# Shark bite failure



## svaldrin

Anyone every see a sharkbite fail this spectacularly?


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## SchmitzPlumbing

start with junk and end with insurance claim. not in my shop


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## svaldrin

Agreed, best guess is it froze. I like how the pieces didn't even line up, just jammed together. Sadly they use these in our shop...


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## Shoot'N'Plumber

Nothing here to see other than a poduct working as is expected!


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## plumberkc

Hopefully insurance companies wilI start going after sharkbite and the price will continue to go up. 

Ever see what a flex supply line goes for at HD? $35.00 here due to all the liability of inexperienced HO's & Joe's installing their product.


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## KoleckeINC

What worries me are the angle stops. They're plastic looking. I won't touch them


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## saysflushable

The only MAJOR fail I have ever seen with shark bites is freezeing. They push apart and you can see the teeth have cut the copper or or plactic. Like shark bites or not you cant expect them to hold up to freezing. 

I never repairer frozen split copper with anything but soldier because if it froze one time it may freeze again and I dont want a shark bite or compretion fitting comeing apart. Just let the copper split again so you can show them the split pipe.


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## Redwood

The failures I see tend to be improper installation where the tube was not fully inserted into the guide, and or, inserted at an angle, or from freezing...

Judging from your pictures seeing the way the tubes line up, and what appears to be an uninsulated exterior wall there are probably 2 strikes against them right there...

I use a crapload of Sharkbites myself... Just another tool in the box...


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## Michaelcookplum

The fail is that someone used 3 shark bites and 2 scrap pieces of cpvc instead of sweating pipes, clearly not the work of any type of plumber


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## svaldrin

Its in a sofit on the ceiling. It was a "plumber" who did the work before, but like Michael cook said, its not the work of a plumber. Its work like this that is really starting to annoy me, Im not the best by any means Ive only done it for 2 years and would never do anything like this. The plumber before has done it for 20 years... I run into this all the time, Ive been told Im to cautious but doing things the correct way avoids issues like this. The only time I have seen them fail is from freezing just never so bad. Usually they just crack and leak but this one blew out with some force. 
Plumberkc I have seen them at hd, Im in your area and I hope they raise the price of them too, at least for all the handy men. 
KoleckeINC havent seen those but I imagine they would spin to freely to be good. 
saysflushable couldnt agree more. 
Redwood ever have any issue with using them? ever have any customers not like them?


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## Redwood

svaldrin said:


> Redwood ever have any issue with using them? ever have any customers not like them?


Nope! & Nope!

My single biggest use for them is fixing freeze damage in the winter. I first locate all the damaged sections of pipe and temporarily replace them with Sharkbites connected via washing machine hoses. Once all the leaks have been found and the system holds pressure I drain down the system one time, make permanent repairs and reclaim my freeze kit....

I've also temporarily used Sharkbite caps on remodel jobs capping stubouts for fixtures and taken them back for reuse when putting the escutcheons and stop valves on...

I'm not above using them in a permanent manner either as a transition from CPVC to copper or PEX. A Sharkbite to a better material is the only thing I'll do with that CPVC Garbage...

I'll also use them permanently if it will save the customer a huge amount of money gaining access to a difficult to reach location. One that comes to mind was a job where a leak in the ceiling was way back behind kitchen cabinets, I could just barely reach it at an arms length to work on it. Sweating was only going to happen if the cabinets came down and the ceiling was opened all the way back. The customer was quite happy with the repairs being limited to a small ceiling patch.

I've used push on connectors much longer than most people here. I spent a number of years in industrial maintenance and on the CNC machines the pneumatic circuits are quite extensive, while being used in a moving location, with hot cutting oils, metal chips, and nearly constant flexing being present. The nylon tube and push on connectors perform nearly flawlessly with virtually the only failures occurring in a machine crash which is hardly a flaw and the damage to the machine is far more extensive than a sheared off or pulled out connector...

It's another tool in the box...
It's not for everything...
But it sure helps sometimes and it makes sense to use them...


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## Tommy plumber

SchmitzPlumbing said:


> start with junk and end with insurance claim. not in my shop












Insurance companies probably won't pay that claim. They'll find a way to deny the claim like, improperly installed and un-approved fitting, or repair not performed by a licensed plumbing, etc.

A friend of mine is mechanical contractor. His neighbor had some un-licensed guys re-modeling the kitchen. An angle stop blew off and flooded the place. So the luckless homeowner attempted to make a claim with his HO's insurance. They said no way Jose, you don't have construction insurance......:laughing:


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## saysflushable

by the way I have 1 sharkbite in my house I was adding a hose bib and figured since I have used them in my valued customers houses on occation I should be willing to use them in mine. Soldering a Tee in would have been easy. 

Oh what I do for my customers.


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## wyrickmech

Sharkbites aren't that bad. We use the caps to temporarily cap med gas lines and have put 250 psi tests against them. I would not recommend them for a permanent fix unless it is to transfer between CPVC and copper.


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## sierra2000

Whaaaat! Someone on here finally admits to using shark bites. I suspect there are more plumbers here that use them but won't admit it. I once used a few to transition from cast iron to PVC.


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## Redwood

sierra2000 said:


> Whaaaat! Someone on here finally admits to using shark bites. I suspect there are more plumbers here that use them but won't admit it. I once used a few to transition from cast iron to PVC.


What size hammer did you use for an installation tool?:laughing:


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## plumbdrum

I've used them for temporary caps at my house for a project, they've been in so long now I'm starting to think it will be permanent. Cobblers kids have no shoes scenario


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## sierra2000

Honestly I've used two before as a last resort.


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## GREENPLUM

Inside a 2x4 wall serving shower valve


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## GREENPLUM

Only on the colored pex


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## GREENPLUM

....


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## bct p&h

plumbdrum said:


> I've used them for temporary caps at my house for a project, they've been in so long now I'm starting to think it will be permanent. Cobblers kids have no shoes scenario


I trust that you pulled all the proper permits and had an inspector from a neighboring town inspect your work...


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## Redwood

GREENPLUM said:


> Only on the colored pex


Improper Installation....:yes:

The stiffener insert is not being used on PEX Tubing...


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## plumbdrum

bct p&h said:


> I trust that you pulled all the proper permits and had an inspector from a neighboring town inspect your work...



I'm actually the alternate in the town I live in, so the other inspector has been here


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## GREENPLUM

Redwood said:


> Improper Installation....:yes:
> 
> The stiffener insert is not being used on PEX Tubing...


No , they were there.


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## Redwood

GREENPLUM said:


> No , they were there.


Just not in your picture?


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## OpenSights

Redwood said:


> Just not in your picture?


Not SharkBite brand, but one of the supply houses around here sells one that is just as good as SharkBite, but almost half the price, that has a clear insert for pex. 

I used them for temp repairs all the time during winter freezes then go back for either a hard pipe or pex repair. I have doubts about them, but the only failure I've seen was due to a dent in the copper at just the right spot.


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## svaldrin

I worked with a guy who leaves the plastic insert in the shark bite for copper.


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## paultheplumber1

I have them in all my trucks for emergency use only. For instance I have alot of vacation homes where I work. Some of the cheaper customers choose to try and drain and winterize there homes themselfs. Well come Friday afternoon when they arrive with a car full of kids only to find out they forgot to open a drain. Next step is shark bite city until I can get a guy there to repipe when turn on season slows down.


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## GREENPLUM

Redwood said:


> Just not in your picture?


No its there, put on yer glasses.

Here,


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## Redwood

GREENPLUM said:


> No its there, put on yer glasses.
> 
> Here,


This here blue PEX must have one of those invisible ones then....:whistling2:


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## chonkie

Looks like it is installed here to me.


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## GREENPLUM

They were installed properly. The inserts were all there.


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## GREENPLUM

Redwood said:


> This here blue PEX must have one of those invisible ones then....:whistling2:


Time to go get yer eyes checked out


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## Redwood

chonkie said:


> Looks like it is installed here to me.


I took that picture which I had previously enlarged and in PhotoShop I brightened the bore only to make the inside of the pex and sharkbite brighter, & enlarged it more to be able to see better...

Quite frankly I see blue PEX without a stiffener and the center brass bore and stop ridge in the Sharkbite...

It also appears as though the PEX was not fully inserted to the stop.


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## GREENPLUM

The fact is the fittings were installed with the inserts and completely hubbed up. 

I see them in the pic you photoshopped


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## Redwood

GREENPLUM said:


> The fact is the fittings were installed with the inserts and completely hubbed up.
> 
> I see them in the pic you photoshopped


I'll have to believe you...
Despite it not looking like any insert I've seen...


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## GREENPLUM

Redwood said:


> I'll have to believe you...
> Despite it not looking like any insert I've seen...


Yes, they were there, hubbed up and all. The problem was the outer plastic deteriorated, why? Idk, my guess is whatever paint or dye they use to color the pipie


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## OpenSights

When I use these things, and yes, sometimes AAVs, I always tell the customer to check them often.... Mechanical things break, mechanical things fail, and sometimes mechanical products are bad right out the door. I stand by my work, I stand by the products I sell. If my products that I supply fail, I'll be there ASAP*! 

(*Within 1 year of installation or original manufacture warranty plus labor after 1 year.")


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## Plumberdood1

Copper you can sand out scratches, what do you do with pex , there is always grooves in it, maybe that is the failing part.


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