Noooo shark-bites

I have used Sharkbites a LOT and never had any problems. I put one on when I installed my water heater 6 years ago, and still haven't leaked a single drop. When used properly, they are great.

A very fair assessment. The most important point I feel, as explained, when using a sharkbite fitting is to 1. Cut straight, 2. Deburr and 3. Mark depth with depth tool and push all the way in. These are the fittings that won’t leak. The slight restriction water flow when using multiple sharkbite fittings in something I learned from this video. And as with anything, one can have the right product, but if it isn’t install correctly, it’s not the product itself but the installation process performed incorrectly.

If we tied Roger's hands together to the table could he still talk ?

Gotta tell you, I installed a new dishwasher, removing a OLD one, and the copper used before was HUUUGE and old. I just cust it out, got a Sharkbite 1/2 x 3/8 valve, cut it, cleaned it, installed it and D O N E. Plumber wanted nearly $300. to replace one valve and screw on the braided line. I love the experienced plumber, but for the average homeowner (ME) these jobs work & save $$$.

As a non handy home owner…. I have used shark bite 3 times inside my house and no issues so far… (15 years on the oldest)

I wonder how many of the “I only use them for emergencies” commenters are just too embarrassed that it’s the only thing they use but want to sound reasonable

I am a plumber and I use sharkbite fittings often. Your problem with the product seems to be improper installation (cleaning the pipe before install, not wrapping underground) and not the product itself. I've fixed many soldered copper joints due to the installer not wiping excess flux but I don't blame the product, I blame incorrect technique as should you.

I think SharkBite gets an unfair reputation for leaks because they are mostly installed by home owners who are not preparing the pipe correctly. They aren't cutting straight, marking and installing deep enough and cleaning and de burring.

Used them off and on for years. Not one leak. I have sweat hundreds of connections not one leak. I only use shark bite when a potential fire or some other reason old school is too difficult. They have provided a way to complete jobs that otherwise would have taken considerably longer and always paid for themselves in those scenarios. Ive worked in several other areas of construction and rarely have call backs and on the rare occasion it was something else I had nothing to do with where the customer was honestly mistaken or trying to pull a fast one. I have always taken pride in my work and have always been a bit of a perfectionist. How well most products installed perform and last is mostly determined by the professionalism put into the installation. Id say except certain big numbers of defective products that 98% of all failures are due to poor and or rushed workmanship. How do I know? Because I have been the guy returning to do the fix and find out what went wrong. Almost always a failure from a lazy unprofessional who did not care about his workmanship.

I've used Sharkbites at a couple of locations in my house. One was to fix a leaky valve in a very tight overhead spot that leads to an outdoor spigot. I followed the directions about clean cuts and deburring and have had no issues as of yet for 8 years. The other was a weird spot in a 6 foot stretch of plumbing where the original plumber went from a 1/2 inch copper line to a 3/8 inch line back to a 1/2 inch line. It was at one of the connections that I had a catastrophic failure after 35 years. I turned of the house main then ran out to get 2 Sharkbite couplings and a section of blue PEX. I cut both sections of copper behind the original connections, deburred , then cut the PEX to fit and deburred, made the two connections and everything has been fine for almost 2 years now. I am not a tradesman so products like Sharkbites really help guys like me. Your evaluation is very good and spot on.

I'm a professional and I do occasionally use Sharkbite fittings. I never put one where it can't be accessed easily and will never bury one. 2 things Roger didn't mention that bares mentioning. -Sharkbites depend on O-rings and we all know O-rings fail eventually. -Sharkbites are easily accessible and easy for laymen to install putting skills of the trade out to pasture if you will. When you solder neatly and run pipe straight and neat customers will appreciate the work better than "push to fit" work they may feel like they could have done themselves. I will never be the cheapest plumber in town and I charge for getting my torch box out of the truck. Sharkbites are expensive and leave the customer wanting when they see the bill. I never get that look from the same bill or higher if I make repairs outside of most DIYers skillset.

I did a little test with sharkbite on my own hot water tank. It's been 7 years with no issues whatsoever. I still am reluctant to use them on jobs, but field testing doesn't lie. As with anything, it's typically an operator error. Also, you cannot keep using the same fitting over and over, like a cap. I used to use a SharkBite cap when I was roughing in bathrooms, to leak test. Finally after probably the 5th bathroom and using it, I put it on and it shot off when I put the water on. Luckily it didn't damage the tub, but it went straight to the recycling. Now it's twice and that's it. I think the flow reduction argument is negligible, the average person is not going to notice it with one fitting on their line. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but it would be quite minimal unless you you had like dozens of these things in your plumbing. Great content though, good for thought.

Myth: “SharkBite fittings are only good for short term repairs and need to be replaced by permanent connections.” Fact: SharkBite fittings are approved by the Uniform Plumbing Code and International Plumbing Code for permanent installation.

I use them regularly and haven't had a call back ever. I use them mostly for Hot water tank connections(hot and cold). No shame here.

I think a big problem is that people neglect the prep work with these. They just make a crappy cut and slap it together.

Push Fittings have been in use fo rover 50 years, mainly in soda machine dispensers, refrigerators, ice-makers, and filtration systems. In my State, they are fully Code approved, and that includes in concealed locations and buried locations - without need for access door. BTW - your sponsor - FERGUSON ENTERPRISES - who caters mainly to plumbing professionals - is a major distributors of Shark Bite fittings. Thank you

I've used these in tight locations or MORE OFTEN places I don't want to use a torch. Tight spots against wood I don't want to burn as I'm trying to sweet fittings - I know I can use a heat shield but that's a problem sometimes too.

Only use them in an EMERGENCY situation, where may be out of the fitting I need to make the repair. I will come back as soon as I get the CORRECT fitting for the job, an remove the sharkbite fitting.

Yes, I use them on some occasions. The first and most common is a temporary, emergency Pex water service that goes above ground from the water meter nipple to the front garden hose bib via adapters after removing the vacuum breaker. I shut off the service valve before the PRV to bypass the broken water service while the utilities are located. A roll of pex is cheap, and I want to get fixtures up and running for the customer with a recommendation they drink bottled water. This also serves to dissuade the customer from shopping around after I leave and canceling the job before the utilities are located. They always do that unless I take the time to put in an emergency water service, which I discount from the full job once the work is finished. If the customer decides they want to go with someone else to replace the water service, I already have the charge for the temporary water service laid out on the signed contract. Secondly, I installed my own water heater with sharkbites to both test how well they hold up to thermal expansion and longevity of the fitting in general. It is exposed in the utility room for monitoring. A properly installed SharkBite will last as long as the o-ring inside. The question I had was would the o-rings inside FIP S.B. adapters screwed directly onto the dielectric nipples of a gas water heater outlast the tank itself. They have. Even in close proximity of the flue hat and the tank, the fittings were in good condition when I had to replace the GWH. I replaced the S.B. fittings along with the W.H. right along with the thermal expansion tank since they both have rubber up against water. Thirdly, the company I worked for put them on our trucks and told us to use them. I replaced a PRV in a crawl space with S.B. Adapters to the copper line. They were rated to 200 PSI and I cleared it with management since there was no worries of flooding the home and street pressure was about 120 PSI. Of course I would use pro press if that was on the truck, but it was uncommon at the time. Fourth, when everything else was installed with S.B. and a friend was selling the house. Opened up a wall and the shower valve was installed entirely with S.B. and the one serving the shower head riser blew off. For some reason the teeth were retracted and not gripping the pipe so I figured the fitting was damaged during install or pulled off and reused or maybe not fully seated from the start, and the fitting relied on the o-ring until water hammer shockwave wallowed it out enough to blow out and wiggle around. I tried to reattach the fitting and was able to pull it off easily since the teeth weren’t biting. I replaced the failed fitting to that basement shower with tiled and concrete floors throughout the basement. I was much more concerned about sharkbites used all through the system and especially inside the walls on the main and upstairs floors that would leak through ceilings later. Had I had my full kit of crimp rings and fittings and crimping tool I would have used that but I was far away from home and cost was a big concern with the customer so I used what was readily available and I not ashamed of that decision whatsoever. I always use the removal tool and pull out the stiffener when appropriate. I don’t want that stiffener in there causing more turbulence and wish they had a kit of slightly different sized stiffeners since the I.D. is sometimes different in soft lines with standard O.D. What good is a loose stiffener that can move side to side inside the pipe other than you have to use it legally? It seems like any shifting of the stiffener caused by water hammer could cause more momentary turbulence and pinhole the pipe downstream of the fitting.

Just bought a few of these fittings to have a short term fix on some outdoor fixtures. I really appreciate that there's a laymen's solution for copper fittings considering the expense of replacing a half dozen frozen spigots. While I can turn off supply to most of them and kick that down the road, it's nice to have one that works before I can spend the money on a complete outdoor overhaul.

We use shark bites almost every day when we use on cpvc or copper we remove that plastic piece inside. That reduces the flow reduction. As long as they are put in correct there will be no problems

Been using them for the last 10yrs. Never had one leak. Plumbed my entire home with them. Never an issue. Its all about proper installation. They are quick, and easy to use. Saves time.

I have been plumbing for 16 years. I have almost never had a call to fix a bad sharkbite fitting. The only times you have problems is when you use and re-use. Stick it in and be done. I've worked in the US Senate buildings and that's all we were allowed to use due to torch restrictions and clearances where we couldn't get pro press in. I use alot of them for transitions but never in the walls. Almost never had a problem.

The big box stores have 40 feet of shelf space dedicated to Sharkbite products. If sharkbite was a bad product or could have the potential to cause so much home damage, these big box stores would not take on that liability.

I'm a homeowner, and I use Sharkbites sometimes. Recently, I had an outdoor pipe freeze & burst. In subfreezing conditions, cutting off the pipe, and popping on a Sharkbite cap is WAY easier than soldering. I'll replace it when the weather warms up.

I'm a master plumber and solder, press, compression, and glue. Shark bite fittings have never given me any issues - I don't use them unless I have to but they are very handy sometimes. I don't know anyone personally that has used one correctly and it failed. I think they are expensive but do a good job. Lots of unwarranted hate on them. I think if you use them incorrectly then you'll have issues.

I use sharkbites for 2 things only. 1-CPVC transition (don’t have to wait for glue to dry) 2-Caping pipe stub outs. (Can be pulled of and put on an angle stop without needing to cut the pipe)

I agree with lots of comments here. As with all fittings failure to install properly is causing the leaks not the fitting itself. Applies to all types of fittings regarless of the manuf. Going on 4 years with sharkbite fittings with zero issues, love the stuff.....

I have used them to transition from Pex to do a repair because I didn't have the pex crimping tool at the time and had limited options as a homeowner. They are really easy to use and convenient for working on different types of plumbing. I prefer using regular fittings because they are cheaper and the repair is permanant. The shark bite fittings are easily 3 or 4 times the cost of traditional fittings. The reduction is not an issue for me because it saves water. It's been on for a few years and hasn't leaked.

I think one of the main advantages of sharkbites, is in situations where you need to connect two different types of pipe together. Not many situations i can think of where you need to do this. But when you do, a sharkbite fitting is the best way to do it. While I prefer soldered fittings, there is a time and place for sharkbites.

I keep sharkbite endcaps on hand in case my repair goes awry and i need a temporary repair while I head out to the only Home Depot in my area to purchase what I actually need. I can't understand why I would pay a plumber to use sharkbite; seems like I would be paying them to be lazier than myself.

my temporary sharkbite shutoff valve for a leaking hose bib on my house has become a permanent fixture. but this video made me go the extra mile of getting everything really clean and square.

I use to do HVAC and my boss had rental properties. I only want copper lines in my house that are soldered. No pex, no compression fittings. I as well refuse to install cheap shut-offs anywhere, quality ball valves or don't bother.

I have several push on fittings in my house and they've all been fine so far. If they ever do fail (knock on wood) I'll probably replace them with propress fittings.

A bit misleading- you can't compare the ID of the sharkbite inner sleeve to the ID of a COUPLER, because the coupler will have pipe go inside it so its goin to be LARGER than the pipe itself in order to couple it. The ID of the sharkbite is going to be the final true ID, so you ARE NOT REDUCING by almost a whole pipe size. If you're going to do that comparison Mr. Wakefield, please compare the sharkbite inner sleeve to the pipe ID itself, not the coupler.

I'm a carpenter, not a plumber. But I carry 1", 3/4", and 1/2" sharkbite quarter turn valves, in my plumbing disaster kit along with tubing cutters and pvc shears, so I can get the water stopped and minimize damage until the plumber gets there.

Been plumbing for almost 20 years. I use shark bite fittings. I've never seen one leak or heard of one leaking ever if properly installed. The pipe should always be lubricated before Inserting into shark bite fittings though.

We use them to cap sink lines while remodeling. Then remove them when the new sink is installed. Lots of companies around here use the sharkbite tee to feed the sink and the dishwasher. But other than that we don't really use them, especially in a place that can't be seen or accessed. To remove, take a cresent wrench and place it on the pipe close to the fitting. Close the wrench down on the pipe so its touching on both sides. Then slide the wrench up against the tan collar on the fitting and press untill the fitting slides off.

As a property manager on small (2-3 unit) older buildings in the northeast, I've used them to fix leaks. They are invaluable. I probably spend too much time on prep, because I don't want to have a leak. But when responding to a leak and never knowing what to expect when you get there, to be able to get the plumbing back up and running as soon as possible, move on to clean up, and scheduling follow-up later with a plumber later if needed, I think/hope the tenants (I call them customers) appreciate it.

This is what I learned from this video: It is totally OK to use Sharkbite at the end of the pipe, for example, faucet or toilet shutoff valve as long as you cut the pipe straight, deburr, and chamfer. Because if you put at the start or middle of the supply, it will reduce the flow.

Watching this video has made me a professional plumber. Thank you!

I use the caps for Renovations. And always keep a cap in 1/2 and 3/4 in my bag just in case I either accidentally cut a live line or accidentally breaking a line.

I find it hard to believe. I have used shark bites for years and never had a single one leak. Not ever. That includes ones that are installed in homes that have endured over 7.0 magnitude earthquakes in Alaska and the shark bite still held up fine.

As a professional home remodel I do use them occasionally but normally only if they're in the basement and it's just transferring copper to PEX

You said you're always fixing leaks using these. Show me one video of that. I seen sb's last 20 years and still going.

I work on skid mounted pump systems that use 1” sharkbite fittings on pressure lines that routinely see 120 psi all day without any issues. I was skeptical at first, but they are time proven in the field.

My coworker who was a licensed plumber helped me fix my water leaks and now I know why we couldn’t undo the shark bite. We had to use them to connect pex A and cpvc together.

I've used both over the years in my rental properties. I've never had an issue with either. It's all about preparing the pipe/pex and knowing how to apply the shark bites and/or soldier and heat properly.

Roger, great and informative video. I may be old fashioned but I use copper everywhere in my home. My home is around 90 years old and a large component of the hot and cold supply lines are original and I have not had an issue with them. Further, my heat is steam and all the piping to the radiators is copper too. It is a testament to the quality of the materials that they have stood the test of time. Only things that have gone are the shutoff valves that I have replaced over time.

I use shark bite fittings, when connecting pex or copper to old cpvc. That way I don't have to wait for the glue to dry. I don't use them if behind a wall. I use the shark bite caps on pex stub outs during rough in, for water test. That way you don't waste a Polly pex cap and ring.

I'm not a fan of sharkbites, but the vast majority of sharkbite leaks I've seen fail are improperly installed. They weren't push up all the way and a bunch in the ground without being wrapped. That's not the product fault if the product wasn't installed properly to begin with.

I'm not a plumber but I am a painting contractor. I have fixed many drywall ceilings that had one of these in them and has leaked. It seems they last 5-10 years, then start dripping.

I love sharkbites. Use them all the time and will keep doing it. No issues ever.

I have an assortment in my van. Mainly use them to transition from cpvc to copper or pex, and when going from 3/8 to 1/2. Have also used the evo's they are handy for tight spaces where the crimp tool won't fit or to transition from uponor to viega. Evo chrome valves are pretty awesome too

Please read carefully, my expertise is hydraulics, not writing. The total flow restriction will be the same whether you have 1 restriction or several. The GPM (gallons per minute) will be determined by the smallest restriction. Once you reduce that 3/4" circuit to 1/2" in any one place, the entire line is as effectively a 1/2" line. Water pressure goes down as you open various valves around the house, like flushing the toilet when someone's in the shower no matter what restriction you have, but should be less with the restriction. The water pressure will be the same with all fixtures closed and should be higher with the restriction when a valve is open. It's like putting a spray nozzle on a garden hose. The smaller restriction, the higher the pressure, the farther the water shoots.

Average homeowner that does his own repairs…I have used soldered and Shark Bite fittings. Never had a leak on either one. Proper prep is key.

I’m doing my own plumbing in my van buildout and I’m using shark bites for only two or three of the connections which are difficult to get at. However I am also using the silicone tape around those fittings. Also my water pump only moves like one gallon per minite so I’m not worried about high pressure overwhelming them. 😂😂 thanks for this though it’s always good to know a professional’s perspective.

i feel like at least 2 of your cameras dont film in 60fps, theres a very noticeable difference when you change perspectives

Copper piping seems to be getting so very thin and cheap/fragile anymore so PEX seems the way to go, flexible somewhat, freeze damage resistant,

I installed sharkbite on several high pressure places under my mobile home replacing cpvc. I am here to report that after 10 years I still have had no leaks!! Sharkbite is fuking amazing!!!!

I'm not a plumber but a couple years ago I replumbed My house completely with Shark Bites and have had no problems I didn't remove the piece that restricts flow but did debur and smooth everything well No problems yet

I have one Sharkbite fitting in my house, on the cold water line to a bathroom vanity. It's been there for 11 leak free years. (Now, where's some wood to knock on?) :-)

Just used one to fix a broken spigot. We had an unusual freeze, and I ended up breaking my spigot. The spigot line comes in from the back of the house into a section of wall between my pantry and refrigerator. I cut open a hole inside the pantry for an access panel and used a sharkbite quarter turn valve assembly. Now, I can actually cut the water off to that spigot when I know it is going to freeze and no longer have to worry about a busted spigot.

I'm an HVAC technician, and although brazing is the surefire for proper sealing, the known motto is that your system is only as good as its installation. I can't tell ya how many homes have issues from poor installation. This also applies to SB.

My rule for shark bite fittings is they must be accessible along with use as few as possible generally in very difficult to access areas where a torch just wont work.

I work for a small water utility & have used push to fit fittings following the correct installation process & have no issues with the sharkbite or other push to fittings; you are correct about the reduced size in the fitting,however, the length of the fittings are only a couple of inches & if you use a minimum of fittings the reduced size is negligible with good volume & pressure. I have several meter installations where the fittings are buried 5ft deep & have been there for 10 years & we have had no leaks or issues of any kind. Shark it's & others like the pro - bite are good fittings when you're in a small work area, such as a water meter box or vault, if the correct installation process is followed,I wouldn't hesitate to use them in a new installation! They don't freeze & break ,where copper pipes do & they meet the no lead code requirements in our state of N.M.

I used Shark bites on my home bathroom redo- they worked great! Using again on another cold water redo bloody expensive but the ease and avoiding torching the house is worth it

I'm not a plumber but I always hear people saying they wouldn't use them inside a wall so it sounds like there's not enough confidence in them so why use them at all just sounds like a gimmick to me. But I did have two end stops originally took them back was going to go with compression fittings until I seen what they cost nearly 30 bucks then decided to go with the shark bite end stops cut lines to old shower in basement was really quick and easy oh well I don't know what can I say thanks for the thumbs up anyway.

I've fixed more leaks on copper fittings than sharkbite by far

The only shark bite I have ever used was when my father and I were fixing some of the plumbing in one of our rentals. It was inside a tight cabinet and we tried and tried and then we decided to install a shark bite because it was to small of a space to do a proper solder fitting.

I think most plumbers use crimped fittings on copper pipes rather than soldering them. Sharkbites are so simple to use and need no special tools but are pretty expensive. As a DIY homeowner, I would use them for any small project, but because of the cost, I'd use a different option for big projects.

Our house build plumber used plenty of sharkbites. No problems whatsoever. Never a leak. However a crimped/pressed connection failed several times.

We will use end caps sometimes, and an occasional coupling when necessary.. but I like them! gets you out of a jam for sure. everyone should have a sharkbite cap in their bag. just incase!

I was always told - if you have the opportunity and convenience to do soldering/hard pipe the final installation do it. It looks better overrall. But when you’re in a pickle, or doing something temporary shark bites are clutch to have.

I go and fix leaks from all connections. If any connection isn't done right, you will have trouble. What you are repairing is fittings people didn't do right. Shark-Bite has a 25 year warranty.

I'm a plumber & it's never too late to learn. I just got schooled in this relatively new field, pride is not a factor here. Your lesson is like salvation at Sunday school.

4:20 Roger, you are purposely deviving the people. The id of a coupler is the same size +/- as the od of the pipe. And your 3/4 shark bite has the pex sleeve in it. Remove the pex sleeve before you make the comparison.

I use them when you don't have time to wait for glue to cure for CPVC. Or the client doesn't have time for soldering.

Used to work for a commercial company. I would use sharkbites temporarily to isolate large plumbing systems to air test and then remove the fittings to continue to the new section allowing us to verify sections were good to cover before we finished the entire job. It would give the general contractors more time to get sheetrockers in earlier and shave some time from the jobs

You are wrong and old. They are codes, 25 years warranty and handle same psi as soldering pipes.

Punishment for using sharkbites for permanent repairs should be to repipe your entire house using nothing but cpvc and sharkbite fittings

Fantastic video. I've only ever used Shark-bite fittings on a few occasions, and they were leaks underground where it was basically impossible to sweat all of the moisture out of the lines for a proper solder.

Thanks for these great tips. I feel alot better now using sharkbite cap now .

in Denmark, we primarily use Press fittings, everything is usually covered in Isolation (20mm-30mm) even Tap water.

Honestly I don't know much about plumbing except what I've learned from Roger here but I will say the only time me and my friends have ever used SharkBite fittings and PVC push to connect plumbing parts is when we've tried to fashion a pipe or a bong out of plumbing parts.

I use them all the time, they are perfectly fine, haven't leaked in years

Most of the time they failed because they're not installed correctly. I've used them for years I never had issues

I'm using them, but mostly as temporary connectors to keep water running while I do a bathroom renovation. Then I replace them with a crimped pex as I go along.

I've used push-to-connect type fittings for air and water for decades. Of course these are typically Parker or John Guest for 3/8" and smaller tubing. I have used Shark-bite fitting for some quick repairs around the house but seldom leave them in place for more than a week.

I have used shark bite for plumbing repairs and some new water lines ( to the refer water supply line). It's so easy and quick. As long as you insert the line properly and snap it all the way in (past the O ring), I haven't had a failure.

So basic assumption if you are using Sharkbite on a full house: use 1" pipe and fittings for house mains instead of 3/4" copper, and use 3/4" pipe and fittings for branch connections instead of 1/2" copper.

I just replaced my water heater in my house, and used a push connect coupling on the hot side further up the run- simply could not get all the water out of the pipe to get all the solder connections to hold. That's where these things shine.

I have been in the marine field servicing hvac,refrigeration, and plumbing systems on large yachts for over 25 years. In the past almost 10 these push fittings are basically industry standard on production yachts, the true custom are still using copper or a pex type pipe that has screw together fittings with seals. In the marine field the popular brand is Sea Tech, they look basically identical to pex push lock and YES they do leak overtime. Have repaired many with only a year or 2 of service, I usually go with a threaded fitting that I previously mentioned or a shark bite copper if space is a problem.

compression fitings are the best for adapting to different brands of pipe, even though i do enjoy using sharkbite fittings for a temporary water pipe fix given the material shortage these days

I asked the place I buy my sharkbites why their plumbers use sharkbites, they said because sharkbites work when installed properly.

I use the all the time, fast and easy fix, so far haven't had any problem with them....

Sharkbites are great for temporary repairs but I will always stick with my trusty torch. I don't like pro press either, I just can't see a rubber washer lasting as long as a joint full of solder.

I’ve had shark bites on my plumbing for years with zero issues. Plumbers don’t like them cause a homeowner can use them.

plumbers done like them because the average homeowner can use them. I have several in my house for a very long time. some installed by me, smoe by pro plumbers and zero issues.