I'm not sure why you think you can state that it can't without data to prove it.

Okay I'll get back to you in 30 years. I'm not sure why you think a compression fitting with an O-ring can compete with a soldered connection.

edit: you SharkBite guys can downvote this comment to hell for all I care LOL I hope you use them all over your house.

>In no way is a SharkBite fitting ever going to be as solid as a soldered

And what I'm saying is, prove this with objective data.

Show me a MTBF chart of sharkbites vs copper fittings.

I LOVE the mosaic ideia! I would do in a open area easy or in a kitchen or bathroom area too.

Hi, I'm from Brazil and here we basically use to types: if it's narrow there are some like looks like the floor or "stones" like marble. And now I'm looking to the floor of my apartment and thinking that it needs to change too, help me! Idk why marble and stones are cheaper here so it's the most common. But maybe you can do with small tiles like smaller than subway titles?! You can do a art or just plain. If nothing else works I would fill the hole with something like any filler and throw a carpet over. Something that would go from room to room to give some identity. Good luck and show us the result!

Usually corrosion from dissimilar metals. I’ve seen a few failed joints in my tine. One, a few weeks ago.

A trusted plumber who wants to keep a steady stream of business by bad mouthing the easier DIY solution?

So you're talking about the billions of soldered copper joints throughout history compared to SharkBite fittings? It's completely ridiculous to compare the two. In no way is a SharkBite fitting ever going to be as solid as a soldered fitting unless the person had absolutely no idea how to properly solder a joint.

This

> that's what a plumber told me.

Plumber wanted to make sure he got return business lol

I'm a licensed plumber and I would never put one behind a wall or ceiling

I do not use shark bites for jobs. I only have them for shutoffs for when I get to a bathroom job or something, just incase there is shut off issues with old plumbing. It’s a quick temporary fix to me. Never trusted these things long term.

There are a lot of instances of copper joints within walls failing and causing damage.

I have yet to see any real studies or data to prove that sharkbite fittings fail more frequently than copper joints over time, other than anecdotal posts and comments like these online.

I'm not saying that it's impossible for sharkbites to fail more frequently, I'm just saying there has been no objective proof to this day that they actually do.

[deleted]

Agreed. Shark bite, pro press and the like are a problem waiting to happen. Torch copper or compression fittings. If you can’t do it then hire a plumber and specify soldered copper. You’ll be much better off in the long run.

Eh some builder probably hangs out here and swears by sharkbites - they use it in every connection in every house they build. Just not the one they live in. :D

In this case the fitting was separating at the threaded portion. Will grab some pics later if I get a chance.

I laughed too much at that. :)

They're long term temp fixes. If you use Sharkbite correctly it should last a minimum of 25 years. I think they're great for first time DIYers. Lets you learn basic plumbing and build up some confidence then you can transition to something else once you understand their limits.

Although quite honestly if you really want you could use Sharkbite forever. Just check them over every decade and replace them if you see a problem. You could literally replace one every 5 years for the rest of your life and it would still be cheaper than calling a plumber out once.

Good call keeping them out of walls. I personally don't use sharkbites for anything. Same with PEX pipe. Probably being overly cautious but I have never seen PVC or properly soldered copper leak which is all I use.

Alot of the stories of pex and sharkbites leaking probably has more to do with its reputation for being easy attracting less experienced people to DIY it than it being an inferior piping method.

So how often should I be opening my walls to check the soldered connections on my copper pipes? Should I drywall over the holes after the inspection, or should I just leave them open since soldered copper piping isn't meant to be a permanent solution?

I have nothing to do with this.

I work in flood restoration and I see it pretty often, but it's usually on older pipes from the 1960s or older. The most interesting ones are when the water or minerals in the water have worn through the corner of the pipe.

The ones that I've seen pop off or separate are due to poor installation.

But also you have to think about how often the above occurs compared with how many joints exist. Something can be both incredibly rare and happen consistently. As in a failure rate of .05% is great , but .05% of 1,000,000 is still 500.

>Had this been in a wall cavity, this would have been a nightmare.

Which is why pretty much everyone except the manufacturer advocates for not installing in a wall/floor.

I'll also note that their warranty is very explicit that they will only pay for property damage, resulting from a failure in workmanship or materials, if the fitting was installed by a licensed professional. And on the case of use in a wall cavity, if there is proof it was pressure tested before sealing in. And even then, only for the materials (lumber, drywall, etc), and not the actual labor costs.

End of the day, the only time you should be using a sharkbite fitting is for a temporary repair when you lack the materials/ability to properly repair via sweating or the clearances to be comfortable doing it yourself.

Thank you for the details.

I like watching applied technique from YT videos, but this allows me to ask my specific, basic questions that pros don't even consider anymore.