http://www.pexsupply.com/CategoryPre.asp?cID=595&brandid=

A guy at Home Depot showed me this stuff. I have to move the water valves in my bathroom (remodel). I have not sweated copper in ages and I just know there will be at least one leak involving a re-do and a whole lot of bad words.

Anyway, the sharkbite stuff looks like a compression fitting of sorts with out any tools involved. No wrench to tighten or anything. just cut the copper to length, and pop the fitting on. If you make a mistake, ther is a tool to release the fitting and do it over. a 1/2" elbow is about $5.50 but it seems for a small job it might be worth saving the time and frustration of sweating if one is not proficient at it.

Has anyone dealt with this stuff?

Thanks

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Yep - used them when I replaced my gas water heater a couple of months ago (maybe 6?) and had to slightly relocate the plumbing. Just hacked off the copper and pushed em on. No leaks (yet)....and ridiculously simple.

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1981 240d - 135k - Arlene

I was freelancing yesterday for an old employer. They moved to a larger industrial setting and used that stuff to plumb the cooler lines for all the printing presses. It looks very clean even when installed visibly and they didn't have to worry about anything dripping on the equipment.

__________________
Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

There was a recent thread over on MrLandlord about them. Quite a few people seemed to like them. Never used them myself.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I used them to runa 60' section of water line for another garden hose location on the other side of my house.

I tapped into an existing copper line near an existing spigot under the house with a sharkbite T-fitting, and ran 60' of cpvc line from there.

I have had it for two years and I check it periodically for leaks, and I have never seen a drop of a leak.

I have had professional plumbers warn against using these in other forums because of the o-ring seals inside, but this was due to pure speculation on their part.

Oh, I almost forgot, I also used them on my washer hook up to install new shut off valves in my laundry room.

I don't know if I would use them for interior wall plumbing just in case, but they sure are so, so easy to install and are very forgiving compared to sweating copper pipes.

You can do ten times the plumbing with these compared to sweating pipes, and what I really love is the fact that you can connect copper to cpvc using one fitting that takes seconds to install.

make sure you get the little quick disconnect tool in case you goof up with the measurements.

Yeah, we use 'em at the cabinet/remodel place I work. Fantastic buggers.
Pro plumbers don't like 'em because now you can do what they can do, but without all the technique involved in soldering.

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1984 300TD

Thanks for the tip! I'm going to keep a couple on hand in the event of an ahhh shat.

I have checked codes and its acceptable to bury them in walls like a normal splice.

Well I still prefer my sweated copper, as a serious weekend warrior thats done LOTS with only one problem child. AND IT WAS A PROBLEM.
Even my garage Air system is plumbed in copper.

BUT, I have wanted to put one of those hot water recylers to the wife's sink. It take for ever to get hot water there, and the shower. Copper would be a bite, real bite, to run the return. PEX looks like a solution, and these things give an easy transition.

Note, I have looked at the recylers that use the existing cold for a return, but the wife isn't happy about loosing the cold water. Women !!!!

But thanks for the info !!!

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KLK, MCSE

1990 500SL

I was always taught to respect my elders.
I don't have to respect too many people anymore.

The recycle setup is pretty nifty, all right. We used them in a lot of the high end homes I used to work on. We'd insulate 'em like crazy, ends up being more or less an extension of the tank, though you're bound to lose more heat than the tank, per unit of water, even with top insulation. They make this stuff that's rigid fiberglass, about 2 or 3 inches in diameter -- much better than that black foam stuff you often see.

I can't imagine not having a cold line as well, I mean I could see the attraction but who wants to be scalded, all the time?

I'm going to have to look into this SharkBite stuff, I'm a bit skeptical though. Seems too good to be true.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Sorry, poorly worded.

The one setup doesn't really "loose" the cold, it just uses an electrical pump to pump from the hot side into the cold. When you use water the system shuts down, but the cold side will have a lot of residual hot, so it will never be that cold, I would think.

This setup also requires electricity under the sink, which I don't have there.

Her sink is on an outer wall, all the plumbing is in the crawl and well insulated.
It is the farthest from the water heater so it takes a while in the morning, especially on these cold Chicago nights.

__________________
KLK, MCSE

1990 500SL

I was always taught to respect my elders.
I don't have to respect too many people anymore.

Oh, of course, I get it. The way I suggested would be unworkable, duh. But what you describe would seem to me to be way inefficient -- you'd be bleeding hot water constantly.

Some of that stuff, you almost have to do it in new construction, or in a major, down to the studs, remodel. Unless you have a crawl space or an attic on one side of the bathroom -- and I guess you'd almost always have one or the other, crawl space or basment would be easier and even then, it'd be serious work.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

For copper-to-copper, I think I'd still be partial to sweated joints, but I can see the appeal for copper-to-CPVC or copper-to-PEX. I also agree with Howitzer that it might be a great idea to keep a few pieces around to quickly handle the unexpected (I could have used a couple of caps a week or so ago as a stopgap during an unplanned water heater replacement.)

As far as sweating joints is concerned, I think one has to ask one's self: WWHD? (What would Hephaestus do?)

I just got back from Home Depot and Iam going to shut the water off in a bit and see what happens.

I'll be connecting copper to copper. I have not sweated copper in ages and did not feel like dealing with it. I looked at the $.98 copper elbows and looked at the $5.58 Sharkbites and said ***** it. Sharkbite beats a head ache and a bad disposition.

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Seems to me that the Sharkbite would be most useful for the DIY'r when you know that there is going to be water in the copper and it will be difficult to keep the water out of the soldering area even if you know the bread trick.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

SharBites are Da Bomb. Took me all of 15 min including cutting to put 4 joints together. The added bonus is that you can swivel the joints around to get a perfect fit and they have not leaked 1 drop.

Exspencive as crap but worth it to avoid the head ache IMO.

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.