Shark Bite for Plumbing problems - Fiberglass RV
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Old 10-15-2021, 12:05 PM   #1
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Shark Bite for Plumbing problems

I did not know this existed until I was trying to find a fix for my Hot Water issue. I used their shut-off Valve. Has anyone else used this company?


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Old 10-15-2021, 12:12 PM   #2
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Yes, I love them. I used to have an old cabin with the plumbing exposed underneath and once I learned about shark bite and Pex I could do my plumbing myself- saved a bundle. Very easy to use.
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Old 10-15-2021, 02:26 PM   #3
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I built new houses for many years. I never had a plumber that told me anything other than don't use them, they will leak at some point.
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Old 10-15-2021, 03:17 PM   #4
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We have used Sharkbite and Watts Quick-Connect parts for years in our trailers with Pex. If installed correctly (pushed together HARD), they don't leak, at least for a long time. We've had no issues.
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Old 10-15-2021, 03:32 PM   #5
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I am going to keep an eye on it When I first put it on it leaked because one side was not secure 100%. I redid it & right now it's solid. It will be easy to check in the Casita.
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Old 10-15-2021, 04:04 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by jeepers29 View Post
I built new houses for many years. I never had a plumber that told me anything other than don't use them, they will leak at some point.
Of course a plumber would say that ,they also said that about pex and now they are all using them ,hard to find any plumber that sweats joints anymore
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Old 10-15-2021, 04:34 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by jeepers29 View Post
I built new houses for many years. I never had a plumber that told me anything other than don't use them, they will leak at some point.
Plumbers dont make money with home owners doing their own plumbing.
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Old 10-15-2021, 05:26 PM   #8
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I have been in a few union sponsored training centers for apprentice entrants into the profession. However not into the plumbers and pipe fitters facility. Can any former or current union plumbers verify whether or not
their apprentices are being taught to work with shark bite fittings? I’m reasonably sure they are taught to use the clamping tools but I wonder about shark bite type fittings. The world changes all the time.
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Old 10-15-2021, 06:32 PM   #9
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If mine leaks after a while I will replace it with another shark bite valve. It was that easy to install.
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Old 10-15-2021, 08:30 PM   #10
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To be fair to plumbers, residential can be different than RV. Often, residential plumbing is buried into walls, very hard to get to. A lot of RV plumbing is pretty easy to get to, so if it does leak, its not as hard to fix.
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Old 10-16-2021, 03:46 AM   #11
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To be fair to plumbers, residential can be different than RV. Often, residential plumbing is buried into walls, very hard to get to. A lot of RV plumbing is pretty easy to get to, so if it does leak, its not as hard to fix.
True, but on the other side of the coin, houses don't bounce down the road either. FWIW, I have NEVER been a fan of Shark Bite fittings in any application. I have, and will always use, crimped PEX fittings for PEX applications. And although I've done a lot of plumbing work, including sweating copper pipe joints, (and pretty much everything else construction related,) I will add "no, I'm not a professional plumber either." I just know what works and what I will rely on for my plumbing. Use whatever you wish on your trailer.
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Old 10-16-2021, 04:52 AM   #12
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Watching the reviews about Shark Bite, folks love them BUT they do say not to put them in the walls. Because of the rubber casket wearing out over time.
On Amazon, they get 5 stars.
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Old 10-16-2021, 09:25 AM   #13
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Another amateur plumber here. I've done hundreds of Pex joints in RV's using stainless clamps and I see no reason to use the far more expensive Sharkbite product unless there is simply not room to use the clamp tool. I have far more confidence in a standard clamp ring although I have on occasion used a Sharkbite without issues.

Bill in NC, self built Promaster camper
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Old 10-16-2021, 09:41 AM   #14
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.. Because of the rubber casket wearing out over time. ...
Yes any rubber will age out eventually. Then the gasket (O-ring) goes into a casket.
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Old 10-16-2021, 10:32 AM   #15
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Plumbers dont make money with home owners doing their own plumbing.
The plumbers I was working with were friends that were sharing their professional opinions, not trying to get work out of me. They had no skin in the game other than advice. Go ahead and use them. I never will.
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Old 10-16-2021, 01:05 PM   #16
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I did not know this existed until I was trying to find a fix for my Hot Water issue. I used their shut-off Valve. Has anyone else used this company?


Our plumber says "no" because they fail at some point. They may leak a little or a lot all at once. We did use some at our house to put in a new faucet since we had pex in it but I probably wouldn't use them again.
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Old 10-16-2021, 07:31 PM   #17
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My daughter and hubby are building a new house, doing all the plumbing (and framing, and electrical) themselves. She says, "In the new house, we’ve gone to great lengths to eliminate all plumbing joints inside walls; we have smooth runs of pex from the basement, which will remain accessible, to the faucets, etc. The joints we have are made with crimp fittings because they are cheaper than sharkbite."

She adds, "Sharkbite fittings do have an o-ring that could eventually degrade, but brass can also degrade, especially with certain water chemistries. Lead-free formulations may degrade even faster under some conditions. The copper piping in [a grandparents' house] built in 1950 or so eventually degraded. There aren’t really any perfect options in all situations. . . Avoid joints in walls! Nothing lasts forever."

I used a Shark fitting or two in my Casita when I replaced the city-water connection (after I wrecked it scraping the driver's side at a gas station). But those pipes are right under the side dinette seat, and easily accessible.
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Old 10-16-2021, 07:55 PM   #18
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My daughter and hubby are building a new house, doing all the plumbing (and framing, and electrical) themselves. She says, "In the new house, we’ve gone to great lengths to eliminate all plumbing joints inside walls; we have smooth runs of pex from the basement, which will remain accessible, to the faucets, etc. The joints we have are made with crimp fittings because they are cheaper than sharkbite."

She adds, "Sharkbite fittings do have an o-ring that could eventually degrade, but brass can also degrade, especially with certain water chemistries. Lead-free formulations may degrade even faster under some conditions. The copper piping in [a grandparents' house] built in 1950 or so eventually degraded. There aren’t really any perfect options in all situations. . . Avoid joints in walls! Nothing lasts forever."

I used a Shark fitting or two in my Casita when I replaced the city-water connection (after I wrecked it scraping the driver's side at a gas station). But those pipes are right under the side dinette seat, and easily accessible.

I think the best system would be to use a valve manifold where water enters the house and make a direct run for each usage. It would be nice to have no fittings in the walls but it will be very difficult to make a 90 degree bend in a 3.5" wall without crimping the 3/4" pex (1/2" maybe). I did have a brass pex fitting fail on me but it was buried in the ground. I've thought of using nylon fittings but probably the best answer is stainless steel fittings which are superior to either nylon or brass. They are made of 304 austenitic SS which is used in nuclear reactors.
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Old 10-18-2021, 12:12 PM   #19
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I used to work in home renovation and when it came time to redo the plumbing in my house, I used pex with crimp to brass fittings off a manifold. This was recommended by all the plumbers I worked with because like fishing wiring, you can fish long runs of 1/2 inch pex through existing walls and it is flexible enough to be able to avoid joints. There are no fittings buried in the walls and you can rent the crimper and gauge from Home Depot. I will use it in my trailer when I get that far. My buddy who used Shark Bite fittings in his laundry room has had no end of aggravation with them leaking so I won't touch them. Just saying.
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Old 10-20-2021, 10:09 AM   #20
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I'm a fairly experienced amateur plumber and my one experiment with a Shark Bite fitting inside a bathroom wall was unsuccessful. It might make sense if it's readily accessible and you carry with you what you'd need to replace one.
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