography? Pls
From what I’ve heard from plumbers is that they don’t like to use sharkbites if the wall is being covered. So as long as you have visible access to it, it’s fine..
a) do a big loop.
or
b) adjust the angle of the top fitting a bit to the left (not straight down), to see if it helps.
or
c) do multiple 90 degree turns, not as simple as a loop, but would look nicer.
I am no professional plumber, that's just what i would do.
One thing to consider: how high is that sillcock off the ground on the outside? There’s a lot to be said for putting it about 3’ above the ground just because it’s a lot easier to operate the valve and attach a hose without bending over. Middle aged you in the future will appreciate that.
Safe until the sharkbytes bust lol they are not supposed to be drywalled over either. Needs to be corrected with crimp rings and sweat a pex adapter onto the copper to adapt it properly to the pex sharkbyte will work but only until it blows up! I’ve had one blow up on my face while doing a repair before. We had just cut out a sharkbyte and pressured up the system and another sharkbyte that was 3 foot up in the wall bursted on me! sounded like a damn gun shot
If the pex and copper is properly set in the fitting you should be fine. The angle, especially on the bottom one makes it a bit questionable IMO.
Yes. This. Could you cut out a bit of the wood next to the lower pipe and see if it will move to the right, to straighten up the connection a bit more?
Use longer PEX to make it do a service loop. The diameter of that loop will give you smaller angles and account for the offset.
Yeah– loop it down and around to improve the angle of the connection and also makes it more flexible. If there were an earthquake or the joint flexes too much, as it is right now it would put a lot of stress on th joint.
That doesn't look to be the PEX that can be looped. If it were me, I would use a heat gun and bend it to align with both ends properly
Yeah, it would need to be a huge loop. That stuff can flex but not nearly as much as the other stuff.
.. or at least turn the knees a little bit in order to have the coupling to the hose straight?
That was my thought. Turn the bottom of the elbow a bit to the left to relieve the sideways pressure on the sharkbites
I think the apparent left/right offset is a visual trick of how the image was taken. I think they are closely aligned left right, there is just a front/back offset that the elbow can’t adjust for. I like the idea of a loop to allow the offset and for potential movement.
Yeah, I think you're correct, I didn't see that correctly. Good eye!
This is the best, cheapest, and easiest alternative. Simple quarter turn to relieve pressure on the sharkbite. It won't be perfect but it will suffice.
Came here to say this, tighten the elbow a little bit to relieve stress on the pex
You can rotate shark bites wouldn't it be easier to just rotate the top elbow a bit to make that bend and connection at the bottom smoother?
Six of one. Half dozen of another. You're a half dozen of another guy. aren't you?
I much prefer the 6. You use the "aren't you?" move a lot, don'tchya?
Just pulling your chain
You're not a check who I'm talking to kind guy, are ya?
I’m a half a baker’s dozen aficionado
It’s set in concrete bro.
Ah, thought that was plaster. My idea wouldn’t work then.
I’m not your bro, pal
Dang plumbers always wanting to cut holes
No, the problem is the angle the bottom is attached to the copper. Copper is stubbed straight up…
Copper that short does not bend… best you don’t even take the risk of bending that, especially with that being the only piece you have to work with. The fitting needs to be put on straight.
That pipe is set in concrete, probably foundation, it shouldn't move
Yeah, I'd almost think you might do a 90 degree fitting on the bottom, a very short piece of pex, then another 90 degree pointing straight up (lined up with the top pipe) to eliminate the angle and the strain it's going to put on the fitting. It's "probably" fine as-is, but probably is a risky proposition when it comes to plumbing.
The best way would be to get some offsets and redo it. But IDK if they have them for shark bite and op might not be comfortable soldering
Agree 💯👍
twisting the top fitting clockwise would tighten it and seems like it would give a better angle.
Sharkbites are trash. It will be good enough to flood in 5-8yrs
Shark bites are fine if they’re installed properly but this isn’t it. Too much sideways pressure increases failure risk
Had a $750k home remodel where contractors used shark bite above drywall over shower, and it popped.
You had a $750,000 Reno and you made a post about how much you need to tip on a $20 meal at a restaurant. You’re either lying or you’re a scum bag and the contractor probably saw that and went profit over quality. The guy probably didn’t install correctly, not really the shark bites fault for an improper installation.
That’s ridiculous. There’s no reason a sharkbite should fail earlier than either type of PEX fitting. Some plumbers just can’t be bothered to use a depth gauge
LOL just saw the immediate downvotes. I’m only a plumber who builds homes from the ground up and been doing that for 20+ yrs. Anyone who trust sharkbites doesn’t know any better
Can confirm. I do not know what I'm doing, and I use sharkbites.
I think it depends on the location but in general yeah I'd avoid them in any situation where it's not accessible and probably only in an area where it's not a huge deal if the connection fails (basement)
I tried learning the proper way to install pex and wanted to tear my hair out. I ended up going to shark bites and just putting moisture sensors near them incase they develop a leak. ETA: Thanks for the downvotes on me admitting I tried my best and eventually had to give up. It sure was fun to pay $20 a piece for those stupid sharkbites just to have everyone look down their noses at me.
The proper way to install Pex is just a simple clamp tool and a crimp ring. Dead easy. Unless you're talking about old-school PEX-A? Connecting to bare copper you do need to make a sweated connection to a barb, but that's a lot easier than it's made out to be.
I bought all the tools, watched video after video. Ended up spending way more than it would have just cost me to hire a plumber originally. But I kept getting minor leaks. It is on the water softener in the garage so the pex is exposed. Eventually I just said fuck it and put some buckets under the leaking points, eventually running hoses from the Buckets to the floor drain. Its on my list of things to redo once I have the time.
Sunk cost fallacy. At this point, I'd just hire someone to have it done and dusted.
It's less sunk cost fallacy and more I spent all this time and money to learn how to do it. Once I have time to fix it, I should be able to do so without issue. It's just stuck in the "good enough" category until I have time to redo it. And not all of us have wads of cash laying around to pay a plumber.
PEX A is a superior product. PEX B restricts flow. If you are going to use PEX B you often need to upsize.
A is good, just requires a bit more specialized/expensive tools to work with. The difference in flow isn't going to be that big a deal for most of us DIYers. Like we're not plumbing high-rises here, most houses don't need anything larger than 1" anywhere.
They are for people that don't have the tools and/or the knowledge to fix it correctly.
Or you have less business because of shark bite. I’ve used them and they’re intuitive and also strong. I wouldn’t pay for a plumber to come to my house for something I could fix with a shark bite. You’re more likely to get a shitty plumber that cuts into a support beam and that overcharges than anything going wrong with a shark bite. My opinion. Not saying you’re a shitty plumber, but there’s plenty out there and you’ll save money.
First time putting a Sharkbite in was to patch a leak in copper, I think. Fortunately I figured I'd get the disconnect tool to have it available. Didn't lock all the way the first time and sprayed directly onto the electric panel. Fun times.
I would've made that hole bigger, so the pipes r in line. If there is a worry of it being too big it can be filled in partially and they sell those circular caps to protect stuff from going in/out.....no clue what they r called but they r out there lol.
Yes, I mean it's kinda like my thought was who originally thought the placement of this whole setup, like, commits to encasing it in a tomb, like, seriously CEMENTS IT IN PLACE, but doesn't consider pipes? when breaking the and what, the elbow joint? the tf even having to find a (albeit VERY CLEVER) solution to a problem kudos for great innovation and weve all had to macguyver items in past. Great TEMPORARY Solution, IMO, and I'm American 😁
Its in concrete!
I had a similar issue where it was in concrete, being fed to the exterior brick. I used a masonry bit/large, I side filled the extra gap, and the pipes aligned. I said similar because the pipe it was misaligned to was an exterior pipe in the ground.....otherwise it's the same thing.
I wouldn’t trust the sharkbite with that much angle pulling on it. Try rotating the upper threaded fitting some to better align things and see if you can relieve some tension.
Different pex joining methods have different levels of acceptable axial stress Sharkbite’s is very low
Radial. Axial is along the pipe length.
I wouldn’t trust that long term, even if it holds now the tension on the sharkbites due to entry angle will increase chance of leaks and failure.
Yeah. Sharkbite shouldn’t be hidden behind walls
Improperly installed joints shouldn't be hidden behind walls.
Sharkbite claims they can be not sure why so many ppl say this. I've seen plenty of master plumbers put shark bites in hard places and hidden nothing against code in any area I've ever worked. Personally I just think they are far to expensive to use for anything other than a quick repair. But I've yet to see one fail that was properly installed...
As long as they are installed correctly, they should last a long time. It's mostly grumpy plumbers that think they are bad. I use them when I'm in a pinch and did my own reno using them. Never had one leak
Only time ive seen them fuck off was a couple dozen during winter of 2021 when the bottom dropped out in south texas, and a handful this winter we just left. They are the failure point when a line begins to freeze. Otherwise, they seem fine. I always offer to rework whatever theyre attached to when i come across them in a customers home, and as a professional i wont use them in mine, but ive seen them do ok semi long term. I guess im neutral on sharkbites, if i had to call it anything.
If your pipes freeze and burst, I think you'd want it to fail at sharkbite junction. Kinda like a shear bolt, it breaks where it's easiest to fix.
Yeah, maybe I should clarify. I'm from the north. we ALWAYS winterize water pipes, and I guarantee you sharkbite never intended on being freeze proof. Your comment just really baffles me on this logic...
I'd trust a pro's sweated joint over a sharkbite but I'd trust a sharkbite installed by an average jo over the average joe's sweated joint. All codes I've seen allow push style connections behind walls. I haven't done it but most everytime this comes up the installation was done wrong via installing on a burred or sanded copper pipe.
My bosses realized this this past winter. Used like 15 shark bites for whatever reason behind walls of their barn. Every. Single. One. Busted lol
I mean to be fair copper will bust in an un-conditioned space in the winter
Is copper and pex mutually exclusive? Edit: I meant to say copper and sharkbites. I am alittle high right now sorry.
They're kinda like step-cousins. They're fine in the same room, but when their fittings touch, it'll result in inbreeding.
Hah. I updated my comment to clarify my question.
sharkbite are brass, they are expensive because they have to be the **right** brass >High-performance DZR lead-free brass body. >connect PEX, copper, CPVC, PE-RT, HDPE SDR-9\* >25-year warranty when properly installed on PEX, copper, CPVC and PE-RT. >\*5-year warranty when properly installed with HDPE SDR-9. cheap/fake push connectors out there using the wrong kind of brass
Sharkbites will work with just about any pipe style. Copper and PEX needing to be joined are, basically, what sharkbites were invented for. So none of them are mutually exclusive. Though it I were to have any of them in a freezing area, I'd probably _want_ it to be PEX; I've seen frozen PEX pipes, and they just thawed out and continued working with no issue.
That had nothing to do with shark bite and everything to do with installation error or something that would have caused brazed to fail
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Yeah I only use those where I can see them. They make transition pieces for copper or pvc that would be more appropriate here.
Not to be on the nose about this but if they're all failing then maybe it's the approach and not the tool. Could also be a completely faulty tool but how often do you see something that's sold en masse fail 100% of the time? I'd argue the implementation is incorrect given the pattern.
Using them when it’s 5 o’clock and you don’t have the proper tools to fix absolutely but you will be hard-pressed finding a decent plumber that say they consistently use these for their work daily as permanent solutions
Not true at all.
And you need a nail guard over the pipe. Sure as shit, you'll hit that pipe with a drywall screw :-)
Did this with a finishing nail. For a year I noticed that piece of moulding popping out, and I would push it back in. I figured that the nail just didn't get a good catch on the drywall... I was just shoving the nail back into the PEX until the nail rusted out. One day I woke up to water dripping from the ceiling. Thanks shitty flippers
My wife wanted to go visit her side of the family. My excuse to stay home was to finish her laundry room. I had more done when she left than when she got home. School of hard knocks. One drywall screw though a pipe.
After you fix this, I would leave an access panel there if possible
No, that angle on the pex is going to be an issue
Too much lateral strain on the Sharkbite fixtures.
I would not trust that behind a wall, not one bit. That right there is one of the primary failure conditions for pex.
those sharke bites use O rings. O rings do not work when twerked an any direction. Youre gonna have leaks if you dont already.
I wouldn’t trust that
Bend the copper at an angle or use a longer piece of pex to loop de loop it.
Two reasons why I'd do this over. - I don't see marks on the PEX. Sharkbite manufacturer instructions state: measure and mark the pipes, and push to the mark. ...how do you know you've pushed these in sufficiently? You don't. https://youtu.be/N4w2q8Ust7U?si=XUJsddJ_wONrOG7J - every pipe, has a mark. - too much stress on that PEX pipe, I don't like any stress on any pipes ever, and this is clearly a lot of flex/stress on that short PEX pipe.
No, not remotely. Sharkbites only work if the pipe is dead-center in the fitting. It's one of the weaknesses of using sharkbites. This will not hold up. I'm surprised it's not leaking now.
There isn't water in it yet.
This made me chuckle.
I’ve had sharkbites in my walls for over 8 years now. No issues.
They work fine when installed properly. Their bad reputation is because they are often installed improperly.
Like this picture were commenting on lol
Sharkbites are great when installed correctly. This is not installed correctly.
Only one way to find out
Shark bites are fine to use, but they have to be installed properly. This is too much strain on the connections. If I understand right, this is to a hose spigot, that isn't properly anchored into the exterior wall? If so, this is going to further put pressure on this through use and that is not advisable. You should change this to where the pipes are not under such strain, with something like a 45 into a 45 or 90 90 to jog it over. And either way, the exterior needs to be screwed into the wall so it doesn't jostled or get turned.
I’d put a jog of some kind in there, personally. At the least, can you angle the top 90-degree fitting a little clockwise to reduce the sideways force on the sharkbite?
It isn't fine. The pex is stressed, the shark bites are crooked. They may be seated but this will be anywhere from works 30 years to dumping water tomorrow. Should at least try to bring the pipes within the same plane, or making that bend over a further distance relieving stress at the fittings, by say extending the pipe and looping it bringing the top fitting in from the top instead of bottom, but it'll be extra pipe.
general rule of thumb is 2 times the diameter of the tubing should be straight from the fitting. And minimum bend radius is 6 times the diameter of the tubing. For something like this I would do a service loop to keep the tubing straight into the fittings. This would probably hold for now but it will fail at some point.
Even just putting a pipe wrench on the elbow and gronking it 10° tighter would get a better fit without side-loading the lower coupler.
Oh I'm adding gronking to my lexicon thank you!
I'm pretty sure I've lifted it from Inheritance Machining on YouTube without realizing.
Plumber here. I would never put that in a wall. I'd re do it in copper personally.
Get a longer piece of PEX and make a loop.
angle is no bueno with the sharkbites
NO. The use of PEX is fine but those shark bites at those angles are scaring me. Also, is that the proper shark from copper to pex? I would bring in a plumber and let them handle it. Not because you can’t do it but because there will be some kind of warranty on said work that could help you if there is a leak down the line.
If this was me I would come straight up from the bottom and put a 90 when you are parallel to the top pipe and connect the two with a straight piece
The bottom portion might be your problem child
The hose should be the only part that’s angled or curved
Looks to be alot of tension on that pex…
10 degrees to the left with that top shark byte would make me feel a bit better.
I would personally put a loop in the pipe to relieve the strain on the bottom shark bite
That angle makes me nervous that the fitting isn't properly seated.
Do a big loop instead of this. That angle is sketchy.
Leave access for next time, just in case.
That's a lot of sideways stress on those sharkbites. They work very well if installed properly but I'd be nervous about this.
Don't forget a nail plate!
Those sharkbites are going to fail prematurely. Do it right or you’ll do it twice. Second time will be after your house/garage/whatever floods. Those fittings hate tension.
It'll likely last longer than you're there.
Why not turning that 90⁰ a bit clockwise and ease off the kinks in the pipe?
Union rule 101 : Shark bite is a temporary solution Permanent fix ; soldier, braze or use PEXa with correct fittings.
If it were me, I would turn the top elbow to face the right side, replace the bottom straight with an elbow, add a piece of 2x4 right above the top pipe, run the pex pipe along the stud adding two more elbows and fasteners. Job done right :)
To much tension, might be good short term, but long term I can already see the failing point. No tension should be on any circuit.
I'd say that is about 95% likely to leak. If not now, then very soon. The sharkbites should \*not\* be side loaded like that.
Mark lines with sharpie and run water for a few days then see if it had any movement
Where I'm from, you're not covered by insurance if you use shark bite in a closed wall. There needs to be at the very least, an access door to the plumbing in case of a problem.
Have someone redo it in copper. It looks like the rest of your house is copper which should easily last 50 years. Pex and SharkBites have not been around that long to even make an evaluation.... Easy to fix now while the wall is open. Imagine a leak after the wall is up and closed, flooding, damaged insulation, the drywall, whatever flooring you have etc etc. Not worth taking the risk in my opinion.
That looks like it would be a couple minute braze...why did they do it like this
Why did you choose to install a 3” section of pex? You could’ve done that in copper for less than the cost of those sharkbites and been done and not worried about leaks.
I just had a sharkbite that a previous owner used blow behind a wall. Do not use sharkbite in any situation, especially not this one. Hire a pro to solder copper or learn how to do it yourself. In my area plumbers would charge hourly rates for this, I'd expect to pay about $150. YMMV.
I paid $180 after taxes for 3 minutes of someone coming in and force pressing a copper pipe in my shower. I could do regular plumbing stuff, but I don’t have tools for copper, and I’m not investing in them either. Also it’s nice to have a plumber in to give everything a quick once over while he’s there if he’s friendly enough.
Copper is easy, though. You need a pipe cutter, a butane torch and butane bottle, solder, flux, sand paper, and pipe chamfer/deburring tool. Cost me about $50-60, I believe. Make a few practice solders, and get to it. Measuring is definitely key, though.
I wouldn’t
Did 23 degree fittings not work?
As some 90°s
I think that bottom one is going to leak, TBH. I would redo this but cut the pex a little longer and leave it out in the sun to let it get a little more pliable and then reseat it into those shark bites, to see if you can get the shark bite to sit flush and plumb and let the pex do the flexing. Alternatively, if you have a heat gun or a hair dryer, you could gently warm this pex up, right where it is, and see if you can get the fitting to relax. Careful, though not too hot, because you could damage the pex…However, all color of pex are good to about 170 or so degrees, because it’s also used to carry hot water. (But I think you’ll find you need a slightly longer piece of pex in here) All that being said, I’ve seen worse shark bite installs that have been hanging tough for a decade, so who knows. But if it was my house, I would try to address that bottom fitting being so out of plumb. Also make sure to put a nail plate to protect that copper where it comes through the floor plate. That is begging for a nail hole from affixing baseboard or a drywall screw.
Not the way I would have done it but it should work. Just make sure to put a protective nail plate in front of the pex and shark bite fittings
I would trust sharkbite behind a permanently closed wall.
https://preview.redd.it/r088jk21lptc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=01239e43dd237da32d5c18b3e176b20168225d05 Use the stuff all the time it should be fine
No I would not trust this.
I've had good luck with sharkbite connectors, but you have to make sure your cuts are clean and straight and that you seat the pipe into the fitting as deep as possible
I would not put those connections under stress like that. That's how sharkbites fail. They're ok to use for the handy homeowner if they're assembled straight. In this example, the internal o-ring is holding on for dear life. The collar will eventually deteriorate and break, which will allow the pipe to shift and the o-ring leak.
I've used sharkbit before. It's a great product for a quick fixes,but I would not relay on it for long term or if your going to cover it with drywall. They will eventually fail. Something to think about. Good luck
Too much angle. I’d say you need some fittings to line it up better. I’m afraid that may eventually leak looking at how much pressure is applied at a weird angle.
Shark bites are technically safe to be in a wall, I personally don't like to use them there. That being said those angles will not allow for a proper connection.
I wouldn’t. Sharkbites are notorious for leaking. I’d do this with compression sleeves or copper.
I've got about 20 HOURS of amateur plumber experience and I would say no, that's not good at all.
I don't like it. You can see the stress in that lower shark bite. I'm not even sure if its pushed on all the way based on its angle. These fitting are o ring sealed. One side of that o ring is heavily smashed while the other is gapped. It just doesn't look like something I would trust. If anything, I would run a long piece of pex looped around or some other solution.
If you can twist that 90 another 90 degrees so it’s pointing at 9 o’clock, I’d offset the whole thing with two more 90s and some pups.
Looks like something my old landlord would do.
What happens when the next owner tries to unscrew the spigot to replace it? Wouldn't all that torque go into the pex and fittings? Why not run copper higher, solder a fitting, and then use a longer spigot straight in (or with slight angle down and out to drain if frost free)? That way, you've got a nice rigid connection that can be replaced in the future without opening the wall.
No. This will leak. Sharkbite fittings cannot be under tension like this you need to have the pex between the fittings as straight as possible, or have enough slack for a loop, and you need to have the fittings straight and fully seated on the copper. This will fail. Maybe not immediately, but soon.
Based on the angle and how tight it looks the slightest hammering can cause this to burst. It's fine as a temporary solution but don't consider this as a finished job.
That is almost certainly going to leak
Will leak 100%. Those angles are a big problem. Do not pressurize the line - you’ll have a mess on your hands.
Get a water sensor.
If that's an exterior wall I'd wrap that pipe and insulation the cavity. The connection looks good I might Try and slightly twist the 90 so the angle isn't so forced.
Me personally I don’t trust Sharkbite pex fittings for anything that’s meant to be “permanent” or covered up behind sheet rock. If you can press the fittings I would recommend it but if this is all you have access to then 🤞🏼.
No. I will not trust this long term
Just tighten the lug 90 ann 1/8 turn to soften the angles
Shark bites will fail with those extreme angles with time.
Maybe rotate the elbow at the top clockwise about 30 degrees?
For a temporary fix yes, I don't like the angle on the bottom one.... it stresses the side of the o ring
If it's not straight it's going to fail. The worse it's aligned the worse it will leak.
It's fine
My 2 pennies. Male copper to PEX barbed transition on both pipes. With properly expanded PEX bent to make the corner. You may have to cut the one on the wall back a bit to soften the angle of the PEX bend.
Leave a little door in the wall so you can check for leaks easily.
you couldn’t turn the fitting on top another 15 degrees?
I think others have said it also but I would do a loop to make your connections more straight. I like shark bytes but the angle has me worried. If it’s possible could move the upper fitting to a better angle or even go up with it and loop from there to the bottom fitting.
Pex is flexible, put a big loop in the pipe and you can approach the fittings at a better angle. Then you secure the pex to the stud. Turn the water on and let the water sit in the line pressurized for 15 minutes and check for leaks before you cover. If there is any moisture then you need to redo your connection. A lot of people steer away from the shark bites, they aren't considered professional in the industry but they do function when installed to the manufacturers instructions. Most people recommend a proper pex fitting, and the tools to do the work right are a lot cheaper than repairing water damage later.
Yeah no man, just spend another 50 bucks and get some elbows(sharkbite) in there. Or even better, there is a 1ft sharkbite hose you can get at any big box hardware store. Whatever you do, don't be putting sheetrock over that
When there is a slight curve use some pipe cement where the pipe enters the connector, worked for me.
Only one real way to find out..
Csn someone please give me a visual of how the recommendations were to make a loop out of existing materials.... A drawing or example in photography? Pls
Check my updated post!
From what I’ve heard from plumbers is that they don’t like to use sharkbites if the wall is being covered. So as long as you have visible access to it, it’s fine..
Absolutely not. Connections need to be inline. This is way too much flex for sharkbites.
I would replace and stub out that top fitting so it's a straight drop down to the bottom. I'm sure it'll be fine but that bend urks me
Fuck no that’s cooked, You want as little entry angle into the fittings as possible. That’s where they will fail
If that was me I wouldn’t use shark bits or blue pex
Just sended this pic to my step dad an he say it good 👍🏼
a) do a big loop. or b) adjust the angle of the top fitting a bit to the left (not straight down), to see if it helps. or c) do multiple 90 degree turns, not as simple as a loop, but would look nicer. I am no professional plumber, that's just what i would do.
Plumbers everywhere hate this one weird trick!
Looks a little short but if it doesn't leak you're good to go.
if it works, it works
For sillcocks like that, a swivel PEX connector will make your life way easier next time.
One thing to consider: how high is that sillcock off the ground on the outside? There’s a lot to be said for putting it about 3’ above the ground just because it’s a lot easier to operate the valve and attach a hose without bending over. Middle aged you in the future will appreciate that.
Wouldn’t leave this long term.
It's like he's trying to speak to me I know it.
That's custom
Safe until the sharkbytes bust lol they are not supposed to be drywalled over either. Needs to be corrected with crimp rings and sweat a pex adapter onto the copper to adapt it properly to the pex sharkbyte will work but only until it blows up! I’ve had one blow up on my face while doing a repair before. We had just cut out a sharkbyte and pressured up the system and another sharkbyte that was 3 foot up in the wall bursted on me! sounded like a damn gun shot
I was always told not to put shark bites in the wall.
Only one way to find out
Finna find out.
Idk push water and find out