Y'know, I've used these for several years now on the good old "red & blue" polyethylene tubing and as much as I was dubious of the whole shenanigans initially, I have never had one to fail. In fact, my own home was totally plumbed with the precursor to today's "PEXB" version of the tubing over 20 years ago and to date – zero issues with the tubing itself. Yes, we have plenty of sub-freezing temps in winter here.
A couple of small leaks have developed over the years under the sink and such, but they were failures of the cheap-assed crimp style plastic fittings used then – not the tubing itself. The repair in those instances? Cut out the old fitting, use a new Shark Bite, done. I don't know what the issue was in this video, but I find the results less than representative of my own experiences with the stuff. Now, if I'd had my druthers? I'm an old fire sprinkler guy, meaning I'd want to hard pipe every damn thing I run across in life…thread 'em or groove 'em, I'm good with either. – Ed on the Ridge
Original PEX had some issues with dry-rotting/ cracking over time, that was when it is was installed mostly in mobile homes, it didn't help if it got kinked, bent while being run. Also with possible plastic compounds leaching. Also that old "Quest tubing" gave it a bad rep. Those problems worked against being widely accepted at first or becoming code for home construction inplaces till "about" 2000. I didn't fully really agree with using it till about 2010.
Shark bite fittings are very expensive , are really good for instant/temp apps, when you have just about no tools or glue, or torch/flux/soldier , and just need to temp connect ,cap, or put a threaded fitting on a pipe(you can use a cresent wrench to disconnect shark-bite fittings , than buying one of chincy $10 C- shaped disconnector tools-which get easily lost ). Shark-bites don't work with regular cold water PVC pipe though. unless they have started making them for that too in the past 10 years. I am out of the field now. SHarks-bites have their "moments", but not for permenant/construction.
With PEX , it is MUCH cheaper to use plastic PEXconnectors fittings and crimps than shark-bite fittings. Shark-bites are for amateurs/quick fixes , with no tools or just to temp cap pressure lines, for later adds/runs. I would hate to think how much it would cost to do a whole house with shark-bites, total wastage there of specialized "emergency/temp" fittings. Would totally defeat using PEX in the first place. , as far as cost goes . And shark-bites cansometimes "leak" too if there is enough "bendy/twisty force" on the pipe/fitting connection.They can also freeze and leak.
Nobody in their right mind would go fishing for this PEX crap during demolition. Resulting in even more plastic in landfills / environment for literally no reason. No doubt the plastic recycling cartels won't want to deal with it either. Luckily copper costs a fuckwad these days, virtually guaranteeing all pipework will either be stolen long before you even move out (likely), otherwise properly recycled (slightly less likely).
nice blow
great googly moogly………
I always wanted to know why people attach frankfurters to shop equipment. Thank you AvE! Wiser by the minute.
fill it with water n freeze it
Y'know, I've used these for several years now on the good old "red & blue" polyethylene tubing
and as much as I was dubious of the whole shenanigans initially, I have never had one to fail.
In fact, my own home was totally plumbed with the precursor to today's "PEXB" version of
the tubing over 20 years ago and to date – zero issues with the tubing itself.
Yes, we have plenty of sub-freezing temps in winter here.
A couple of small leaks have developed over the years under the sink and such, but they were
failures of the cheap-assed crimp style plastic fittings used then – not the tubing itself.
The repair in those instances? Cut out the old fitting, use a new Shark Bite, done.
I don't know what the issue was in this video, but I find the results less than representative
of my own experiences with the stuff.
Now, if I'd had my druthers? I'm an old fire sprinkler guy, meaning I'd want to hard pipe every
damn thing I run across in life…thread 'em or groove 'em, I'm good with either.
– Ed on the Ridge
Pex is more likely to give you leagioners disease because it has pours, unlike copper that will keep you safe for life
Sound like a mechanical engineer
Shark bite fittings suck. Please test Pex-A with expander
Original PEX had some issues with dry-rotting/ cracking over time, that was when it is was installed mostly in mobile homes, it didn't help if it got kinked, bent while being run. Also with possible plastic compounds leaching. Also that old "Quest tubing" gave it a bad rep. Those problems worked against being widely accepted at first or becoming code for home construction inplaces till "about" 2000. I didn't fully really agree with using it till about 2010.
Shark bite fittings are very expensive , are really good for instant/temp apps, when you have just about no tools or glue, or torch/flux/soldier , and just need to temp connect ,cap, or put a threaded fitting on a pipe(you can use a cresent wrench to disconnect shark-bite fittings , than buying one of chincy $10 C- shaped disconnector tools-which get easily lost ). Shark-bites don't work with regular cold water PVC pipe though. unless they have started making them for that too in the past 10 years. I am out of the field now. SHarks-bites have their "moments", but not for permenant/construction.
With PEX , it is MUCH cheaper to use plastic PEXconnectors fittings and crimps than shark-bite fittings. Shark-bites are for amateurs/quick fixes , with no tools or just to temp cap pressure lines, for later adds/runs. I would hate to think how much it would cost to do a whole house with shark-bites, total wastage there of specialized "emergency/temp" fittings. Would totally defeat using PEX in the first place. , as far as cost goes . And shark-bites cansometimes "leak" too if there is enough "bendy/twisty force" on the pipe/fitting connection.They can also freeze and leak.
Nobody in their right mind would go fishing for this PEX crap during demolition. Resulting in even more plastic in landfills / environment for literally no reason. No doubt the plastic recycling cartels won't want to deal with it either.
Luckily copper costs a fuckwad these days, virtually guaranteeing all pipework will either be stolen long before you even move out (likely), otherwise properly recycled (slightly less likely).
The tube still holds up
You live up there in Canadia, so you'll appreciate Pex's ability to survive freezing. It beats the hell out of PVC plumbing.
should have tried the non-sharkbite fittings to see what the pex could withstand