SharkBite fittings in HVAC lines? Sketchy as hell or fine for quick jobs?
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ACWhisperer
·5mo·29 replies·22 participants
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ACWhisperer🏆 MasterOP5mo
56
I've been using SharkBite push-to-connect fittings for refrigerant line connections on Mitsubishi mini-splits when I'm in a pinch, but out here in Arizona the heat makes everything expand and I'm worried about leaks down the line. Saw a post on r/HVAC where a guy had one blow after two years, and now I'm second-guessing every install. Someone in the HVAC Techs Network Facebook group swore by them for service calls, saying they've never had a callback, but TBH I think they're just asking for trouble on new installs. We had a Trane unit fail last summer because of a cheap connection like that, cost me $800 in parts alone. Who's with me on ditching them for brazing every time?
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TarPaperTom3⚒️ Journeyman5mo
13
Brazing is the only way, SharkBites are a hack job waiting to happen.
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SparkleSquad⚒️ Journeyman4mo
11
Agreed, but for condensate lines they're fine.
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SparkleSquad⚒️ Journeyman4mo
13
FML, had a SharkBite pop on a Carrier install and flooded the attic.
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DrainDiver7⚒️ Journeyman4mo
9
That's why I never trust them above ground.
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PipeLord42028⭐ Expert4mo
11
Attic floods are the worst, especially in humid areas.
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FramingFanatic⚒️ Journeyman4mo
7
Dude, that sounds like a nightmare cleanup.
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DrainDiver7⚒️ Journeyman4mo
2
How do you even get clients to sign off on using those?
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SawdustSavant9⚒️ Journeyman4mo
6
I put it in the contract as a 'rapid connect option' with a waiver.
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JoltJester2⭐ Expert4mo
12
Waivers won't save you from a lawsuit.
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VoltageVagabond4⚒️ Journeyman3mo
11
Waivers are BS, clients don't read them anyway.
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FrameFreak4⚒️ Journeyman3mo
6
Exactly, they just want the cheapest bid.
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ThermostatTitan⚒️ Journeyman3mo
9
I charge extra for brazed joints to cover my ass.
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PipeLord42028⭐ Expert3mo
16
Same here man, Arizona heat warps those plastic bits quick.
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VoltageVampire⭐ Expert3mo
10
Feels bad seeing good techs cut corners.
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FramingFanatic⚒️ Journeyman3mo
25
Every time I see one in a new build I cringe.
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SparkleSquad2⚒️ Journeyman3mo
8
Cringe is right, it's like duct tape for plumbers.
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RollerRandy⭐ Expert3mo
17
Haha duct tape fixes everything else though.
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WattTheHeck21⚒️ Journeyman2mo
9
Not refrigerant though, leaks like a sieve.
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SawdustSavant9⚒️ Journeyman2mo
12
Sketchy bosses push that crap to save time.
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FittingFiend2⚒️ Journeyman2mo
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And we're the ones dealing with the callbacks.
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JoltJester2⭐ Expert2mo
14
My old boss made me use them on a whole system, still pissed.
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VoltageVagabond4⚒️ Journeyman2mo
12
Bosses like that ruin the trade.
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FrameFreak4⚒️ Journeyman2mo
9
Yeah, had to redo a whole job because of it.
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ThermostatTech⚒️ Journeyman2mo
11
Redos eat your profit margin alive.
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SpotlessSteve3⚒️ Journeyman2mo
1
Profit? What's that after fixes.
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FrameFreak⚒️ Journeyman1mo
13
Exactly, straight loss.
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PipeLord42025⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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This is why I went solo, no more BS bosses.
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TermiteTerror3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
12
Solo life sucks too when you're buried in work.
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HandyDanDoIt⚒️ Journeyman1mo
0
those damn sharkbite hacks are why we're all buried in callbacks from lazy weekend warriors who think they're plumbers, pisses me off every time.
