# What Else Should I Have Done?



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

A repair to stop a leak on a broken PB plastic fitting.


----------



## hroark2112 (Apr 16, 2011)

Wait, you didn't chain yourself to their chair and sell them a repipe??

tsk...so negligent!!


----------



## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Was crimping not an option? Is that pex? 

I do not like to admit it, but Sharkbite have a place in our industry. Might bring me some heat, they are approved.


----------



## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Made sure your insurance covered fire...


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Indie said:


> Was crimping not an option? Is that pex?
> 
> I do not like to admit it, but Sharkbite have a place in our industry. Might bring me some heat, they are approved.


 




The owner is in Venezuela, South America. The lady representing his interests here in Florida was calling the shots. To make things interesting, this was a rental condo with an agitated tenant. I talked about the need to replace the other plastic fittings in the house, because they could possibly break and flood the place again. But they'll just go with the quick fix for today.


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

SlickRick said:


> Made sure your insurance covered fire...


 



Yeah you can see where I scorched the paper on the sheet rock....:laughing:


----------



## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Looks ok to me... I'd crimp on a mip adaptor and sweat on a fip adaptor to join pex to copper. But then you have threaded connections in the wall.... But I prefer threads over shark bite.... And I agree sharks have there place and I've used them but how would you have done it years back before shark bite was on the market??? I do like to see the shark on the tee .... Atleast its a true sharkbite


----------



## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Tommy plumber said:


> What else should I have done?


1 - 1/2" PEX x Poly Adapter
1 - 1/2" PEX 90deg Elbow
1 - 3/4" x 3/4" x 1/2" PEX Tee
1 - 3/4" PEX x Female Sweat Adapter
4 - 1/2" Stainless Steel Crimp Rings
3 - 3/4" Stainless Steel Crimp Rings
4 - Healthy sprays of Cool Gel


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Indie said:


> Was crimping not an option? Is that pex?
> 
> I do not like to admit it, but Sharkbite have a place in our industry. Might bring me some heat, they are approved.


 




The grey pipe is acutually Poly Butylene. The fitting that was broken was plastic.

I have the crimp tools and the brass adapters, but for a temporary repair (or maybe it's a permanent one...:laughing I opted to go with the sharkbite.


----------



## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Tommy plumber said:


> The grey pipe is acutually Poly Butylene. The fitting that was broken was plastic.
> 
> I have the crimp tools and the brass adapters, but for a temporary repair (or maybe it's a permanent one...:laughing I opted to go with the sharkbite.



Buy some of these.


----------



## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

I was all set to buy PB x pex adapters, rings and tools to deal with the PB I see here in modular and mobile homes but the more I thought about it, I decided to stick with sharkbites. I don't know if I'd want to crimp onto 20+ year old PB tubing. Sharkbites are a much lower impact on the tubing and we all know that in the long term, all that PB tubing needs to be replaced. I'm sure your repair will last longer than the rest of the system will.








Paul


----------



## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Indie said:


> Buy some of these.


Those work great .... I've installed lots of those in houses cuz the shark bites would blow off the gray pipe wich I know as quest pipe... Is that the same pipe you think??? I bet it is. Quest was the brand if I'm correct ...


----------



## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> Those work great .... I've installed lots of those in houses cuz the shark bites would blow off the gray pipe wich I know as quest pipe... Is that the same pipe you think??? I bet it is. Quest was the brand if I'm correct ...



I certainly have not seen it all, but to my knowledge that is the only alternative. Otherwise it would have been black pipe, which it is not. I found that you can use that adapter with both black crimp rings on each side. There is no doubt which is the PB side of that fitting. 

Each time I have used one I am impressed with how well it works. It does not seem to stress the pipe as RS mentioned. I know in the past PB has failed, but and I speak for Northeast Indiana have I ever seen a piping failure, unless its due to freezing. Its always the cheap arse fittings.


----------



## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Indie said:


> I certainly have not seen it all, but to my knowledge that is the only alternative. Otherwise it would have been black pipe, which it is not. I found that you can use that adapter with both black crimp rings on each side. There is no doubt which is the PB side of that fitting.
> 
> Each time I have used one I am impressed with how well it works. It does not seem to stress the pipe as RS mentioned. I know in the past PB has failed, but and I speak for Northeast Indiana have I ever seen a piping failure, unless its due to freezing. Its always the cheap arse fittings.


I agree it was the fittings..... Here they use quest fittings... On the gray pipe or to even switch it to pex.... They are basically just fittings with nuts and compression ferrels all plastic.... I don't like them at all and replaced a lot of them


----------



## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> I agree it was the fittings..... Here they use quest fittings... On the gray pipe or to even switch it to pex.... They are basically just fittings with nuts and compression ferrels all plastic.... I don't like them at all and replaced a lot of them


Oh crap yeah, I forgot about those pieces of crap. My old boss used to make us use them. He thought they were the greatest thing in the world for trailer repair. Then we learned that there was a new better alternative. He never did like crimp fittings. Old dog, new tricks. :whistling2:

Never on anything worthwhile, but hey we all know trailers are get in and get out ASAP. :laughing: Can I get an amen. 

I carry several 3/4 and 1/2 adapters, and when I run into quest, the transition is made.


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

I have all that stuff. I'm hoping to re-pipe that place, so the Shark Bite is most likely a temporary repair. But if not, c'est la vie. (that's life).


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

In pics #1 and #4 you can see my little red screwdriver inserted into the PB tee where it cracked. And in case you're wondering, it was the hot side (as usual) where the break was.


----------



## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Tommy plumber said:


> I have all that stuff. I'm hoping to re-pipe that place, so the Shark Bite is most likely a temporary repair. But if not, c'est la vie. (that's life).



You gotta do what you gotta do. Did you make money? Will the repair hold? I say yes, and yes. Sounds like a victory to me. :thumbup:


----------



## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Let me do a thread redirect of sorts. 

With the failure of those type of fittings, does it alter your opinion on Dura-pex fittings? I think that is what they are called. The plastic ones. 

I am considering trying them, but my experience with Quest fittings makes me nervous.


----------



## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

There is a SharkBite specifically made for Polybutylene....


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Redwood said:


> There is a SharkBite specifically made for Polybutylene....


 




Hey Red, do you run into PolyButylene in New England? Or is this garbage just a southern problem?


----------



## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Redwood said:


> There is a SharkBite specifically made for Polybutylene....


 In what way do they differ?

OD is CTS, so the difference must be in the nylon stiffener?


----------



## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> Hey Red, do you run into PolyButylene in New England? Or is this garbage just a southern problem?


We see quite a bit of it.
Trailers, Tract Homes, Condo's...
If it went up in the 80's or 90's it probably has Poly B....



Widdershins said:


> In what way do they differ?
> 
> OD is CTS, so the difference must be in the nylon stiffener?


Yes, The Stiffener is the difference.
The OD of PEX and Poly B is the same but the ID is different SDR-9 vs SDR-11


----------



## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

They they cost the same as the standard ones, or more?


----------



## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Home Cheapo charges a couple of bux more for them...


----------



## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Could save a few bucks if you just order a bag of the inserts only from a supply house, if the supply house carries them.


----------



## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Redwood said:


> Yes, The Stiffener is the difference.
> The OD of PEX and Poly B is the same but the ID is different SDR-9 vs SDR-11


The ID of PB has always bothered me. It's good to know there is an acceptable transition fitting.


----------

