SharkBite

$15 later… does anyone use these? I ran into a bad shut off valve while demoing my bathroom and needed something quick.

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I use them a lot for the convenience. Makes plumbing projects really quick and easy. They are also good if you can’t shut the water off to so you can solder.

I saw these at Home Depot today. I had to replace some hose bibs out front. Ill have to remember about these for those just in case times.

Yeah they are definitely quick when you have water in the pipe. On a side note I did manage to make it out of homedepot today without buying a tool. I realized after though that I should have bought a more compact pipe cutter, so I’m not really sure if I can call resisting the urge to buy a tool today a success or a failure…

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Shark bites are great & at times a life saver!!

They Work great and no tools needed to install!!

Works well with PEX & copper..I’ve been using them for a few years now and only had a few to not seal right but i believe they were defective from manufacturing

Definitely recommend!!!

Forgot to add that you can also removed them by pushing the plastic part back down evenly..they sell little tool but can be done without..

YiKKiT wrote:

Forgot to add that you can also removed them by pushing the plastic part back down evenly..they sell little tool but can be done without..

I didn’t know that. .. can they be reused?

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Yes they can be reused..jus make sure you always use the white plastic sleeve that comes w fitting when using PEX..the sleeve is not needed when connecting to copper..

Another nice thing is you can rotate piping (copper or PEX) in fitting once fully installed..that way you don’t have to worry ab proper angles like you do with say PVC or solidering copper..I’d refrain from twisting after pressurized but can be done jus look for leaks and give an extra push together after adjusting

PEX & shark bites are the way Togo in my opinion these days..fast & easy!!

They will crack in the cold but what I’ve expirenced is they can handle a little more cold that copper or other materials

I did have one develop a small leak a few year later but all of the other ones are still going strong. I do love them as they make things so easy though. My only complaint is the price the buggers are expensive.

They’re a little expensive but huge time savers when you’re using PEX to re-plumb a house.

 

A friend of mine has a vacation house in Millinocket Maine that is used mainly for snowmobiling. 2 years ago, the town lost power for a couple of days and the house froze up splitting every piece of copper. 

 

We went up there and replumbed the entire house using PEX and Sharkbites and had it completed in a day. If we went the traditional route of using copper with standard fittings it would have taken a week. Having the ability to do a run from the basement to the 2nd floor bathroom with no breaks in the line is a huge advantage. 

 

Because of what happened we developed a 5 minute process to drain the house once they leave so this doesn’t happen again. 

PEX in general is a huge time saver! Sense i have to replace every valve in my house with ball valves I am considering just replacing everything with PEX. I have access to the tool from work and I am replacing all the fixtures in the house anyway so it seems like it might be the best option. Drop ceiling in the basement.

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I’ve used Sharkbites for a couple years doing apartment maintenance. I’ve used them under sinks and on water heater connections during replacements. I trust them more than my copper soldering.

In a pinch, or a repair, I’d use a shark bite connector, but I would never do a major project with them. I prefer Type A PEX with the expansion sleeves or even the crimp style over a Shark Bite.

They are real sensitive to precise cuts. And you should always de-burr your pipe before inserting.

I worry about the O-rings. City water is horrible with all the chlorine and other chemicals.

RickyMcGrath wrote:

They are real sensitive to precise cuts. And you should always de-burr your pipe before inserting.

I worry about the O-rings. City water is horrible with all the chlorine and other chemicals.

That ship has sailed hahaha. I cut the pipe and slapped it on there! Oh well. .only temporary until the new fixtures go in. The main is shut off now anyway sense i ran into yet another valve that leaks. Why can’t every valve be a ball valve? Oh wait they will be

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Yeah they work great.

The only one I ever used leaked like hell. Oh well, I enjoy sweating copper anyway