Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Around The House). This thread is read-only.
Hey you guys… >.<
Over on our small island (UK), over the last 10 years crimping or press fit copper and stainless fittings are really starting to become the only choice in commercial developments now as opposed to soldering or braising.
I know that pressed fittings have been around for alot longer, but It’s only now starting to really take off…
Just wondering if you guys are in to it in the U.S.A?
Clart >.<
I am not a plumber, by any means, but I can tell you as a home owner the idea of compression fittings and press on fittings (like sharkbites) have really taken over. When I rehabed the bathroom in my house I ended up replacing a lot of the copper piping with pex and used shark bites to bring it all together. I am pretty good at brazing and soldering, but these new fittings just make it so much quicker and easier. I think Sharkbite is saying their products have a 25 year lifespan?
I work for a plumbing contractor that has been in business for over 40 years. We just got a ProPress system last year. There is a reason it is taking over. It is incredible how much nicer and easier it is to work with.
I think the liability of using an open flame, and the press systems make things so it will let you know if it wasn’t pressed properly. In the USA pex has taken off too for a lot of things as copper got more expensive. Shark bite fittings are super popular now too as they make plumbing projects so much simpler for small projects.
Commercial is a nice place to use crimped stuff, domestic is still solder all the way for copper, pushfit/ shark bite for pex mainly on new builders or for DIY