Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Anyone have any experience with Sharkbite connectors (push-on plumbing connectors for CPVC/copper/PEX)? Good, bad or indifferent? I need to repair a pinhole perforation in a copper pipe close between two floor joists, without enough room to solder without burning the house down. This looks like a solution. http://www.sharkbite.com/product/slip-couplings-slip-end-only-suitable-for-copper-and-cpvc/ Thanks, LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorado Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 I've never used one before but something I have done on something similar is use a soldering iron set on high to solder a small hole. It's held so far. All I can tell you is to give it a try and see how it goes. Something else you may consider is welding shield paper. I imagine it'd keep things from burning down, however heat will transfer. http://3mcollision.com/products/welding/3m-welding-and-spark-deflection-paper-05916.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 I've never used one before but something I have done on something similar is use a soldering iron set on high to solder a small hole. It's held so far. All I can tell you is to give it a try and see how it goes. Something else you may consider is welding shield paper. I imagine it'd keep things from burning down, however heat will transfer. http://3mcollision.com/products/welding/3m-welding-and-spark-deflection-paper-05916.html Too late; I already cut out the section with the hole, and rigged up a replacement section of pipe, an elbow, and two copper sleeve connectors; just too close between the joists, with both a 4" PVC drain and another copper line in such close proximity that I cannot get decent access to solder; already set the floor and a joist on fire. Cannot get my usual steel plates in place for protection. I ordered a couple of the Sharkbites; its worth a try, I guess. LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 They have pretty much become the industry standard for plumbing any more. My biggest complaint is the cost vs sweat copper. I needed a temporary cap for a water line that got damaged during a shower remodel a few years ago. It was a Sunday and the only thing open were the big box stores. Neither store carried sweat copper fittings. Had to settle for a sharkbite cap to the tune of about $10.00 vs the quarter that a sweat copper cap would have cost me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 I've used them to install a small sink in my reloading area. I thought they were on the expensive side but worked like a charm. Also they are removable/reusable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrel Cody Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 I bumped the main water line in the basement a few years ago, causing a leak; don't ask. The plumber that came out and fixed it used one of those. Knock-on-wood, I haven't had any issues since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 They work well . I wouldn't want to have to plumb a whole house with em though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Hair, SASS #29557 Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 While remodeling our second bathroom the plumber was having a heck of a time trying to solder a fitting so he used a sharkbite fitting. I'd never heard of the danged thing before. It costs about 5 or 6 bucks but it solved the problem and has never leaked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 They work well . I wouldn't want to have to plumb a whole house with em though. +1. My son has good success with them as well for a small patch job like Loophole. For jobs like plumbing a remodeled bathroom or whole house, I've become a big fan of PEX. Yes it requires a special tool and fittings, but it's so much easier than copper and PVC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 I've heard good things about the Sharkbites... But... Regarding PEX: A fella at work has had three PEX failures... all required expensive repairs, including opening walls and carpet replacement. The tubing just failed. When the manufacturer was contacted they said they'd cover the replacement cost of the tubing itself, but none of the associated repair costs. It can be damaged by exposure to sunlight prior to installation, and can be weakened by water chlorinated at the levels used in the United States (not an issue in Europe, where it's been used successfully for fifty years). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Haven't had any issues with PEX despite numerous installations over the last 5 years, but I'm sure going to research further. Thx for sharing that Hardpan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Well Slim... if it's never exposed to sunlight (stored outdoors pending installation) or used in applications with heavily chlorinated water it's dandy stuff. There has been some concern about fittings... surprisingly, there's anecdotal evidence of brass fittings suffering an electrolytic erosion when used with PEX - the brass can have zinc loss, leading to failure. But hey - copper and galvanized surely has it's issues! I've known a number of people who've had sub-concrete floor copper plumbing fail (that's ugly!)... and PEX is supposedly a lot less likely to burst in freezing temperatures. That too is mighty ugly! I seem to recall that knuckles skinned while replacing frozen plumbing hurts... a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Wonder if in a few years we will see a repeat of this??? Polybutylene Lawsuit and resulting Polybutylene Class Action Settlement? What are Polybutylene Pipes?If you're asking yourself, "What are Polybutylene Pipes?", you maybe worried that your home or business was built with them. If your building was built between the late 70's and mid 90's, polybutylene pipes may have been and may still be there. So, what's wrong with polybutylene pipes? To put it simply, they have an unusually high rate of failure under normal operating conditions. Deterioration linked to chlorine water additives has been linked to the failures, however customers on private water supplies have reported many problems. Polybutylene pipe is grey, black or blue. Interior polybutylene plumbing is almost always grey and exterior polybutylene plumbing is mostly blue. Polybutylene pipe was installed and manufactured from the late 1970's till the mid-1990's, however, stockpiles of polybutylene pipe at supply vendors, such as supply risers were still known to be available up to 1999. The most common sizes for polybutylene pipe are 3/8", ½", ¾" and 1". Polybutylene piping was used for both residential and commercial water distribution piping. Polybutylene pipe connectors can be copper, brass, or plastic. The connector types are barbed with a crimp ring or compression with a plastic or metal ferrule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted February 1, 2016 Author Share Posted February 1, 2016 Well Slim... if it's never exposed to sunlight (stored outdoors pending installation) or used in applications with heavily chlorinated water it's dandy stuff. There has been some concern about fittings... surprisingly, there's anecdotal evidence of brass fittings suffering an electrolytic erosion when used with PEX - the brass can have zinc loss, leading to failure. But hey - copper and galvanized surely has it's issues! I've known a number of people who've had sub-concrete floor copper plumbing fail (that's ugly!)... and PEX is supposedly a lot less likely to burst in freezing temperatures. That too is mighty ugly! I seem to recall that knuckles skinned while replacing frozen plumbing hurts... a lot! Our summer cottage has a poured light weight concrete floor, with PEX tubing embedded for the radiant heating system. It will be 12 years this year, with no sign of leaks or damage. I'm real happy with it, and am giving serious thought to changing large sections of the plumbing in our primary house from copper to PEX. We've had a dozen or more pinholes develop in the copper, and I'm getting tired of the Sunday night demolition, tearing open sections of wall looking for leaking pipes. LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Our summer cottage has a poured light weight concrete floor, with PEX tubing embedded for the radiant heating system. It will be 12 years this year, with no sign of leaks or damage. I'm real happy with it, and am giving serious thought to changing large sections of the plumbing in our primary house from copper to PEX. We've had a dozen or more pinholes develop in the copper, and I'm getting tired of the Sunday night demolition, tearing open sections of wall looking for leaking pipes. LL Loophole, PEX has a very good reputation for the radiant heat application... and I hear you on the copper issue. A few months ago Helen Brimstone was visiting her 98 year old mom, when her (Helen)'s granddaughter (Alice's great-granddaughter) suddenly gave a yelp and scurried out of the kitchen - "Grandma! Grammy! The tile in the kitchen is HOT!" Yup... concrete slab foundation, and the copper hot water pipe had ruptured under the kitchen floor. Helen's son - a plumber by trade - capped it off and re-plumbed that portion of the house with PEX, alternately routing through walls and overhead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 We use'em in the park here all the time. Mostly the ball valve ones. Great stuff, fixes a bad supply line in a jiffy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Assassin Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 I am in the maintenance business. We take care of 24+ commercial and residential buildings. Sharkbite fittings are great, never had a failure, unlike compression fittings. It's rare to have to pull out the torch and solder. Sharkbite fittings may cost more, the labor savings is worth every cent. When I did a total remodel on my house I used pex and I've yet to have any problems. I've even used it on air lines in the shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 My concern is when it is stored improperly. Local electrical supply got in a large shipment of "smurf" tube due to a clerical error. They decided to store it outside due to space limitations in the warehouse. When they finally got arround to selling it 6 months later it would crumble to dust as soon as you tried to bend it. Turns out the stuff is not UV resistant and being out in the sun ruined it. This worries me about all products that are not UV resistant. Improperly stored by people that are unaware of the need to protect it from UV exposure. You buy and install it only to have it fail at a later date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Our summer cottage has a poured light weight concrete floor, with PEX tubing embedded for the radiant heating system. It will be 12 years this year, with no sign of leaks or damage. I'm real happy with it, and am giving serious thought to changing large sections of the plumbing in our primary house from copper to PEX. We've had a dozen or more pinholes develop in the copper, and I'm getting tired of the Sunday night demolition, tearing open sections of wall looking for leaking pipes. LL Very soft water?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 Very soft water?? Actually, very hard. Lots of iron. The literature is all over the place on the cause of pinholes in copper piping and fittings. Some claim a reaction between metals in the water and copper. Some claim municipal processing chemicals react (I'm on a private well with no water treatment.) Rather than try to solve an issue that chemistry PhD's haven't yet unraveled, I'm leaning toward re-plumbing my water pipes with PEX. LL PS: The pinholes have all occurred in one run of piping, from my basement up to the second floor bath. All within about 8' of each other. Huumm....stray electrical currents??? LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Assassin Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Pex should resolve the issues you have with pin holes. I've run into corrosion problems before and had to change out copper and fittings. The pin holes always occur at the hardest areas to reach. A good water filter with a disposable cartridge is well worth the money. I don't like water softener systems, adding salt does not make sense when one has corrosion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Pinhole leaks in copper? Is you electrical ground to the cooper pipe or to a ground rod? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Assassin Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Thin wall, inexpensive copper used by a cheap plumber. Type M or N, there is a difference. Been a long time since I read the specifications on copper pipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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