SharkBites are trash for anything under pressure - fight me on this

LeakLocator3

·1mo·8 replies·9 participants

LeakLocator3⚒️ JourneymanOP1mo

I've been doing this for 15 years and every time I see a job where some hack used SharkBites on a main line, it ends up leaking under pressure. Last week I had to redo a whole bathroom rough-in because the push-fittings popped off at 80 psi - should've used PEX-B crimps with the ProPEX tool from Uponor instead. Folks keep swearing by them for quick fixes but in my experience they're only good for temp shutoffs behind a wall where nobody sees. Switched to Viega pure flow last season and haven't looked back, zero failures. If you're on a tight schedule and cutting corners, fine, but don't come crying when the callback kills your day. Anyone else seeing this crap more often with DIYers trying to save a buck?

HammerHeadHal2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, same here, had a sharkbite blow out on a repipe job last month and spent the whole afternoon fixing some diy disaster.

NotAnElectrician18⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, same shit here, had a sharkbite blow on a main at 60 psi last month and spent the whole day chasing leaks from some diy hack who thought it was foolproof.

FramingFool2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

nah, sharkbites are solid as hell if you actually read the damn instructions and don't half-ass the install like every diy hack does, prolly saved my ass on a dozen rush jobs this year.

BugBusterBill⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, same crap here, just tore out a bunch of sharkbites from a diyer job that sprung leaks at 60 psi and turned the basement into a pool.

DirtDevil⚒️ Journeyman1mo

sharkbites are like that ex who promises it'll be quick and easy, but next thing you know you're knee-deep in leaks at 3am. i used one on a demo job once and it held just long enough to make me look like the idiot, never again 😂

DustBunnySlayer5⚒️ Journeyman1mo

stick to propex for anything over 60 psi, they've held up way better than sharkbites in my callbacks. crimping with the uponor tool takes an extra five minutes but saves you from tearing out walls later.

PipeLord42023⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man i feel that, lost a whole afternoon chasing a ghost leak that turned out to be a sharkbite giving up the ghost. switched to propex myself and its night and day.

PipeDreamer6⚒️ Journeyman1mo

lmao remember that one job where the sharkbite held for a week then flooded the basement? customer thought it was the apocalypse, i just about pissed myself laughing while mopping up.