SharkBite plumbing fittings

uplander · July 23, 2021, 08:42:07 AM

well it was a horrible day yesterday. I dug a huge hole next to the house
To replace a fitting on my plumbing that failed.
If it even saves one person the grief that i have been through I want to
say NEVER USE A SHARK BITE FITTING.

This was the second one to fail on me and was the cause of so much
work and grief.About seven years in the ground.

I can only get back to this thread sporadically I have so much work to do.

mike_belben · July 23, 2021, 08:57:12 AM

Sorry man. I been there.

The very night that i got my first section of big stone driveway base down and very compacted by heavy equipment passes. i go in for a shower and theres no water. Go outside and theres a wet spot forming. Dig up about 30 feet of squirrely water channel chasing it to find a pvc elbow that never had any glue at all. Triaxle pulled it apart.

whiskers · July 23, 2021, 10:35:27 AM

was it the crimp ring type and which part failed, plastic or brass? strange how this happens on Friday.

Nebraska · July 23, 2021, 10:43:09 AM

I've used shark bite fittings above ground no issues so far. Probably 10 years on the first ones.

Dave Shepard · July 23, 2021, 10:56:25 AM

I use them for emergencies and temporary projects, but only for interior jobs. No problems. I didn't think they were for direct burial applications.

snobdds · July 23, 2021, 11:20:07 AM

I hate those shark bite fittings.

A plumber explained to me that those fittings depend on constant pressure to keep the fitting expanded and tight. If the shark bite is used down stream of a turn off that sees a pressure drop, the fitting can relax and expand enough to loose the seal.

Moral of the story, use pex ring clamps or copper solder fittings.

sawguy21 · July 23, 2021, 11:32:53 AM

I have used them to stop a leak in my fifth wheel and never had a problem but don't think I would trust them in that application. Actually you did well getting seven years out of it.

florida · July 23, 2021, 01:47:37 PM

Don't be too quick to criticize because of one failure. I'll grant you I haven't used more than 100 Shark Bites versus thousands of copper, PVC, and CPVC fittings but I've had dozens of copper failures over the years. Sharks Bites do not require constant pressure of any pressure at all if they are properly installed. They are hard to remove even with the removal tool.