Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Sharkbite pipe connectors #3085176
10/11/22 04:16 PM
10/11/22 04:16 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,587
Detroit area
6PAX Online content OP
master
6PAX  Online Content OP
master

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,587
Detroit area
I'm having a hard time with a piece of copper pipe I've been trying to solder in a water line as a splice due to water trickling in from the main valve by the water meter. The valve just won't close tight enough to stop a small trickle of water still coming through the lines. I've tried the bread trick and that didn't work either. My wife talked to the plumber that does work for her boss and he said he would just go with the Sharkbite connectors. Never heard of them until now. Anyone here ever used the Sharkbite pipe fittings? If so, how well did they work?

Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: 6PAX] #3085178
10/11/22 04:22 PM
10/11/22 04:22 PM
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,670
Star Idaho
6
67vertman Offline
master
67vertman  Offline
master
6

Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,670
Star Idaho
SharkBites work great and have used many without a problem!

If you want to solder, the trick is to shove some bread in the pipe to hold back the water, it will devolve quickly, yet let you get the pipe hot enough to solder! Opps saw you used this trick, it usually works.

Have you tried blowing air into the pipe.

Last edited by 67vertman; 10/11/22 04:24 PM.

My Monster are real!

Living within your means makes life pretty easy.
Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: 67vertman] #3085180
10/11/22 04:35 PM
10/11/22 04:35 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,587
Detroit area
6PAX Online content OP
master
6PAX  Online Content OP
master

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,587
Detroit area
No, I haven't. Wasted two days on this now. The pipe is up by the ceiling in the basement. Hard to get the heat and solder on it quickly before the water returns. Looks like Sharkbite fittings might be the easy way out.

Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: 6PAX] #3085183
10/11/22 04:51 PM
10/11/22 04:51 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,648
Hamtramck, PA
Alaskan_TA Offline
Fluffy Balladeer
Alaskan_TA  Offline
Fluffy Balladeer

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,648
Hamtramck, PA
Sharkbite brand comes with a Cancer warning, so best not used for potable water.

As the owner of a home over 100 years old, I have had better luck with Copperloc over Sharkbite.

IMHO, the only advantage of a Sharkbite over Copperloc for non-potable water is that they can be removed and reused.

Copperloc is better for leak free.

https://www.amazon.com/Elkhart-Products-10170700-Copperloc-Coupling/dp/B0057FUMTM

Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: 6PAX] #3085261
10/11/22 09:53 PM
10/11/22 09:53 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,193
Omaha Ne
T
TJP Offline
I Live Here
TJP  Offline
I Live Here
T

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,193
Omaha Ne
Originally Posted by 6PAX
I'm having a hard time with a piece of copper pipe I've been trying to solder in a water line as a splice due to water trickling in from the main valve by the water meter. The valve just won't close tight enough to stop a small trickle of water still coming through the lines. I've tried the bread trick and that didn't work either. My wife talked to the plumber that does work for her boss and he said he would just go with the Sharkbite connectors. Never heard of them until now. Anyone here ever used the Sharkbite pipe fittings? If so, how well did they work?


I'm having trouble picturing your problem confused Are you saying the main line valve in your house will not close completely? or is it the main line valve outside the house ?
Also are you sure the trickle is not from lines above where you are working that may still have water in them?

Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: Alaskan_TA] #3085271
10/11/22 10:34 PM
10/11/22 10:34 PM
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 6,174
nowhere
S
Sniper Offline
master
Sniper  Offline
master
S

Joined: May 2019
Posts: 6,174
nowhere
Originally Posted by Alaskan_TA
Sharkbite brand comes with a Cancer warning, so best not used for potable water.


Ah yes, the old California Proposition 65 warning, which essentially boils down to everything causes cancer.

https://www.sharkbite.com/us/en/prop-65

Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: 6PAX] #3085315
10/12/22 08:14 AM
10/12/22 08:14 AM
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,162
USA
3
360view Offline
Moparts resident spammer
360view  Offline
Moparts resident spammer
3

Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,162
USA
Sharkbites, and their 2-3 other solderless competitors have worked well for me.

I now keep a “ice storm kit”
with solderless pipe connectors, elbows, and valves.

Trying to get a plumber after an ice storm where electric power goes off and pipes freeze for miles around, and stores empty of plumbing supplies, is a “hard knocks” education.

Dry Ice can also be used to freeze an “ice dam” inside a water line long enough to finish a solder joint.

Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: 360view] #3085324
10/12/22 08:58 AM
10/12/22 08:58 AM
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,095
Western Md.
skicker Offline
"The Champ"
skicker  Offline
"The Champ"

Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,095
Western Md.
After you have shut the water off...turn on the highest sink in the house...then turn on the lowest one.

All of the water should clear at that time or a short time later...

You can get a shark-bite with a shutoff valve that can be installed ahead of the pipe you need to repair...

Then try to solder again...

Shark-bite fittings work well...

A lot of plumbers do not like them and it is mainly for cost reasons and the fact that with them you really don't need to call a plumber... twocents


...FAFO...
Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: skicker] #3085333
10/12/22 09:25 AM
10/12/22 09:25 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,587
Detroit area
6PAX Online content OP
master
6PAX  Online Content OP
master

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,587
Detroit area
Originally Posted by skicker
After you have shut the water off...turn on the highest sink in the house...then turn on the lowest one.

All of the water should clear at that time or a short time later...

You can get a shark-bite with a shutoff valve that can be installed ahead of the pipe you need to repair...

Then try to solder again...

Shark-bite fittings work well...

A lot of plumbers do not like them and it is mainly for cost reasons and the fact that with them you really don't need to call a plumber... twocents


I did that to clear out the water beyond the section I'm trying to put a coupling in and that cleared the water on that side. The problem is the other side where the water comes in the house. There are two shutoff valves at the meter, one before the meter and one after. I closed both of them but there is still a trickle of water making it past them, enough to make it impossible to solder properly. Our house is 59 years old and the valves look like they are the original ones so I'm sure that explains the water getting through. Anyway, I did buy a Sharkbite shutoff valve that I am going to put between the original valve by the meter and the section I'm trying to repair. This whole fiasco is a result of the city I live in sending inspectors out to make sure nobody had any water connections that could allow dirty water to back up into the system. They didn't like the water powered back-up sump pump I had in place for the last 25 years so they wanted me to install a $200 valve that would prevent water from backing up through the line that powered the pump. Since the water sump pump never gets used I decided I would just take it out and cap the T where it connected to the incoming water line. This is where all the problems started. Due to that dribble of water getting in the pipe I couldn't cap the tee. So I cut out the t-connection and tried to solder in a straight connector. That wouldn't take either. So I cut that coupling out and bought another longer one and tried cramming bread into the pipes. It bought me enough time to get some solder in but not enough to completely seal the connection so now it still has a slight drip. So, my next step is to install the Sharkbite valve and try to resolder the coupling and if that doesn't work, I'll splice in a Sharkbite coupling in place of the copper one. What a PITA. flame

Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: 6PAX] #3085399
10/12/22 12:08 PM
10/12/22 12:08 PM
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 744
Almost Heaven
B
Bob Stinson Offline
super stock
Bob Stinson  Offline
super stock
B

Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 744
Almost Heaven
The problem I ran into putting a piece in an existing run with sharkbites is that copper is not flexible - I didn't have the room to get it put together. They make a special fitting for that, it's longer and can be adjusted so you can put it on one end and slide it up on the other.

IME plumbers don't use solder these days either - they've got a special kind of fitting and a machine that crimps it to the pipe. I told the plumber I first saw using one that he was cheating.


69 road runner A12 ex-racer
71 Duster w/ a 400

Shiny paint causes stress.
Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: 6PAX] #3085402
10/12/22 12:11 PM
10/12/22 12:11 PM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,239
north of coder
moparx Offline
"Butt Crack Bob"
moparx  Offline
"Butt Crack Bob"

Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,239
north of coder
i have used shark bite items before, they work good, and i hate plumbing.
one thing i have done whenever i have to work on a run, is install a ball valve. that way, when you shut off that section, it's shut off.
no drips, easy to shut off, and although the cost is a concern, they work for me.
beer

Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: 6PAX] #3085439
10/12/22 01:29 PM
10/12/22 01:29 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,193
Omaha Ne
T
TJP Offline
I Live Here
TJP  Offline
I Live Here
T

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,193
Omaha Ne
I am going to ASSume the following

1. You are prepping both the cap and pipe you're trying to cap (they sell brushes specifically for this)
2. You are using the correct flux on both the cap and pipe
3. You are using a full bottle size torch, (Mapp gas burns hotter)
4. Have the torch lit
5. Stuff a decent amount of bread in, (no crust) quickly push it in the pipe with a dowel rod. push a second wad in if desired
6. Cap the pipe
7. Heat upper portion of the CAP all the way around if possible. If wood or other combustible material are near by, use a good sized metal sheet to shield it and disperse the heat
8. Put the solder to the lower edge of the cap and it will draw the solder up towards the heat.
Sounds way more complicated than it is wink

Also if your valve is leaking before the meter, the water company should repair that at their cost. That will then allow you to repair/ replace the inside valve. I have also had luck in the past by closing and opening the valve a turn or so several times beer

Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: 6PAX] #3085498
10/12/22 03:21 PM
10/12/22 03:21 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 18,389
UPPER MICHIGAN, MARQUETTE COUN...
N
NITROUSN Offline
I Live Here
NITROUSN  Offline
I Live Here
N

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 18,389
UPPER MICHIGAN, MARQUETTE COUN...
Originally Posted by 6PAX
Originally Posted by skicker
After you have shut the water off...turn on the highest sink in the house...then turn on the lowest one.

All of the water should clear at that time or a short time later...

You can get a shark-bite with a shutoff valve that can be installed ahead of the pipe you need to repair...

Then try to solder again...

Shark-bite fittings work well...

A lot of plumbers do not like them and it is mainly for cost reasons and the fact that with them you really don't need to call a plumber... twocents


I did that to clear out the water beyond the section I'm trying to put a coupling in and that cleared the water on that side. The problem is the other side where the water comes in the house. There are two shutoff valves at the meter, one before the meter and one after. I closed both of them but there is still a trickle of water making it past them, enough to make it impossible to solder properly. Our house is 59 years old and the valves look like they are the original ones so I'm sure that explains the water getting through. Anyway, I did buy a Sharkbite shutoff valve that I am going to put between the original valve by the meter and the section I'm trying to repair. This whole fiasco is a result of the city I live in sending inspectors out to make sure nobody had any water connections that could allow dirty water to back up into the system. They didn't like the water powered back-up sump pump I had in place for the last 25 years so they wanted me to install a $200 valve that would prevent water from backing up through the line that powered the pump. Since the water sump pump never gets used I decided I would just take it out and cap the T where it connected to the incoming water line. This is where all the problems started. Due to that dribble of water getting in the pipe I couldn't cap the tee. So I cut out the t-connection and tried to solder in a straight connector. That wouldn't take either. So I cut that coupling out and bought another longer one and tried cramming bread into the pipes. It bought me enough time to get some solder in but not enough to completely seal the connection so now it still has a slight drip. So, my next step is to install the Sharkbite valve and try to resolder the coupling and if that doesn't work, I'll splice in a Sharkbite coupling in place of the copper one. What a PITA. flame


I had the same problem. Bread did not work. But what did was using another torch heat the pipe 8 to ten inches away. The water will heat and evaporate allowing you with the other torch to make the solder connection.

Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: Sniper] #3097404
11/26/22 10:25 PM
11/26/22 10:25 PM
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 201
Green Bay
Andyvh1959 Offline
enthusiast
Andyvh1959  Offline
enthusiast

Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 201
Green Bay
Originally Posted by Sniper
Originally Posted by Alaskan_TA
Sharkbite brand comes with a Cancer warning, so best not used for potable water.


Ah yes, the old California Proposition 65 warning, which essentially boils down to everything causes cancer.

https://www.sharkbite.com/us/en/prop-65


Yup, motorcycles cause cancer, the air we breathe cause cancer, probably even the fluids within our own bodies cause cancer. So doe the Proposition 65 warning should be posted on everyone's body in California.


My 56 C3-B8 Dakota build
Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: NITROUSN] #3097453
11/27/22 07:36 AM
11/27/22 07:36 AM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,847
Oakdale CT
gdonovan Offline
I Live Here
gdonovan  Offline
I Live Here

Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,847
Oakdale CT
I have used Sharkbites for the exact same reasons at work, otherwise I always solder.

They work fine as long is everything is clean and deburred.




"I think its got a hemi"
Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: NITROUSN] #3097480
11/27/22 10:26 AM
11/27/22 10:26 AM
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 744
Almost Heaven
B
Bob Stinson Offline
super stock
Bob Stinson  Offline
super stock
B

Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 744
Almost Heaven
Originally Posted by NITROUSN

I had the same problem. Bread did not work. But what did was using another torch heat the pipe 8 to ten inches away. The water will heat and evaporate allowing you with the other torch to make the solder connection.


I once shoved a 3/4" pipe full of bread and plugged every thing downstream of it.

I've had a plumbing disaster going on here for a couple of weeks. Old house - fix one leak, another one pops up a few days later. It has a crawl space so I really need to fix each leak once and be done, so soldering isn't going to work for me. Sharkbites it is.

I've had a lot of people tell me Sharkbites are junk. I ask them if they don't work, how are they still in business. The "nothing better than solder" gang never volunteer to come over, crawl under, and help, either.

Just be sure to debur and mark the correct insertion depth and there should be no problem.

I considered buying a pro-press setup then realized I could have the house replumbed twice for the same price. They make them now with a hand-held hydraulic pump that are inexpensive, but I don't know how you're going to make them work in tight spaces.

FWIW I've got a couple of independents coming over tomorrow to price ripping out all the copper and switch it to PEX. It's going to hurt but it should outlast me and that's what matters at this point.


69 road runner A12 ex-racer
71 Duster w/ a 400

Shiny paint causes stress.
Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: Bob Stinson] #3097494
11/27/22 11:30 AM
11/27/22 11:30 AM
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,162
USA
3
360view Offline
Moparts resident spammer
360view  Offline
Moparts resident spammer
3

Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,162
USA
I have seen 3 different “tricks” for soldering when the problem is a small amount of water coming down the pipe, besides the “bread dam trick.”

1. Use a “self tapping-self sealing” 1/8 or 1/4 fitting on the bottom of the existing water pipe to drain off water downstream of where the repair needs to be. These are the special fittings used to connect water to an ice maker or furnace humidifier, and often contain their own small shut off valve. They are available to clamp on various diameter large pipes.

2. Find the lowest faucet after turning off the (worn & leaking) main water cut off valve, tape a wet dry vacuum hose to that lowest discharge point, and turn on the wet dry vac long enough to suck the water and moist air away from your spot while you complete the soldering.

3. Create a “high spot” if you have enough room to the left and right of where you are making the repair.
Get two 22.5 degree solder elbows and one 45 degree elbow.
Make up before hand a section of repair pipe with one 22.5 degree, a length of pipe, a 45 elbow, length of pipe, then 22.5 elbow to “get back to level.”
Lift the water line upward temporarily on the side where the leaking valve is to create a “high spot” free of water for several minutes.
Solder on your 22.5/45/22.5 section beginning with the 22.5 elbow facing up. Let the water pipe drop back down to original level.
This obviously involves more soldering and elbows but “buys dry time” for that first critical soldering joint that would otherwise be ruined by the dripping water.
Many times you can do this with only two 22.5 elbows.
If you have a tube or conduit bender you can do similar starting with straight copper pipe and two bends much less than 22.5 degrees.

Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: 360view] #3097505
11/27/22 11:54 AM
11/27/22 11:54 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,908
Nebraska
4
4406bbl Offline
top fuel
4406bbl  Offline
top fuel
4

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,908
Nebraska
In the future just pull the meter off. In most areas the water company will not change a leaky service valve, you are responsible for everything up to the tap at the water main in the street, and need to hire a plumber. They will come out and change leaking water meter gaskets for free, or you can find new ones at hardware stores.

Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: 4406bbl] #3097839
11/28/22 04:19 PM
11/28/22 04:19 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,635
PA
7
70Duster Offline
top fuel
70Duster  Offline
top fuel
7

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,635
PA
Nothing wrong with Sharkbites or the equivalent competitors' products if the pipe is deburred and pushed in to the proper insertion depth.

However, the root of the problem with being able (or unable) to solder seems to be a leaking main shutoff valve. I'd simply install an additional shutoff valve a foot away from the existing one. Use a valve with a compression fitting on each end and you won't have to worry about water in the pipe or soldering.

Re: Sharkbite pipe connectors [Re: 70Duster] #3097917
11/28/22 08:16 PM
11/28/22 08:16 PM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,239
north of coder
moparx Offline
"Butt Crack Bob"
moparx  Offline
"Butt Crack Bob"

Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,239
north of coder
ball valves are your friends ! up boogie
beer

Page 1 of 2 1 2






Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.1