Shark Bite fittings

Don Baer

Moderator
Staff member
I know that a few out there have used them and I am about to get my first chance as I replace my water softner. More on that adventure in another thread. I will say that they appear to be a good solution for what I am about to do so I'll just post this as a reminder for other who hate plumbing as much as I do.

 
Those fittings are the bee's knees, best thing since sliced bread, etc! You will love them! I have done my fair share of soldering copper pipes but no more ;-)

Jack
 
I've had very good experiences with them. Used them to repair a leaky sink water line that would have been a bear to re-solder, and again when I replaced the recirculating pump on my hot water heater. I now have a bin with common fittings in reserve for the next crisis. :thumb: :thumb:
 
I've used them in several different places. They're great. They're especially nice to use in areas that would've been difficult to solder.

BTW, when the (licensed) plumber replaced my water heater a couple years ago, he used them too.
 
Do you need a special tool to use those, like some the other modern type fittings?? I helped my son-in-law re-plumb his house a couple years ago. He has an older house, lead pipes and wanted to re-plumb before we finish off the basement. He use flexible pipe and special fittings.... we, two amateurs, did the whole house, except for the final connecting up a couple sinks, in a one day.... I was amazed, had not done any plumb since I built my house and that it all cooper....
 
Do you need a special tool to use those, like some the other modern type fittings?? I helped my son-in-law re-plumb his house a couple years ago. He has an older house, lead pipes and wanted to re-plumb before we finish off the basement. He use flexible pipe and special fittings.... we, two amateurs, did the whole house, except for the final connecting up a couple sinks, in a one day.... I was amazed, had not done any plumb since I built my house and that it all cooper....

Only to separate them, there is a release tool you can buy, they just snap together by hand. Home depot (at least mine) has samples right buy them to try assemble and disassemble.
 
I've only used them once (to replace shutoff valves under the kitchen sink, in a place where soldering would have been a bear. They worked great and have stayed dry for the past 4+ years.
 
I have a small fortune in those brass sharkbite fittings under my house... I live an a double wide that's about 25 years old by now and the first few years we lived here seem like I spent as much time under the house changing fittings and I did in my easy chair. The house was plumbed with a soft gray plastic pipe and the plastic fittings all seemed to be breaking on a weekly basis... pricey, but a great product.
 
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