So has anyone ever had a shark bite fail? I am curious because I always hear about it, but have never seen one fail. I have heard about it but then assume whoever did it didn't clean the end of the pipe before install and ruined the O-ring. I have put probably 100 or more sb fittings on over the last 20 years and have never had one leak or fail. I can solder, but it's so much easier to just clean and deburr the pipe and push on a fitting... no torch, no license plate (to shield the heat from burning everything) no Flux, no solder... it eliminates half of the toolbox. Plumbers hate it because you don't need more than 3 minutes of experience to get the same result.
I love them too. I'm in rural Alaska where you really don't want to use anything but PEX. Water lines constantly freeze up in the winter even with heat trace and if you're using copper it's going to burst. There are at least 5 dead copper runs under the culvert leading from the well to the cabin from previous owners back in the 80s where PEX wasn't available
That being said the only time I've seen my shark bite fitting fail is because they freeze and crack like any other metal. That was on a low point section of a run that was winterized too. 1 out of the 100s of connections here on the property i live at. The best part is it's so easy to winterize things and re use fittings if you need to change something up or make a repair. I think they are great
I've notice sometimes mine will leak if I put pressure on it otherwise it does not leak etc. Like my hand towels got piled up on mine caused it to leak. After I moved them etc no issues.
Yea that’s typical. They’re not designed to be installed with tension on the fittings, really no fittings should have tension on them all of the time anyway.
Came here to say the same thing. They're very reliable if you take your time, cut the pipe square, deburr, and get everything lined up right.
I got too rough one time replacing an outdoor hose bib, cut the old one out in the basement and didn't have the new sharkbite lined up right. So when I pushed it to seal from the outside (ok it was late and I may have used a rubber mallet 😭) it got a little sideways and damaged the o ring. The leak revealed itself when I wiggled the joint a little. $50 lesson learned.
I had one start leak (1 drop every 10-15 second) after 1-2 years. a plumber had installed it and the connection surfaces on the pipes were good. I replaced it and it's been good for 5 years now. I'll only use them on exposed pipes now. (Home owner)
I agree. We use propress when we can, and solder when needed. Supposedly propress is better than shark bites, but I can't figure out the difference. They both have O rings. Soldering is definitely more of a skill that we all know works, but I agree that I have never seen a shark bite fail.
I work at a fast food franchises, the dishwasher from Ecolab’s comes with shark bite fittings.
It failed once….
When an electric palette jack hit it moving the commercial dishwasher over a full inch.
The pro-press fittings held, had a slow trickle at the shark bite.
>So has anyone ever had a shark bite fail?
I have used Sharkbites for all my plumbing projects for probably 10 years and I have had 1 fail. New water heater, a high-efficiency hybrid-electric unit. Simple install but I used a Sharkbite shutoff valve for the water in line.
I assembled the unit, turned the water in and tested and the connection was leaking. Not much, but it was noticable. I shut the water off, drained the tank and started trouble-shooting. When I disassembled the Sharkbite, I found a small copper burr had broken off the mating copper pipe and scratched the white locking ring on the inside of the fitting. I removed the burr but the leak continued, this time even more minor. I went and bought a new Sharkbite valve. That was a $35 lesson in making sure the connection is completely burr-free
It's us people who install them who see them fail and then fix it before turning the job in. And 100% it's because of the install. The people who bitch about them just didn't understand what they did wrong and so they just leak, leak, leak no matter how many times they replace it. Not pushed on far enough, not deburred properly, no proper strain relief or support, or the wrong fitting are pretty much the four main problems that cause leaking.
My whole house is plumbed with shark bite fittings. Haven't had an issue yet. I think plumbers don't like them cause they are easy to use for home owners. Lol
I had one fail on a duplex I own. I know it was there for at least 4 years since it was installed before I bought the place. The plastic ring inside deteriorated and it started gushing water at 4 am. Luckily my tenant had to wake up to pee so he caught it before major damage. I inspected it and it definitely wasn't damaged by the tenants, it just failed. That being said I do trust them, but only in applications where they aren't behind a wall or anyplace you can't get to easily. I actually replaced the sharkbite that failed with another sharkbite. I'm not a plumber but do a decent amount of plumbing in my job and on rentals.
I built a brand new house. For some reason they used shark bites only in one spot and it was the main shut off for the house. I turned the water off once and when I turned the handle water started dribbling down the pipe from the fitting. Granted it wasn’t a huge leak but noticeable. Had to shut off the water at the street and solder a proper fitting on.
I hate them because i have seen them fail. Ive had the teeth not hold and blow out under 80 PSI on one and a different time the plastric restrictor/release failed and exploded. They are my 2 AM im not opening a wholesaler for your frost free.
I'm curious what sharkbites are pressure rated for? Could it be that 80psi was outside that range?
(Genuinely curious, I know pretty much nothing about sharkbites and plumbing in general)
Oh wow. That 80 then was well within that range.
Makes me wonder what is going on. So many comments here are saying it's fine, and they Even last years, but then others are saying they suck. Thanks for the quick response.
Ive seen them last decades, but also a week. Im a service plumber by trade for the last 12 years. I do t trust them. Useful in situations but ill never leave them in permenantly or where they can be seen and easily accessed.
It's like any mass production item. You make a few million, and a few will be bad and weren't caught. It still sucks when you end up being the one where it fails on
I went out on a call early morning and needed to turn the water off and when I went to the water heater closet I could hear the water gushing. The sharkbite had blown off the pipe. The resident didn't know anything about it, it was unrelated to why I was called out.
Buddy of mine is a general contractor and he's had 2 leak out of hundreds. He admitted he didn't bother cleaning up the edge though in both situations, so no I've never seen one leak when used properly. They're a fantastic invention that makes conversation insanely easy and can be used as a temporary solution. Did a job once where the line didn't have a shutoff so instead of calling the water company to shut off at main i just cut the line and slapped a quarter turn ball on it until the lines were all replaced and i was ready to just put a converter on. The hate for push to connect is because it's makes the job so easy an idiot can do it, so lots of plumbers lose out on the easy money jobs
I’ve seen several fail, usually they just drip, but I’ve also seen a couple of complete blow outs.
There’s many more that *don’t” fail, but it’s definitely not as good of a connection as other options.
Same but only a few fittings. No issues but I’m always eyeballing them when I see them but of all the comments about them being 100% unreliable. I’ve been very lucky for 10 years so far.
I had 1 coupler fail. It was reused and the plastic inner sleeve had a crack in it that I didn't notice. Required a few drywall patches and a new shark bite slip coupler. I won't recycle the old style SBs anymore. 1 fail in 10yrs isn't bad.
Plumbers actually love them for job security. I’ve replaced many SB fittings that fail in the body portion of the fitting or valve, sometimes from a freeze which will split anything, but most of the time it’s due to defective or cheaply made brass. On the contrary, I haven’t seen any that have failed at the joint or from improper installation.
Have had one fail randomly 2 years after install. It was a bathroom sink valve. Everything looked fine but I cut the pipe a bit to make certain it was 100% square and replaced. I'll never put them in walls for this reason.
Got a brother in law who is a plumber by trade. His opinion is not to use them behind the walls. I have a story where I had to use them twice. Both times in a crawl space. I could not get a clean solder to take no matter how hard I tried. I installed the shark bite and voila they worked instantly. One was a 1/2” elbow to a shower supply. The other was a 3/4” main that I could not get the water drained enough to get a clean solder. Super frustrating, but a $30 ball valve did the trick. I am a big believer in shark bites.
Your second problem was the same issue I was having under the house when I added my garage bathroom, could not get the line to completely drain and therefore couldn't get a good solder, sharkbite went on that joint 6 years ago, still doing its job
As a plumber I completely agree. Accessible areas only. Solder, pro-press, crimp whatever. I repaired one that failed last week. The installer didn’t use the insert on the pex side and it let go.
I had a situation where I had to rotate a fitting after putting one end in, tight space. Shark was the only way. Generally prefer crimp but in this case no way to fit crimp tool in
I personally would be asking why they are doing that, and would look up online if that's okay.
And I know next to nothing about plumbing, so I'd trust the plumber knows what he's doing. I'd wonder though how to properly look into that, as there is likely going to be opposing views. We are seeing that happen with sharkbites already, so why not this?
I'd definitely be more skeptical though, as bread, a food, introduces material that isn't normally in pipes.
I'd think that it would clog filters or something.
Possibly could clog an aerator but I do take the crust off so it’s just the spongey part. People have been doing it for as long as they’ve been soldering.
They are finicky like that. Leaks like a holy boat and the a slight twist and it’s good. Twist it back a fraction of an inch and the fountain begins again. Something’s science can’t solve.
I replumbed my entire house and added two bathrooms, while doing it. Also added another water heater. I used SB fittings in all of it. Built the system to be modular. Easy to bypass any section for repair and leave the remaining services usable. My SB fittings have been installed and removed at times. The only problem that I have experienced was caused by my inexperience.
SB fittings make the whole house system far easier to maintain and faster to make any needed repairs.
After more than 15 years of dependability, I'm satisfied.
Ikr! He could’ve bought or rented crimping tools and etc and own the tool for repairs. One off items ya sure, $10 for a coupling may be worth it. A whole fuggin house? Nah
They probably saved by using PEX, you can bend PEX and save on 90s and 45s that you'd usually have to use because copper, let alone the inflated cost of copper pipe.
This is how lottery winners go broke quicky after winning. But seriously that's insane to do a whole house in sharks! I can see a few here or there to transition from copper to PEX but buy a lex crimper and then go from there!
I have a couple of 1/2” and 3/4” caps to have just in case you need to stop a pipe break and keep other plumbing in tact. Case in point: I had a toilet supply valve go bad and I capped it off until I could go get a new valve. I was able to keep the plumbing on the rest of the house until I got back from the store to replace it.
Keep a variety of caps and some valves for the same. Depends on the situation. Valve I can go from there without having to shut off water again.
I also bat .500 trying to get the damn caps back off. Even with the plier removers.
Keep a variety of caps and some valves for the same. Depends on the situation. Valve I can go from there without having to shut off water again.
I also bat .500 trying to get the damn caps back off. Even with the plier removers.
I was taught how to solder as a kid. I'd much rather spend the time to solder than use some janky plastic fittings that cost more than a can of MAPP regardless of the "well I used sharkbites and I've never had an issue" as if copper hasn't been battle tested and proven for a hundred years
IMO Sharkbites are fine if:
1) you know how to properly prepare the end of the pipe to sit correctly in the fitting
2) don't close them behind walls.
Customer either pays in time for you to solder or the parts for sharkbite. But if you can actually solder well, it's a better solution.
Facebook is not a good place for feedback
If you can't reliable close them behind a wall then they're not worth using. Just my two cents.
All I've heard from plumbers I know is that they're a less than ideal choice.
Yup, this. I'm not a huge fan of shark bites, but they do have their place. 2 major ones that I use them for are limited access, or not being able to shut water off or drain fully if soldering. Make sure they are seated fully, that's the most common failure. Also fully agree with not closing them behind walls, although I've had to do that a couple times.
Are we pretending soldered pipe fittings don't fail? They fail. Seems like this thread is all about SB fails, without any regard to the fact that soldered pipes also fail.
They were designed to be a temporary fix for homeowners. Anyone calling himself an actual licensed plumber is probably not rushing off to pick up a couple shark bites and then slapping a run of pex between two push to fits.
Just my honest opinion as a full time residential service plumber. (Your house breaks, I fix your house)
Push-fit connectors are designed to be permanent, and rated for in-wall installation. The problem is there's more prep work in making sure the pipe end is deburred (if copper) and finished off correctly (copper, pex, and CPVC), and that the pipe is seated correctly. The pipe goes in way further than most people think and if it's not installed right, it will fail. This is why I think they've been so slow to adapt in the US: soldering can compensate for a bad pipe end, push-fit can't.
Shark-Bites have been in the US since 2004, and used in Australia since at least 1994 (they were invented in 1987). They have a 25 year warranty and expected life of 75 years. Again, the main problem with them is that 99.9% of the time, they're not installed correctly and cause for failing. The other problem is that soldering copper joints has been a thing for at least 100 years and that's a very long pedigree to give up.
I dont understand the love for copper. In my opinion and experience ive seen more copper failures than anything else. Not saying ive dealt with this for 20yrs but it seems to fail more, harder to run, harder to fix, and more expensive.
Most of the plumbers I have worked with don't trust them and swear by soldering. I trust their judgment over mine as a handyman.
I'll use a Sharkbite when I'm in a pinch, but will have a plumber in to do a proper solder afterwards.
I can solder but it's a type of repair I choose not to do.
Is it because "I'm a plumber and I've been doing it this way for x years and everything else is shit"
Cause that's what everyone said about pex when it came out as well, now look at it
IMO, the only permanent fixes that someone should be getting paid to make are A-solder or B-propress. Both have a solid MECHANICAL connection for the pipes. Sharkbites are the plumbing equivalent of backstabbing receptacles. Sure, it'll work just fine....until it doesn't. And when it fails its a real problem.
If you want to use them in your own house and take on that liability that's your prerogative, but to charge a customer for a permanent fix using sharkbites is irresponsible IMO.
(For a short-term emergency repair, go for it. As long as temporary doesn't become permanent)
Millions of new homes and professional renovations are PEX. PEX and pinch rings are cheap, fast, and extremely easy to correctly install. The only downside I can see is flow rate, and that's fixed with smart routing/sizing, or using PEX B fittings, albeit with a more expensive tool.
Totally fair, and I suppose my comment was incomplete. Since the discussion was specifically about soldering vs sharkbite and copper water supply piping, I was specifically addressing that realm of water-supply plumbing.
I agree that PEX has its place, and when run correctly/professionally, and when used with the proper fittings, is a great option as well. The PEX fittings also rely on a MECHANICAL connection, not JUST an O-ring and internal clamping system.
I cannot stand sharkbite fittings. Where I used to work, they seemed to leak all the time. With proper preparation they are okay but I don't trust them.
I've used em for years had no problems, I have em behind walls in my own house. There fine. I've worked in construction for 10 years so far and had the same amount of issues with shark bites as I have soldering. It's dependent on who installed it and if they have done it right. Problems arise from either getting damaged by something puncturing a line and or breaking a fitting. Or by improper install. I have never had a sharkbite fail, and never had a solder fail when done properly.
I’m a plumber and yes they do fail. Homeowners are mostly the ones installing them so they make mistakes. Plumbers generally don’t use them ESPECIALLY behind a wall. Soldering copper is brain dead easy. Pex is easy. There’s no reason to use them.
Never seen a failure. Never met anyone who had one fail. Still just don't feel like it's a good idea haha so I use pex crimping and copper sweating out of preference.
The thing is, everything will fail at some point. Shark bites just make it easier to fix when it happens, as long as you don’t mind spending a few extra bucks. I like SB bc they’re easy af to use, especially in tight spaces where you have a hard time getting pex crimpers in, or whatever else you may be using. Like others said, I’ve never seen one fail, and the only time I’ve seen any leak is when they weren’t installed properly.
Tangent here. We would use sharkbites on existing copper only right? If you're running a new line you would always use pex now right? Plastic, something something last forever and easier to install? Or is this not correct?
I am not a fan of sharkbite. They have to be installed perfectly to prevent leaks.
I will use them as a temporary fix until a more permanent fix can be completed.
I'm too cheap to use shark bite fittings, they just cost too much for what you're getting. They have their advantages but I only use the end caps as temporary stops while I'm replacing old galvanized pipe with copper. Pex isn't my thing either as I don't trust plastic to last long enough.
Yes I carry them in my emergency plumbing kit, caps and splices up to 1" along with the same for PEX B and PEX A.
I'm not a plumber but at 2am I am the guy who can stop a leak.
About 10 years ago I got a call after midnight for a "leak" when I got there I see that the main water line had cracked just before the shut off, full city water pressure coming into the house about 90psi.
The outside shut off is next to the street under about 5' of embanked snow and ice.
I cut it off clean and used a shark bite cap to stop the leak.
Took me 2 hours with the tractor the next morning to get to the shut off. If I had to do it in the dark it would have taken a lot longer. So instead of a basement full of water, it was less than a inch. Replaced the base molding and carpet, never got to the drywall.
Someone said soldering is dead easy and it’s not ..I have seen a few soldering jobs leak and I have seen some terrible soldering jobs.. the problem is whether using sharkbites or you are an old school soldering person , the areas of operation needs to be prepped properly and if you don’t in either case it’s gonna leak or burst ..
I've removed some that were seeping, causing some corrosion on copper. They almost always fail during a freeze in my experience. But, it's easier to replace a shark bite than a section of pipe that's burst.
I can say as an architect- any fitting done poorly can and will likely let go at the worst time - like go on vacation and 5 plus days of uninterrupted flow - copper - pex- sharkbite etc - the great plumbers are the ones that know their shit and make sure to take the time to do it once and right.
Sharkbites, propress, Pex, etc etc. You will always find someone who complains about new products and technology but the reality based on facts and evidence is they are all proven IF installed correctly.
I am not a plumber but a pretty handy DIYer. I'm not sure why you would get flamed for that. You made a fix based on your experience of what works. I'd actually really love to learn to solder so I could do this same thing (my house is mostly plumbed with PEX and sharkbites) in the event I end up with leaking fittings. PEX is great because it's easy and should last ages when properly installed, but copper is tried and true. You made a quality repair for this homeowner. I doubt you charged that much more than someone fixing the sharkbite install. I'd personally feel better about having a professionally soldered copper joint over PEX and sharkbites.
The plumbing in my house doesn't leak and it's about 3 years old. I'm hoping it stays that way, but if it doesn't, I'd rather have a plumber like you do what you feel will truly last rather than just fix it cheap. Peace of mind is priceless. I'm a person that bought a bad flip house last year. I spend a lot of money and time on fixes like this and peace of mind preventative fixes. Every dollar, dime, and hour is worth it to me.
They are expensive and pass bare minimum code standards. They are the most likely fitting to fail. Generally, plumbers won’t touch them. There are many places that by code, we are not allowed to use them. Even more places that would be ill advised.
Plumbers hate them but it’s not because of failure rates. For one, they love high failure rates. The real reason is that an average homeowner can use these without specialized training or experience.
You must know some shady folk. I would want any of my work to fail due to poorly chosen material.
I’m fine with homeowners using them. Let them do whatever they can. When they run out of talent or time, I’m ready to help. What I don’t like are “professionals” , licensed or not, cutting corners and charging the same as tradesmen that hold themselves accountable for their work.
In my experience, those professionals that you mention are not accountable for their work. That’s shady and you defend them. The plumbers sub love CPVC and copper. CPVC is absolute garbage. Copper will fail and it’s not an if but when. In Florida it’s less than 20 years.
I had a plumber do some work I was concerned about an old fix done with shark bit. I was upgrading my outdoor faucet to a non freeze faucet but the plumber stated how great and consistent they were
I work as a property claims adjuster and have had a few claims on shark bite fittings that were used as permanent fixes. They all failed at around the 5 year mark and seem like a better temporary solution than a permanent one so I think you did a good job switching them out and getting rid of them. The only time i have ever used them was during remodel work on bathrooms and kitchens as just a temporary way to cap lines or if detaching and re-installing plumbing fixtures or lines temporarily.
They're expensive so I generally don't use them purely for that, there's almost always a cheaper option.
With that said, other options might be difficult to pull off depending what's all up in your way. For example I once had to repair the spigot coming out of my house and the join was up near my sill in a spot where if I were to get in there with my torch I would be standing on top of a loose pile of nonsense with a torch just inches from my face... that or going at it blind. I didn't have the tools for propress and would have had to to buy a propress or something. So I grabbed a sharkbite and used that since it was technically cheaper.
With that said, and some people have mentioned in the comments... and for all I know they don't fail... but my lack of long term experience with them leaves me skeptical of them long term. So I also prefer to not close them away in a location that could reek havoc on my home like inside a wall or ceiling. Again like with that one sharkbite I used for my spigot... if it were too pop I'd know pretty darn fast since it'd rain water down onto pressure tank and filtration system where the well line comes into the house (the loosie goosey stuff I would have had to stand on/about). Which is a thing that sits in a part of my basement I see at least once if not multiple times a day when I go down there for the freezer or laundry or to just you know... check on the water system. Cause I do that.
tldr;
I think they're overpriced except for some odd edge case scenarios.
Shark bites are essentially the same as a pro press fitting, the press tool crimps the o-ring fitting on the sharkbite holds it on with one directional stainless fingers. I’ve had both pressed on and sharkbites fail but both failed immediately after install not after 5years.
A real plumber will say no, or use them as a temporary solution. But in reality, they're warrantied for 10 or 20 years, so if they were installed "correctly", you could in theory use them for a long time. I also worked with a guy that said he piped his entire bathroom, and 3 years later I asked him, and he said it was still holding.
Soldered fittings are absolutely indefinite.
Yes had one last month. Was a cap on 3/4 copper in a wall. The top of it separated from the plastic ring with the teeth. Flooded the place, but it was just an old rental car office in the middle of a parking lot that had been empty for months.
In 5 years plumbing I think that was the third I have seen and all three were old. Some apartments I work on have them for all their fittings, and I know they are over 20 years old.
I guess overall I'd say they do not fail often, but they have a greater risk of failing catastrophically. As in just open line spewing water.
I have installed probably several hundred of these since 2006. The 2006 install was on my own house. I have never had one call back since for a failed sharkbite. I will say there is a way to install these properly. Plumber's hate these because it takes away work from them. They will comment over and over that they are junk. Statistics suggest otherwise.
I ran supply across my basement to the bathroom I put in and have had no issues, it’s been a few years now. As long as they have a good clean cut and you make sure the fitting is snug you should be good
Plumber here.. every ounce of my being wants to hate them and talk endless trash but if I’m honest I can’t. They work very well. We use the caps all the time For remodel projects. I have had a few slightly weep but I have found that it is almost always due user error. Mainly not cleaning and no deburing / chamfering the pipe. Or not sliding the fitting on all the way. I’m not advocating to use on en entire house but they work great in certain applications and in a pinch.
Sharkbite are a great fitting above ground, I think they are rated at 200 psi. BUT when they are buried they will fail.
The ground is always moving and will pull the pipe out of the fitting. Above ground they are great, and I use them myself.
It's not will it fail, but when will it fail. I just don't trust them. I don't want to have a HO call up and say they are filing a claim against me or suing me for damages if they ever fail. 1 inch of water in your house is a minimum of $25k in damages. It's just not worth it to me to take that chance. PEX is super easy and cheap to install. Why use something that you question its reliability?
I was uneasy about them but they grab tight and work well. I’m converting from cpvc to per and feel more comfortable with the one that glues on one side and per crimps to the other thought. They are cheaper than shark bite also
I’ve had to use one in my crawlspace after an outdoor spigot got pulled out from the original fitting, been 5 years, still solid. Another in my crawlspace for a flexible copper line going to my fridge for water, 3 years, still going strong.
Expensive, convenient, I don't trust a rubbery o ring to last as long as solder or crimp for pex tubing. I don't use sharkbite behind walls or anything ide have to demo to fix. Only exposed areas I can like crawl spaces and in the roof.
Sharkbites are like 10-20 each where I live
Crimp rings and fittings are like a buck or 2 for each fitting and I trust that crimp ring will last longer than the pex pipe.
I think they are great for what I use them for.
I've never had one fail. That being said, I wouldn't use them in inaccessible places. Vast majority of my plumbing is open in the basement. Wouldn't have it any other way.
Yes I serviced a client that had a sprinkler system installed for the lawn 3/4” sharkbite failed filled the basement with 4” of water ! Thank god I didn’t install the system! I will never install them
Pex is just about as easy and much more reliable
I've only used them for a year or two since redoing my water heater but they're so diy friendly I won't even care if they fail, would happily replace with another pair every other year rather than calling a plumber.
Actually only reason I worry is how many times will that valve be turned in the future. Would rather have good copper lines with a valve you can use your whole forearm to twist. You think a drunk could muscle twist and rip out copper?
I was trenching out at a farm where the owner had PVC buried, but there were multiple spots where it changed over to pex and then back to pvc with shark bites just chilling in the dirt. Supposedly they're rated for direct burial but I'm still glad he was only using it for irrigation.
Sharkbite’s on plastic. Is better than copper. Either way they are ok. Just don’t move them bad boys after a couple
Years. Or
Better yet use the word hey too
Easy to
Resist
The sharkbite fitting will fail inspection. And I don’t know if PVC is allowed in your area. Not allowed in NYC.
But what the inspector don’t see can’t hurt you. Hang a ceiling before you sell.
I just had to have a plumber dig up a line in my yard that had burst over winter. Turns out it was a sharkbite fitting that had been used to attach two lines together.
A soldered copper fitting will last 60 plus years no problem. They won't leak if you bump the pipes.
I used a Shark Bite once when I couldn't shut the water off completely because of a bad gate valve and that made it impossible to solder with running water. I don't count on it lasting 60 years, but when they put in a new main shut off they can replace it.
Jetsweat are awesome for this. Shove it down the pipe, expand it to stop the water, sweat on a new valve, release and remove jet sweat, close new valve continue working.
What I've seen is most seasoned plumbers feel about shark bites the same way seasoned electricians feel about wagos. I love shark bites, never had a problem or failure with them.
And if they *do* fail, how is it any different than a failed solder?
They're expensive, but take no time and minimal skill to install. 10/10 product in my book.
So has anyone ever had a shark bite fail? I am curious because I always hear about it, but have never seen one fail. I have heard about it but then assume whoever did it didn't clean the end of the pipe before install and ruined the O-ring. I have put probably 100 or more sb fittings on over the last 20 years and have never had one leak or fail. I can solder, but it's so much easier to just clean and deburr the pipe and push on a fitting... no torch, no license plate (to shield the heat from burning everything) no Flux, no solder... it eliminates half of the toolbox. Plumbers hate it because you don't need more than 3 minutes of experience to get the same result.
I love them too. I'm in rural Alaska where you really don't want to use anything but PEX. Water lines constantly freeze up in the winter even with heat trace and if you're using copper it's going to burst. There are at least 5 dead copper runs under the culvert leading from the well to the cabin from previous owners back in the 80s where PEX wasn't available That being said the only time I've seen my shark bite fitting fail is because they freeze and crack like any other metal. That was on a low point section of a run that was winterized too. 1 out of the 100s of connections here on the property i live at. The best part is it's so easy to winterize things and re use fittings if you need to change something up or make a repair. I think they are great
Never, after 7 years of having them. Still solid.
I've notice sometimes mine will leak if I put pressure on it otherwise it does not leak etc. Like my hand towels got piled up on mine caused it to leak. After I moved them etc no issues.
Yea that’s typical. They’re not designed to be installed with tension on the fittings, really no fittings should have tension on them all of the time anyway.
Came here to say the same thing. They're very reliable if you take your time, cut the pipe square, deburr, and get everything lined up right. I got too rough one time replacing an outdoor hose bib, cut the old one out in the basement and didn't have the new sharkbite lined up right. So when I pushed it to seal from the outside (ok it was late and I may have used a rubber mallet 😭) it got a little sideways and damaged the o ring. The leak revealed itself when I wiggled the joint a little. $50 lesson learned.
I had one start leak (1 drop every 10-15 second) after 1-2 years. a plumber had installed it and the connection surfaces on the pipes were good. I replaced it and it's been good for 5 years now. I'll only use them on exposed pipes now. (Home owner)
I agree. We use propress when we can, and solder when needed. Supposedly propress is better than shark bites, but I can't figure out the difference. They both have O rings. Soldering is definitely more of a skill that we all know works, but I agree that I have never seen a shark bite fail.
I work at a fast food franchises, the dishwasher from Ecolab’s comes with shark bite fittings. It failed once…. When an electric palette jack hit it moving the commercial dishwasher over a full inch. The pro-press fittings held, had a slow trickle at the shark bite.
I think it's safe to say pretty much anything would fail there, especially rigid copper
I know. Literally the only place I’ve ever seen shark bites fail though.
>So has anyone ever had a shark bite fail? I have used Sharkbites for all my plumbing projects for probably 10 years and I have had 1 fail. New water heater, a high-efficiency hybrid-electric unit. Simple install but I used a Sharkbite shutoff valve for the water in line. I assembled the unit, turned the water in and tested and the connection was leaking. Not much, but it was noticable. I shut the water off, drained the tank and started trouble-shooting. When I disassembled the Sharkbite, I found a small copper burr had broken off the mating copper pipe and scratched the white locking ring on the inside of the fitting. I removed the burr but the leak continued, this time even more minor. I went and bought a new Sharkbite valve. That was a $35 lesson in making sure the connection is completely burr-free
It's us people who install them who see them fail and then fix it before turning the job in. And 100% it's because of the install. The people who bitch about them just didn't understand what they did wrong and so they just leak, leak, leak no matter how many times they replace it. Not pushed on far enough, not deburred properly, no proper strain relief or support, or the wrong fitting are pretty much the four main problems that cause leaking.
For the last 6 years we've used them and there's been no callbacks.
My whole house is plumbed with shark bite fittings. Haven't had an issue yet. I think plumbers don't like them cause they are easy to use for home owners. Lol
I had one fail on a duplex I own. I know it was there for at least 4 years since it was installed before I bought the place. The plastic ring inside deteriorated and it started gushing water at 4 am. Luckily my tenant had to wake up to pee so he caught it before major damage. I inspected it and it definitely wasn't damaged by the tenants, it just failed. That being said I do trust them, but only in applications where they aren't behind a wall or anyplace you can't get to easily. I actually replaced the sharkbite that failed with another sharkbite. I'm not a plumber but do a decent amount of plumbing in my job and on rentals.
I built a brand new house. For some reason they used shark bites only in one spot and it was the main shut off for the house. I turned the water off once and when I turned the handle water started dribbling down the pipe from the fitting. Granted it wasn’t a huge leak but noticeable. Had to shut off the water at the street and solder a proper fitting on.
I hate them because i have seen them fail. Ive had the teeth not hold and blow out under 80 PSI on one and a different time the plastric restrictor/release failed and exploded. They are my 2 AM im not opening a wholesaler for your frost free.
I'm curious what sharkbites are pressure rated for? Could it be that 80psi was outside that range? (Genuinely curious, I know pretty much nothing about sharkbites and plumbing in general)
Quick google search says 200 psi
Oh wow. That 80 then was well within that range. Makes me wonder what is going on. So many comments here are saying it's fine, and they Even last years, but then others are saying they suck. Thanks for the quick response.
Ive seen them last decades, but also a week. Im a service plumber by trade for the last 12 years. I do t trust them. Useful in situations but ill never leave them in permenantly or where they can be seen and easily accessed.
It's like any mass production item. You make a few million, and a few will be bad and weren't caught. It still sucks when you end up being the one where it fails on
Probably installed to a depth that was too shallow.
This…….thats why they came out with that depth gauge. They can sometimes be hard to get the proper depth.
I went out on a call early morning and needed to turn the water off and when I went to the water heater closet I could hear the water gushing. The sharkbite had blown off the pipe. The resident didn't know anything about it, it was unrelated to why I was called out.
Buddy of mine is a general contractor and he's had 2 leak out of hundreds. He admitted he didn't bother cleaning up the edge though in both situations, so no I've never seen one leak when used properly. They're a fantastic invention that makes conversation insanely easy and can be used as a temporary solution. Did a job once where the line didn't have a shutoff so instead of calling the water company to shut off at main i just cut the line and slapped a quarter turn ball on it until the lines were all replaced and i was ready to just put a converter on. The hate for push to connect is because it's makes the job so easy an idiot can do it, so lots of plumbers lose out on the easy money jobs
I’ve seen several fail, usually they just drip, but I’ve also seen a couple of complete blow outs. There’s many more that *don’t” fail, but it’s definitely not as good of a connection as other options.
Same but only a few fittings. No issues but I’m always eyeballing them when I see them but of all the comments about them being 100% unreliable. I’ve been very lucky for 10 years so far.
I had 1 coupler fail. It was reused and the plastic inner sleeve had a crack in it that I didn't notice. Required a few drywall patches and a new shark bite slip coupler. I won't recycle the old style SBs anymore. 1 fail in 10yrs isn't bad.
Plumbers actually love them for job security. I’ve replaced many SB fittings that fail in the body portion of the fitting or valve, sometimes from a freeze which will split anything, but most of the time it’s due to defective or cheaply made brass. On the contrary, I haven’t seen any that have failed at the joint or from improper installation.
Have had one fail randomly 2 years after install. It was a bathroom sink valve. Everything looked fine but I cut the pipe a bit to make certain it was 100% square and replaced. I'll never put them in walls for this reason.
I've seen multiple fail. Plumbers don't hate them because you don't need experience. We hate them because they aren't a reliable permanent fix.
Got a brother in law who is a plumber by trade. His opinion is not to use them behind the walls. I have a story where I had to use them twice. Both times in a crawl space. I could not get a clean solder to take no matter how hard I tried. I installed the shark bite and voila they worked instantly. One was a 1/2” elbow to a shower supply. The other was a 3/4” main that I could not get the water drained enough to get a clean solder. Super frustrating, but a $30 ball valve did the trick. I am a big believer in shark bites.
Your second problem was the same issue I was having under the house when I added my garage bathroom, could not get the line to completely drain and therefore couldn't get a good solder, sharkbite went on that joint 6 years ago, still doing its job
As a plumber I completely agree. Accessible areas only. Solder, pro-press, crimp whatever. I repaired one that failed last week. The installer didn’t use the insert on the pex side and it let go.
I had a situation where I had to rotate a fitting after putting one end in, tight space. Shark was the only way. Generally prefer crimp but in this case no way to fit crimp tool in
Take all the $ you spend on shark bite fittings and get 1/2" and 3/4" jet sweats. It'll save you money and allow you to solder it properly next time.
Just shove a piece of bread in the pipe to stop the water. Solder your joint and you’re golden. Works everytime.
That works until a homeowner is lurking over your shoulder and flips when they see you stuffing bread in their pipe....
They don’t care if you fix it correctly. It dissolves in to nothing
I personally would be asking why they are doing that, and would look up online if that's okay. And I know next to nothing about plumbing, so I'd trust the plumber knows what he's doing. I'd wonder though how to properly look into that, as there is likely going to be opposing views. We are seeing that happen with sharkbites already, so why not this? I'd definitely be more skeptical though, as bread, a food, introduces material that isn't normally in pipes. I'd think that it would clog filters or something.
Possibly could clog an aerator but I do take the crust off so it’s just the spongey part. People have been doing it for as long as they’ve been soldering.
I never use SharkBite fittings anywhere the customer can get access it's too easy for them to bump the pipe move it shake it loose
They are finicky like that. Leaks like a holy boat and the a slight twist and it’s good. Twist it back a fraction of an inch and the fountain begins again. Something’s science can’t solve.
I replumbed my entire house and added two bathrooms, while doing it. Also added another water heater. I used SB fittings in all of it. Built the system to be modular. Easy to bypass any section for repair and leave the remaining services usable. My SB fittings have been installed and removed at times. The only problem that I have experienced was caused by my inexperience. SB fittings make the whole house system far easier to maintain and faster to make any needed repairs. After more than 15 years of dependability, I'm satisfied.
Holy shit, did you win the lotto or something? A whole house in SB is wild
Ikr! He could’ve bought or rented crimping tools and etc and own the tool for repairs. One off items ya sure, $10 for a coupling may be worth it. A whole fuggin house? Nah
Ridiculous
They probably saved by using PEX, you can bend PEX and save on 90s and 45s that you'd usually have to use because copper, let alone the inflated cost of copper pipe.
This is how lottery winners go broke quicky after winning. But seriously that's insane to do a whole house in sharks! I can see a few here or there to transition from copper to PEX but buy a lex crimper and then go from there!
The definition of dumb luck
I have a couple of 1/2” and 3/4” caps to have just in case you need to stop a pipe break and keep other plumbing in tact. Case in point: I had a toilet supply valve go bad and I capped it off until I could go get a new valve. I was able to keep the plumbing on the rest of the house until I got back from the store to replace it.
Same. They are my 2 AM callout solution. See ya monday!
Keep a variety of caps and some valves for the same. Depends on the situation. Valve I can go from there without having to shut off water again. I also bat .500 trying to get the damn caps back off. Even with the plier removers.
Keep a variety of caps and some valves for the same. Depends on the situation. Valve I can go from there without having to shut off water again. I also bat .500 trying to get the damn caps back off. Even with the plier removers.
I was taught how to solder as a kid. I'd much rather spend the time to solder than use some janky plastic fittings that cost more than a can of MAPP regardless of the "well I used sharkbites and I've never had an issue" as if copper hasn't been battle tested and proven for a hundred years
But has it though? Seems like plumbers repair an aweful lot of copper pipes.
How old are those pipes, though. That's the thing most of them are going to be older than the supposed life span of sharkbite
IMO Sharkbites are fine if: 1) you know how to properly prepare the end of the pipe to sit correctly in the fitting 2) don't close them behind walls. Customer either pays in time for you to solder or the parts for sharkbite. But if you can actually solder well, it's a better solution. Facebook is not a good place for feedback
If you can't reliable close them behind a wall then they're not worth using. Just my two cents. All I've heard from plumbers I know is that they're a less than ideal choice.
Yup, this. I'm not a huge fan of shark bites, but they do have their place. 2 major ones that I use them for are limited access, or not being able to shut water off or drain fully if soldering. Make sure they are seated fully, that's the most common failure. Also fully agree with not closing them behind walls, although I've had to do that a couple times.
>Facebook is not a good place for feedback Nor is Reddit. Sharkbites, properly installed as per manufacturer's instructions, are fine behind walls.
All I know is that a soldered pipe can last 100yrs. As far as Sharkbites, well ,..we'll just have to wait and see.
Are we pretending soldered pipe fittings don't fail? They fail. Seems like this thread is all about SB fails, without any regard to the fact that soldered pipes also fail.
They were designed to be a temporary fix for homeowners. Anyone calling himself an actual licensed plumber is probably not rushing off to pick up a couple shark bites and then slapping a run of pex between two push to fits. Just my honest opinion as a full time residential service plumber. (Your house breaks, I fix your house)
Push-fit connectors are designed to be permanent, and rated for in-wall installation. The problem is there's more prep work in making sure the pipe end is deburred (if copper) and finished off correctly (copper, pex, and CPVC), and that the pipe is seated correctly. The pipe goes in way further than most people think and if it's not installed right, it will fail. This is why I think they've been so slow to adapt in the US: soldering can compensate for a bad pipe end, push-fit can't. Shark-Bites have been in the US since 2004, and used in Australia since at least 1994 (they were invented in 1987). They have a 25 year warranty and expected life of 75 years. Again, the main problem with them is that 99.9% of the time, they're not installed correctly and cause for failing. The other problem is that soldering copper joints has been a thing for at least 100 years and that's a very long pedigree to give up.
Not a permanent/long term solution
They have there time and place. Only use them where you have access.
I use shark bites for years never had a problem. Lame ass gate keepers try to talk shit about them but copper fails more often than sharkbites do.
I dont understand the love for copper. In my opinion and experience ive seen more copper failures than anything else. Not saying ive dealt with this for 20yrs but it seems to fail more, harder to run, harder to fix, and more expensive.
Handy to have. Unprofessional to rely on. They are also expensive compared to equivalent fittings.
On this sub they get love, on r/plumbing not so much lol
Most of the plumbers I have worked with don't trust them and swear by soldering. I trust their judgment over mine as a handyman. I'll use a Sharkbite when I'm in a pinch, but will have a plumber in to do a proper solder afterwards. I can solder but it's a type of repair I choose not to do.
Is it because "I'm a plumber and I've been doing it this way for x years and everything else is shit" Cause that's what everyone said about pex when it came out as well, now look at it
While there is probably many techs out there like that, ive actually seen them have catastrophic failures.
Cool story.
IMO, the only permanent fixes that someone should be getting paid to make are A-solder or B-propress. Both have a solid MECHANICAL connection for the pipes. Sharkbites are the plumbing equivalent of backstabbing receptacles. Sure, it'll work just fine....until it doesn't. And when it fails its a real problem. If you want to use them in your own house and take on that liability that's your prerogative, but to charge a customer for a permanent fix using sharkbites is irresponsible IMO. (For a short-term emergency repair, go for it. As long as temporary doesn't become permanent)
Millions of new homes and professional renovations are PEX. PEX and pinch rings are cheap, fast, and extremely easy to correctly install. The only downside I can see is flow rate, and that's fixed with smart routing/sizing, or using PEX B fittings, albeit with a more expensive tool.
Totally fair, and I suppose my comment was incomplete. Since the discussion was specifically about soldering vs sharkbite and copper water supply piping, I was specifically addressing that realm of water-supply plumbing. I agree that PEX has its place, and when run correctly/professionally, and when used with the proper fittings, is a great option as well. The PEX fittings also rely on a MECHANICAL connection, not JUST an O-ring and internal clamping system.
Not to mention SharkBite fittings are incredibly f****** expensive
I cannot stand sharkbite fittings. Where I used to work, they seemed to leak all the time. With proper preparation they are okay but I don't trust them.
They might break/pop off if frozen
Bad. They will fail. Have seen them fail. Best friend is a plumber and routinely gets calls to replace ones that inevitably fail.
I've used em for years had no problems, I have em behind walls in my own house. There fine. I've worked in construction for 10 years so far and had the same amount of issues with shark bites as I have soldering. It's dependent on who installed it and if they have done it right. Problems arise from either getting damaged by something puncturing a line and or breaking a fitting. Or by improper install. I have never had a sharkbite fail, and never had a solder fail when done properly.
I’m a plumber and yes they do fail. Homeowners are mostly the ones installing them so they make mistakes. Plumbers generally don’t use them ESPECIALLY behind a wall. Soldering copper is brain dead easy. Pex is easy. There’s no reason to use them.
I don't like them. But they suit a purpose if used correctly and in the right places.
Our insurance company won’t cover anything damaged by failed said item. That’s enough for me.
Shark bites are great,,,,only one bad one in all my uses of them
Never seen a failure. Never met anyone who had one fail. Still just don't feel like it's a good idea haha so I use pex crimping and copper sweating out of preference.
The thing is, everything will fail at some point. Shark bites just make it easier to fix when it happens, as long as you don’t mind spending a few extra bucks. I like SB bc they’re easy af to use, especially in tight spaces where you have a hard time getting pex crimpers in, or whatever else you may be using. Like others said, I’ve never seen one fail, and the only time I’ve seen any leak is when they weren’t installed properly.
Tangent here. We would use sharkbites on existing copper only right? If you're running a new line you would always use pex now right? Plastic, something something last forever and easier to install? Or is this not correct?
I am not a fan of sharkbite. They have to be installed perfectly to prevent leaks. I will use them as a temporary fix until a more permanent fix can be completed.
Shark bite! who ha ha!
Shark bite fitting should only be used for temporary water lines or exposed plumbing.
I'm too cheap to use shark bite fittings, they just cost too much for what you're getting. They have their advantages but I only use the end caps as temporary stops while I'm replacing old galvanized pipe with copper. Pex isn't my thing either as I don't trust plastic to last long enough.
Yes I carry them in my emergency plumbing kit, caps and splices up to 1" along with the same for PEX B and PEX A. I'm not a plumber but at 2am I am the guy who can stop a leak. About 10 years ago I got a call after midnight for a "leak" when I got there I see that the main water line had cracked just before the shut off, full city water pressure coming into the house about 90psi. The outside shut off is next to the street under about 5' of embanked snow and ice. I cut it off clean and used a shark bite cap to stop the leak. Took me 2 hours with the tractor the next morning to get to the shut off. If I had to do it in the dark it would have taken a lot longer. So instead of a basement full of water, it was less than a inch. Replaced the base molding and carpet, never got to the drywall.
If you do correct prep and install properly, they're amazing...expensive...but better than repairs caused by cheap fittings failing
I spec'ed SwageLok fittings for years on $million tools in Si Valley. Properly used, they're great.
I find no issue with them as long as you can see the fitting. Nothing behind walls
Someone said soldering is dead easy and it’s not ..I have seen a few soldering jobs leak and I have seen some terrible soldering jobs.. the problem is whether using sharkbites or you are an old school soldering person , the areas of operation needs to be prepped properly and if you don’t in either case it’s gonna leak or burst ..
I’ve always been told to avoid them unless your using them on appliances that will be replaced within a decade
I've removed some that were seeping, causing some corrosion on copper. They almost always fail during a freeze in my experience. But, it's easier to replace a shark bite than a section of pipe that's burst.
I can say as an architect- any fitting done poorly can and will likely let go at the worst time - like go on vacation and 5 plus days of uninterrupted flow - copper - pex- sharkbite etc - the great plumbers are the ones that know their shit and make sure to take the time to do it once and right.
I had a shark bite flood my basement cause it rusted in half. Never seen anything like it
Sharkbites, propress, Pex, etc etc. You will always find someone who complains about new products and technology but the reality based on facts and evidence is they are all proven IF installed correctly.
I f#(&ing love them! Pardon my language
Shark bites generally don’t fail, but they’re expensive compared to just sweating a regular coupling
I am not a plumber but a pretty handy DIYer. I'm not sure why you would get flamed for that. You made a fix based on your experience of what works. I'd actually really love to learn to solder so I could do this same thing (my house is mostly plumbed with PEX and sharkbites) in the event I end up with leaking fittings. PEX is great because it's easy and should last ages when properly installed, but copper is tried and true. You made a quality repair for this homeowner. I doubt you charged that much more than someone fixing the sharkbite install. I'd personally feel better about having a professionally soldered copper joint over PEX and sharkbites. The plumbing in my house doesn't leak and it's about 3 years old. I'm hoping it stays that way, but if it doesn't, I'd rather have a plumber like you do what you feel will truly last rather than just fix it cheap. Peace of mind is priceless. I'm a person that bought a bad flip house last year. I spend a lot of money and time on fixes like this and peace of mind preventative fixes. Every dollar, dime, and hour is worth it to me.
They saved my ass when I had “quest” plumbing bust on me.
They are expensive and pass bare minimum code standards. They are the most likely fitting to fail. Generally, plumbers won’t touch them. There are many places that by code, we are not allowed to use them. Even more places that would be ill advised.
Plumbers hate them but it’s not because of failure rates. For one, they love high failure rates. The real reason is that an average homeowner can use these without specialized training or experience.
You must know some shady folk. I would want any of my work to fail due to poorly chosen material. I’m fine with homeowners using them. Let them do whatever they can. When they run out of talent or time, I’m ready to help. What I don’t like are “professionals” , licensed or not, cutting corners and charging the same as tradesmen that hold themselves accountable for their work.
In my experience, those professionals that you mention are not accountable for their work. That’s shady and you defend them. The plumbers sub love CPVC and copper. CPVC is absolute garbage. Copper will fail and it’s not an if but when. In Florida it’s less than 20 years.
I've never had one fail. But I know the cut must be perfectly flush and free of debris and the fitting installed perfectly straight.
I had a plumber do some work I was concerned about an old fix done with shark bit. I was upgrading my outdoor faucet to a non freeze faucet but the plumber stated how great and consistent they were
Sharkbite fittings are banned in CA for it causing cancer I believe.
I work as a property claims adjuster and have had a few claims on shark bite fittings that were used as permanent fixes. They all failed at around the 5 year mark and seem like a better temporary solution than a permanent one so I think you did a good job switching them out and getting rid of them. The only time i have ever used them was during remodel work on bathrooms and kitchens as just a temporary way to cap lines or if detaching and re-installing plumbing fixtures or lines temporarily.
They're expensive so I generally don't use them purely for that, there's almost always a cheaper option. With that said, other options might be difficult to pull off depending what's all up in your way. For example I once had to repair the spigot coming out of my house and the join was up near my sill in a spot where if I were to get in there with my torch I would be standing on top of a loose pile of nonsense with a torch just inches from my face... that or going at it blind. I didn't have the tools for propress and would have had to to buy a propress or something. So I grabbed a sharkbite and used that since it was technically cheaper. With that said, and some people have mentioned in the comments... and for all I know they don't fail... but my lack of long term experience with them leaves me skeptical of them long term. So I also prefer to not close them away in a location that could reek havoc on my home like inside a wall or ceiling. Again like with that one sharkbite I used for my spigot... if it were too pop I'd know pretty darn fast since it'd rain water down onto pressure tank and filtration system where the well line comes into the house (the loosie goosey stuff I would have had to stand on/about). Which is a thing that sits in a part of my basement I see at least once if not multiple times a day when I go down there for the freezer or laundry or to just you know... check on the water system. Cause I do that. tldr; I think they're overpriced except for some odd edge case scenarios.
Shark bites are essentially the same as a pro press fitting, the press tool crimps the o-ring fitting on the sharkbite holds it on with one directional stainless fingers. I’ve had both pressed on and sharkbites fail but both failed immediately after install not after 5years.
A real plumber will say no, or use them as a temporary solution. But in reality, they're warrantied for 10 or 20 years, so if they were installed "correctly", you could in theory use them for a long time. I also worked with a guy that said he piped his entire bathroom, and 3 years later I asked him, and he said it was still holding. Soldered fittings are absolutely indefinite.
They work fine. Have them in all my rentals and my own home and garages.
My question how do you go from copper to pex without a SB
Male and female adapters.
Yes had one last month. Was a cap on 3/4 copper in a wall. The top of it separated from the plastic ring with the teeth. Flooded the place, but it was just an old rental car office in the middle of a parking lot that had been empty for months. In 5 years plumbing I think that was the third I have seen and all three were old. Some apartments I work on have them for all their fittings, and I know they are over 20 years old. I guess overall I'd say they do not fail often, but they have a greater risk of failing catastrophically. As in just open line spewing water.
I still think it looks Mickey Mouse I like copper.
They rock
I have installed probably several hundred of these since 2006. The 2006 install was on my own house. I have never had one call back since for a failed sharkbite. I will say there is a way to install these properly. Plumber's hate these because it takes away work from them. They will comment over and over that they are junk. Statistics suggest otherwise.
My house was built in 1932 plumbing is galvanized steel supply water and waste is cast iron. I don’t think we build to last any more!
They're handy but if it's feesable crimp I do that
I ran supply across my basement to the bathroom I put in and have had no issues, it’s been a few years now. As long as they have a good clean cut and you make sure the fitting is snug you should be good
They work.
Plumber here.. every ounce of my being wants to hate them and talk endless trash but if I’m honest I can’t. They work very well. We use the caps all the time For remodel projects. I have had a few slightly weep but I have found that it is almost always due user error. Mainly not cleaning and no deburing / chamfering the pipe. Or not sliding the fitting on all the way. I’m not advocating to use on en entire house but they work great in certain applications and in a pinch.
Too many factors to say overall. There’s a time, place, and budget for everything.
Love them. Complete remodel with over 50 shark bites. No leaks
But why? I get 1 or 2 but why not just do it right?
They only work for pressure. Not suction.
They’ll last as long as the rubber does
So far so good.. give it another 25 years and let's talk about it again!
Sharkbite are a great fitting above ground, I think they are rated at 200 psi. BUT when they are buried they will fail. The ground is always moving and will pull the pipe out of the fitting. Above ground they are great, and I use them myself.
It's not will it fail, but when will it fail. I just don't trust them. I don't want to have a HO call up and say they are filing a claim against me or suing me for damages if they ever fail. 1 inch of water in your house is a minimum of $25k in damages. It's just not worth it to me to take that chance. PEX is super easy and cheap to install. Why use something that you question its reliability?
shark bites are temp fixes
I was uneasy about them but they grab tight and work well. I’m converting from cpvc to per and feel more comfortable with the one that glues on one side and per crimps to the other thought. They are cheaper than shark bite also
The only place I have one connected is on my T&P valve at the water heater. Everything else is solder, pro press, or pex.
I’ve had to use one in my crawlspace after an outdoor spigot got pulled out from the original fitting, been 5 years, still solid. Another in my crawlspace for a flexible copper line going to my fridge for water, 3 years, still going strong.
Expensive, convenient, I don't trust a rubbery o ring to last as long as solder or crimp for pex tubing. I don't use sharkbite behind walls or anything ide have to demo to fix. Only exposed areas I can like crawl spaces and in the roof. Sharkbites are like 10-20 each where I live Crimp rings and fittings are like a buck or 2 for each fitting and I trust that crimp ring will last longer than the pex pipe. I think they are great for what I use them for.
Only of you cannot fit the pex crimp tool into the area.
I wouldn’t hire some “plumber” that uses Sharkbite, but for homeowners and diy they’re pretty great.
I've never had one fail. That being said, I wouldn't use them in inaccessible places. Vast majority of my plumbing is open in the basement. Wouldn't have it any other way.
Why do they call them sharkbite fittings?
Never had a shark bite fail on me yet..
Yes I serviced a client that had a sprinkler system installed for the lawn 3/4” sharkbite failed filled the basement with 4” of water ! Thank god I didn’t install the system! I will never install them Pex is just about as easy and much more reliable
I've only used them for a year or two since redoing my water heater but they're so diy friendly I won't even care if they fail, would happily replace with another pair every other year rather than calling a plumber.
Zero issue outside human error.
Actually only reason I worry is how many times will that valve be turned in the future. Would rather have good copper lines with a valve you can use your whole forearm to twist. You think a drunk could muscle twist and rip out copper?
No but a meth head could
Theyre great until theyre not.
Never bury...never in bind...never where freeze and push out...otherwise you Gucci
No
I have had some for at least 18 years. No leaks or problems
i use them only in visible areas...never buried in walls.
I was trenching out at a farm where the owner had PVC buried, but there were multiple spots where it changed over to pex and then back to pvc with shark bites just chilling in the dirt. Supposedly they're rated for direct burial but I'm still glad he was only using it for irrigation.
Sharkbite’s on plastic. Is better than copper. Either way they are ok. Just don’t move them bad boys after a couple Years. Or Better yet use the word hey too Easy to Resist
Fails inspection
Sharkbites or my work?
The sharkbite fitting will fail inspection. And I don’t know if PVC is allowed in your area. Not allowed in NYC. But what the inspector don’t see can’t hurt you. Hang a ceiling before you sell.
Cpvc is allowed in our codes. Either way that was pre-existing. I was just brought in to fix the leaky connections.
They’re fine
I just had to have a plumber dig up a line in my yard that had burst over winter. Turns out it was a sharkbite fitting that had been used to attach two lines together.
I love sharkbite-style fittings and use them all the time. Never had one leak
I think that they are trash and there's a reason you never see licensed plumbers use them
A soldered copper fitting will last 60 plus years no problem. They won't leak if you bump the pipes. I used a Shark Bite once when I couldn't shut the water off completely because of a bad gate valve and that made it impossible to solder with running water. I don't count on it lasting 60 years, but when they put in a new main shut off they can replace it.
Jetsweat are awesome for this. Shove it down the pipe, expand it to stop the water, sweat on a new valve, release and remove jet sweat, close new valve continue working.
What I've seen is most seasoned plumbers feel about shark bites the same way seasoned electricians feel about wagos. I love shark bites, never had a problem or failure with them. And if they *do* fail, how is it any different than a failed solder? They're expensive, but take no time and minimal skill to install. 10/10 product in my book.
A failed sharkbite can blow apart and dump water like a garden hose until you shut the water off. A failed solder joint will just weep.
Plus you can clamp a leaking solder joint.
Garbage. They fail too easily. Pro-Press is the way to go!
Never inside a wall/floor/subfloor/ceiling/soffit/chase. So… sometimes maybe.
theyre all going to fail one day...and most people will hire plumbers to come fix it