What's great about PEX and Shark Bite Fittings, and offsets the costs a lot, is that the very specific tools are inexpensive and simple.Nice!I put in new pex water supply lines for 5 frost/free stand pipe type yard faucets on our property, runs as long as 100 yards and multiple fittings. I read on a lot of the forums at the time, etc, that there was a stretchy silicone tape made specifically (pricey of course) to wrap the sharkbite underground fittings to prevent corrosion. Like very thick saran wrap. Not wanting to ever have to dig up a leak, I overwrapped each fitting carefully and tight, before burying. So far, after a number of years, I think they have held up.I believe shark bites are now approved for interior, inside wall locations in the National code. There may be a local code that prohibits it. There is now a shark bite fitting that is rated for 450 psi I noticed the other day.I'm not sure if the codes have changed. Early on, there was a code that "sharkbite" and similar fittings could only be used in exposed locations that could be seen and accessed. They could not be inside a wall or underground, etc. There are silicone type wraps to encase the fittings if they are buried due to corrosion, etc.
Yeah, you can buy a lot of shark bites and pex for $1500.
That was early on.
Now, PEX fittings, not necessarily "sharkbite" are found all over new construction in the walls, etc on the initial rough out.
Things have come a long way from galvanized iron pipe water lines, then copper, then pvc/etc.
j
Good tip on the silicone tape.
I did not know that the "sharkbites" were now approved for inside wall non accessible locations. That's good to know. They are very expensive but worth the convenience and performance.
j
At my son’s house I remodeled a master bath with a crawl space using shark bites and PEX. You are right, they are pricey but you dont have to be a professional pipe fitter to use them. I also repaired a failed copper elbow joint in our upstairs guest bath using shark bites when I could not sweat a replacement fitting without it leaking. Haven't had any issues with sharkbites.
Ratchet Pex tubing cutter
End shaper thingy (orange) with the razor inside to square off and deburr. Also puts a slight angle chamfer on the edge of the Pex tubing. Squared and deburred ends a must.
Horseshow (orange thingy) SharkBite fitting remover
Pex comes in large coils and straight tubing. Both come in handy. I was a copper pipe forever advocate until I tried PEX and saw its widespread use on new home construction and service work.
j
Statistics: Posted by Sandtrap — Sun Sep 08, 2024 9:54 pm — Replies 76 — Views 3734