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SharkBite valve question

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I am putting in a home water softener, but first want to set up the plumbing with a set of valves so I can isolate the loop. The piping is cpvc in a 1yr old home. I was going to glue in a set of valves, but the hdepot reviews for the pvc valves are all terrible. Then I found these SharkBite valves. 

Are they the way to go today?  Or is there a better brand of pvc valve, or a good brass valve that is pvc friendly?  Thanks!

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My buddy who i work for here and there is a GC. He swears by sharkbite fittings. I'm a bit more skeptical personally, but he'll use it behind a wall and then spackle the hole shut. I don't think its an issue my self; i say go for the sharkbite valves. Just make sure you put em on nice and tight.

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They work unbelievably well. At first, they were used for temp. fixes, but many people have found them to last a really, really long time with no leaking. If, after 20-30 years, one begins to develop a leak, changing it out to a new valve should only take 30 seconds or so.

Disclaimer: I've only used them on copper pipes. But I would imagine they would be even better on cpvc.

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I used them to pipe a new slop sink in the mud room.  They are simple and very easy to use.  However, if the hose isn't straight at the fitting it can leak.  I had to rout mine around a drain pipe and found that out.  Just make sure it's a straight run and you're good.

I used PEX with it.

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Only downside to Sharkbite is the absolutely insane pricing they come up with. Over 5$ for a 1/2" Cap lol. We have a bucket full of fittings we use for temp repairs and stuff that we keep reusing; too expensive to EVER throw a fitting away. I have boxes full of fittings in my warehouse, as well. Ya never know..

Make sure you use it on CLEAN PIPE though. Make sure there is no dirt, paint, dust, etc... in order for it to seal properly, the surface inside and out must be squeaky clean. It'll hold on dirt but is that much more likely to leak, and given that im a negative person i just can't have that.. I wouldn't trust a sharkbite on a pipe full of paint drips and crap. Also as previously stated, if there is any bend or curve in the material, it could cause it to not seal properly and cause a leak. Try to only use sharkbite fittings on straight parts of the pipe.
That said, they are marketed as temporary use but they seem to last darn near forever.
Installed one in the basement of my fathers property in Newark about 7 years ago.. Moisture, roaches, old crappy building, great place for something like that to fail, but no issues yet.. One of those 3/4" Braided steel lines with sharkbite fittings on both ends. It does what it was made to do very, very well. Given the alternative (sweating old, nasty copper lines in dangerously tight areas), it's worth every penny.

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You come off the CPVC with Pex?  Then you can put copper or brass or pex valves in. 

You can buy the cheaper composite fittings instead of the brass ones to save a few bucks.

I'm sure you can find someone with the Viega tool.  

 

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I've used them on copper pipe and as previously posted the pipe must be clean. I use emory cloth and then wipe the end down with a damp rag. I've had them installed for 10 years and their still working fine.

They are expensive, that's the only downside.

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I spent 20+ years in the trades.  I've supervised a lot of tradesmen including a lot of plumbers.  I didn't trust sharkbite fittings when they first came out.  I didn't believe they could be as secure as a glued fitting.   We still very, very rarely use one.  We work in commercial buildings and use a lot of copper, some pex, and a little bit of PVC and CPVC. 

We use pro-press fittings (crimp on) whenever we can't get water to shut off completely and still have a trickle. But that equipment costs thousands of dollars.

Lots of professional plumbers now trust shark bite fittings.  I've never seen one fail.   I now believe they are as good as a glued joint.  But...I still can't bring myself to walk away from an o-ring and flimsy strip of metal without worrying when it will fail.  As I said, I've never seen one fail.  They have proven themselves to be dependable.  The problem is admittedly me, not the fittings but I won't use one.

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3 hours ago, brucin said:

I've used them on copper pipe and as previously posted the pipe must be clean. I use emory cloth and then wipe the end down with a damp rag. I've had them installed for 10 years and their still working fine.

They are expensive, that's the only downside.

I was reluctant to trust them, too....but after using them on several tight jobs here around the house (which would have been utter misery, otherwise), I now know why they are so expensive....

 

Because they're worth it!

 

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I checked some other fittings, such as under the sink. There it has male cpvc adapter threaded into the metal water valves.  

I also found Ace has a KBI Transition adapters from cpvc to threaded stainless tms-0750.

With either of these solutions I can use a better brass ball valve. If I go this way, do I put anything on the threads??

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I checked some other fittings, such as under the sink. There it has male cpvc adapter threaded into the metal water valves.   I also found Ace has a KBI Transition adapters from cpvc to threaded stainless tms-0750. With either of these solutions I can use a better brass ball valve. If I go this way, do I put anything on the threads?? 

 

 

 Go with the CPVC / threaded brass adapter. I hate CPVC. Remember CPVC glue is a special yellow glue. Not the same as PVC. Use Teflon Tape on the theads. Scratch the pipe dope if it is for a water filtration system. Make sure you run the tape with the threads. 

 

I have seen shark bites pop off CPVC usually when the pipe isn't straight and being bent some under pressure.

 

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redid  my bathroom about ten years ago, pex pipe sharkbite fittings. Easiest plumbing job I've ever done. Pex allowed me to nearly have no 90's.

 I always had at least one fitting leak whenever I soldered fittings. The time saved using sharkbite is 50% less time.

Did some pipe work at my boiler and used all sharkbite fittings.

I'm a believer, I haven't had one fail yet. 

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On 2/6/2018 at 6:10 PM, maintenanceguy said:

  I didn't trust sharkbite fittings when they first came out.  I didn't believe they could be as secure as a glued fitting. ...........

Lots of professional plumbers now trust shark bite fittings.  I've never seen one fail.   I now believe they are as good as a glued joint.  But...I still can't bring myself to walk away from an o-ring and flimsy strip of metal without worrying when it will fail. ......

This is pretty much the way I see it too. From an engineering standpoint, the more moving or mechanical parts in a system, the more likely it will fail.  I did a couple projects with a friend at one of his rental properties where we used sharkbites.  I was surprised at how simple and effective they are, but when it comes to doing my own home projects, I still sweat a copper pipe.

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redid  my bathroom about ten years ago, pex pipe sharkbite fittings. Easiest plumbing job I've ever done. Pex allowed me to nearly have no 90's.

 I always had at least one fitting leak whenever I soldered fittings. The time saved using sharkbite is 50% less time.

Did some pipe work at my boiler and used all sharkbite fittings.

I'm a believer, I haven't had one fail yet. 

If you plan on staying in the house I would replace those shark bites sooner than later, or if you sell the house let the new owner know what you did. Eventually rubber gasket will break down.

 

 

 

YouTube is your friend. There are videos on how to properly solder.

 

 

 

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My 2 cents on sharkbites. I'm a pipe fitter by trade. I would think most if not all plumbers would agree with this. Do we use sharkbite fitting? Sure when it makes sense to. Would we ever rough our house in using them? No. If we want something reliable and be confident about the install then no sharkbites.

I have seen them fail but I have seen everything else fail to but their is a reason that those types of fittings are not permitted to be used in certain building codes.

They are great for homeowners but to think they are on par with a solid joint connection is alittle crazy.

 

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They are good for temporary use. When they rubber rots away the homeowners who were so proud of the money they saved not hiring a plumber will most likely be at work. Then they will have to hope their insurance pays out.

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Dont do it. Go to a real plumbing supply shop and buy a decent valve name brand(apollo,nibco, etc) and domestic. If they dont have one with cpvc ends get a threaded one with cpvc male adapters. I have had them slip on me. Im not sure what kind of pressure you are running in your house but ive had caps push off of copper on me at around 50 psi

and dont forget the 3rd valve if you are running a bypass around the softener. 

As a side note most softeners have a bypass built into the head.

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Late to the party.  

On 2/11/2018 at 11:25 AM, capt14k said:

They are good for temporary use. When they rubber rots away 

Copper corrodes, black pipe rots, galvinized will rust, point? 

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Late to the party.  

Copper corrodes, black pipe rots, galvinized will rust, point? 

Copper , cast iron , black and galvanized steel has stood the test of time. Shark bites haven't they are to new and I'll wager a nice bet that they won't. But imo neither will propress etc.

As I posted before. Their is reason these fittings are not permitted on some building projects, even pro and mega press.

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Copper , cast iron , black and galvanized steel has stood the test of time. Shark bites haven't they are to new and I'll wager a nice bet that they won't. But imo neither will propress etc.As I posted before. Their is reason these fittings are not permitted on some building projects, even pro and mega press.

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Everyone is an expert. Let them make their own decisions. We have been using copper for over 100 years, but what do we know.

 

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58 minutes ago, capt14k said:

Everyone is an expert. Let them make their own decisions. We have been using copper for over 100 years, but what do we know.

 I love sweating copper fittings.....I used a Sharkbite once but NOT in my house!

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1 hour ago, cmarcell said:

Copper , cast iron , black and galvanized steel has stood the test of time. Shark bites haven't they are to new and I'll wager a nice bet that they won't.

Ummm, I hve changed pipe that has rotted/fallen apart/corroded/melted/disintegrated.  

Nothing lasts forever 

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Ummm, I hve changed pipe that has rotted/fallen apart/corroded/melted/disintegrated.  

Nothing lasts forever 

Yes we all have . The point being there is no replacement for the old materials yet. Copper , iron , and steel is still the gold standard. We are talking about what is generally gonna last the longest and they have proven that they do last. Don't be fooled just cause stuff is out on the market place for sale. The only reason stuff like pex is around is it's cheap and easy/fast to install therefore it is popular with homeowners and residential plumbers. It is fact that copper in most cases is still the cleanest , safest ,and most reliable way to distribute water. There are cases all around the world where pex is being removed for water contamination, odor , and manufacturing defects.

Back to the sharkbites. Why use something that seals with an oring? Speed. I can't think of any scenario where a sharkbite could be more reliable than a solder joint.

 

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I can't think of any scenario where a sharkbite could be more reliable than a solder joint.


Then you aren’t on a well... you tend to get pin-hole leaks with copper unless you have a very deep well or you have a very good conditioning system.

The development I live in originally had copper installed. The guy I work with that has lived there longer than us has been fixing neighbors’ leaks for years. Also the reason why I did PEX, especially knowing we are leaving within the next year (results from the polygraph came back the other day, which I passed, so it isn’t a question of if but when). Only copper in our house is where I needed to put it, per code (out of the gas water heater, where it crosses the vent piping)... and used L for that, instead of M.

With the amount of plumbers that work for our company, I’ve seen a lot of stuff fail. We had an 1.5” ProPress coupling made without any teeth, which blew apart a few days after the work was done. I’ve seen McDonald couplings that I was on the original repair cause a leak with a year (watched the guy put it together, but was a manufacturing defect when we compared the old one to other in stock). I don’t see SharkBites failing at a higher rate than anything else.

However, I consider them an emergency or a quick fix. How my kitchen is currently set up, the bathroom and kitchen sinks are pretty much right behind one another (offset maybe a foot). When I did the plumbing for the bathroom sink, I still wanted the current kitchen sink to work until we redo the kitchen, next month. So, instead of running two more Ts to cap or put in a coupling, I ran the lines like I would for the bathroom, and put a SharkBite T where the 90 will be. Once I pull the SharkBite, crimp in a 90, and I’m done.

Reason why? I prefer something more permanent. Pipes should be secured, but that shoulder that comes out of the fitting is the only thing keeping it together. I rather take that out of the equation... unless I’m coming back to it somewhat soon.

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