Best Of

Propress, compression, flare.

Hi @RascalOrnery , It was in another thread, but I have seen a Sharkbite fail, and it caused roughly $10,000 in damage some years ago. I think they are good for temporary repairs, particularly if the line cannot readily be made dry. I don't know of any rubber that we can expect to last as long as copper. I want things I build to far outlast me. 😇

Yours, Larry

Yeah, if in the unlikely situation that you had to go before a judge. the opposing lawyer would as if you used the bets material you could use.

Solder is backed by almost 100 years of field use

Prepress has been around for less time but still has a track record. both here and in Europe.

Shark Bite?????

What happens if the earth stops spinning tomorrow?

Jamie, I too work in Historic homes (some 250 yrs plus) for 40 years now. Never burned a house down or even got close. I use qaulity Torches & Tips (Turbotorch) . I have tiny tips to huge. I also have a steady hand and a big bucket of water next to me. Never an issue. What did all these Deadmen & Old Time plumbers do without Propress & Sharkbites?

Jamie..they make non asbestos pipe torch shields for "impossible" spots. They work. Mad Dog

I have 3/4" Sharkbites on either side of my whole house water filter and they feel the abusive torque when I spin the filter housing off and on monthly since 2019. They still hold water. The reason I use shark bites here is if the filter housing starts leaking, all I have to do it remove it and install a piece of precut copper to keep the water flowing while I look for a new housing.

Propress is nice because at work, I don't have to fulfill the requirements of a burn permit. And, as we found out, damn nice to have when you find a 3" tee brazed during construction leaking and a valve 50 ft away that wont hold water. We still got wet but we replaced the tee and no longer had a leak. Can't do that with a torch and my freezer only goes up to 2".

99% off my home is sweated copper but if I make changes, I'll use a propress to eliminate the risk of a fire.

I was not a believer of shark bites when they first started on the market. I am probably the biggest none believer / cynic when it comes to new stuff being introduced in the trade. Believe-you-me, I have, and have seen many get burned by some new shlock that is "the next best thing". I also have not seen one blow off, blow up disintegrate , evaporate, etc… I have not witnessed said failures because they were most likely installed properly. So maybe for a DIY'r? It's a way out and a way in to get a job done. I certainly would not do a large job with them or as a contractor use them as a go-to fitting, but as much as I hate to admit it, they have there place.