Pex vs. Sharkbite

[mmullins]

Pex Tubing

I'm plumbing a new water tank and was wondering if anyone had a significant difference in experience with different brands (ie. Sharkbite).

 

[Datenight]

If just plumbing the water tank for a short distance, say to the pump, the Sharkbite would be easiest and quickest. No real learning curve.

Our NP has the Wirsbo (pex) expansion system. I have found that easy to make modifications to. I also have some experience with the Wirsbo system having done three houses with it. Not a plumber.

Rob

 

[KnotYet]

On a boat, Sharkbite and similar products needing no special tools make sense.
Pex coupling requires a costly crimper which will eventually corrode in salt air.

AFAIK, the tubing itself is similar so no big difference there. It comes
in different flexibility types so get the one best for your project.

 

[Ken E.]

Our NP has the Wirsbo (pex) expansion system. I have found that easy to make modifications to. I also have some experience with the Wirsbo system having done three houses with it. Not a plumber.

Rob

I replumbed my boat with the Wirsbo system, made by Uponor. The are no metal clips with this system, or anything metal. The tubing end is expanded with a tool, a fitting is inserted, and within 5 seconds or so, the pex tubing retracts back to its original shape and size creating a solid connection. I agree that for a small job Shark bite or similar might work fine.

 

[RickyD]

This year I replumbed my complete hot water system with PEX and Sharkbite. The PEX/Sharkbite combo worked very well. Snaking all that tubing through five sinks, four showers, and a water heater was such a total nightmare that I did not do the cold water system even though I already bought all of the pipe and fittings. No leaks except where the Sharkbite screwed onto the existing sink fittings. We needed to put sealant on the threads. Permatex did the best. Two other sealants leaked until we used the Permatex.

 

[slowgoesit]

On a boat, Sharkbite and similar products needing no special tools make sense.
Pex coupling requires a costly crimper which will eventually corrode in salt air.
/QUOTE]


My multi-size pex crimping tool cost less than it costs for 5 gallons of diesel! And if your boat tools are corroding, either you have a really wet bilge/engine room, or you aren't taking proper care of your tools IMHO.

 

[Greg QS]

pex is the way to go . Use the pex pinch rings available in stainless. the crimp tool 50 bucks. ring range 1/2-1" . You will save in the long run since the shark bite fittings are ridiculous in price I am a contractor. Trust me.

 

[koliver]

On a boat, Sharkbite and similar products needing no special tools make sense.
Pex coupling requires a costly crimper which will eventually corrode in salt air.
/QUOTE]


My multi-size pex crimping tool cost less than it costs for 5 gallons of diesel! And if your boat tools are corroding, either you have a really wet bilge/engine room, or you aren't taking proper care of your tools IMHO.

My experience with Sharkbite is like Greg above. Couldn't justify the higher price, which quickly makes it way more expensive than Pex, including buying the tool.

 

[porman]

I bought an IWISS F1807 kit. It does 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, and 1 inch sizes. Should be able to find it for under $100.

 

[Bacchus]

I'm in the PEX fitting camp. Much less expensive with comp bands.
You can always use sharkbites for emergency repairs if needed.

 

[hollywood8118]

I am a contractor. Trust me.

I'm sure nobody has heard that phrase and regretted it later!
:lol:


Before you get all butt hurt, I'm a contractor too.
Contractor humor.
Hollywood

 

[Greg QS]

ouch

 

[porman]

Uh, my last post was answering someone's question, which seems to have disappeared.

 

[Cigatoo]

Uh, my last post was answering someone's question, which seems to have disappeared.

Thanks for following up. I went to edit my post and ended up deleting it. Sorry to confuse things.

Was wondering if anyone is using Pex A with the expansion tool? Seems like it would be easier. Certainly more expensive. Seems like the crimping tool could be hard to deal with in tight spaces.

 

[Jmarsh203]

My boat has had plumbing replaced with the pex push connect shark bite fittings done at some point in the past, don’t know how long ago it was done but I’m not impressed. Most of the fittings leak and I haven’t been able to get it to stop. I’m replacing it here soon with pex A expansion fittings. Some really great pressure tests online and that seemed to hold up the best. Figure I’ll buy the milwalki electric expander tool and sell it when I’m done.

 

[Bacchus]

My boat has had plumbing replaced with the pex push connect shark bite fittings done at some point in the past, don’t know how long ago it was done but I’m not impressed. Most of the fittings leak and I haven’t been able to get it to stop. I’m replacing it here soon with pex A expansion fittings. Some really great pressure tests online and that seemed to hold up the best. Figure I’ll buy the milwalki electric expander tool and sell it when I’m done.

My experience is the slip fittings work if installed properly but they are a bit fussy and not too hard to mess up.
Cutting the tubing absolutely square and w/o burrs is critical. The crimp (ring or band) approach avoids many of those issues.
When doing my system over on previous boat I did have to "dry fit" sections, remove some sections and crimp outside of the confined space. Many of those problems can be avoided with some planning. Threaded or slip fittings can be used where crimp tools are problematic.
I have used all the various fittings & attachment methods except the expansion type. They will all work if done properly.

 

[sean9c]

I went from Whale, which is sort of like Sharkbite to pex. Whale fittings are big and clunky and I found that if you bump them they can start to leak. With the pex I chose the pinch clamp over the crimp rings since, if you need to, you can easily get a pinch ring off the tube after it's been crimped. Then if you warm the tube slightly you can get the fitting out. So repairs are easy

 

[bvaldyke]

AquaLock / SeaTech

The Watts brand of of slip-on fittings is targeted at marine use, I've read that their design is more tolerant to vibration than "SharkBite". Watts brand is now AquaLock, use to be known as SeaTech. URL: https://www.watts.com/products/plum...connections/aqualock-push-to-connect-fittings

Nobody has mentioned METRIC vs SAE pipe & fitting sizes yet!!! If your boat is Taiwanese made, it likely has 15mm and 21mm pipes and fittings. METRIC AND SAE SLIP FITTINGS DON'T INTERCHANGE - although you can force a fit a standard fitting into metric PEX pipe using a compression ring in a pinch.

Having metric sized PEX pipe and slip-on fittings on my boat, I carry spare fittings (for proper repairs) as well as a PEX tool (for hasty repairs). I think preference of using a slip-on fitting vs. compression band is also space dependent... is it in front of you or 6'3" away behind the water heater...

Good Luck - make sure you know your sizes before you start!
Brad
Weezer / Fleming 55

 

[MichaelD]

There are multiple Sharkbite styles of fitting. Some do not require a crimper. they work well. The only issue I've had is ready availability of Sharkbite fittings in sizes I need.

I have also had good results with Flair-It brand fittings on PEX. Actually, the original system which I have modified and/or repaired used Polybutylene (the grey $#@t) but that is in same sizes as PEX and works well with same fittings.

Watch out because different brands spec products by ID or OD and you can wind up with a bag of the wrong size. How do I know?.......

 

[mijmoto]

I am a fan of PEX A and have used it quite a bit. Most of my boat plumbing has been primarily with PEX A with a Shark Bite thrown in here and there for convenience. I have used Wirsbo and Rehau as well as Apollo available at Home Depot. The Home Depot brand is handy but you must be careful not to mix the fitting types (PEX A and B). They also sell a pretty nice expansion tool that covers 1/2" to 1". When it comes to reuse of fittings the PEX A products are specifically reusable. A heat gun is required to warm the fitting in preparation for removal. Also if the tubing gets kinked it can be repaired by warming the pipe with a heat gun which allows the pipe to regain its original shape. Pex B doesn't allow that and as mentioned above there are times when the crimp tool cannot access the fitting location forcing a Shark Bite or other solution. I would not spend the money on the power tool for expansion unless there are hundreds of fittings to make up. If you can get to a plumbing supply they offer straight sticks of PEX tubing which I have found to be far easier to wor with than coiled tubing. Home Depot offers 10' sticks which work fine for much of the work with the exception of long runs. My two cents worth...

 

[porman]

I bought both 1 inch and 3/4 inch PEX in rolls and used a heat gun to straighten it out. I had several long runs where the 10 foot lengths wouldn't work. This was for a hydronic heater installation.

 

[Mac2]

There is Pex and PexHE tube/pipe. I know you need the HE for hydronic heating. Not sure if the OP needs it for the hot water tank. Just mentioning it in case it makes a difference.

 

[Prairie Salt]

Use pex.

Sharkbite is great for temporary fixes, but if you google shark bite failures they are out there. I would assume especially in an environment that shakes.

Even if the percentages are very low, why chance it? A pex tool is cheap and easy to use.

I have 30 years of residential and commercial renovating experience.

 

[Northern Spy]

Use PEX where there is easy access to use the crimping tool and Shark bite where it makes the installation easier.

That's what I did.

 

[mijmoto]

There is Pex and PexHE tube/pipe. I know you need the HE for hydronic heating. Not sure if the OP needs it for the hot water tank. Just mentioning it in case it makes a difference.

The hydronic heating tubing has an oxygen barrier. For any domestic water application the standard PEX is fine, A or B. The Sharkbite branded PEX pipe is fine to use as is Apollo, Wirsbo and Rehau. There may be other brands but the pipe must meet certain minimum standards. I still recommend PEX A over the other variants. Apollo makes both types of pipe and it is available at Home Depot. Wirsbo and Rehau only make PEX A (I think) and are available at supply houses and Supplyhouse.com on the web. If you go to your local supply house they offer straight sticks in 20 foot lengths and are available color coded to indicate hot, cold or non-potable. Jim

 

[Cartouche]

The Watts brand of of slip-on fittings is targeted at marine use, I've read that their design is more tolerant to vibration than "SharkBite". Watts brand is now AquaLock, use to be known as SeaTech. URL: https://www.watts.com/products/plum...connections/aqualock-push-to-connect-fittings

Nobody has mentioned METRIC vs SAE pipe & fitting sizes yet!!! If your boat is Taiwanese made, it likely has 15mm and 21mm pipes and fittings. METRIC AND SAE SLIP FITTINGS DON'T INTERCHANGE - although you can force a fit a standard fitting into metric PEX pipe using a compression ring in a pinch.

Having metric sized PEX pipe and slip-on fittings on my boat, I carry spare fittings (for proper repairs) as well as a PEX tool (for hasty repairs). I think preference of using a slip-on fitting vs. compression band is also space dependent... is it in front of you or 6'3" away behind the water heater...

Good Luck - make sure you know your sizes before you start!
Brad
Weezer / Fleming 55

Also, if its US Made, we had a Mainship 390 and the whole boat is Seatech 15mm best system I have ever encountered Looks like pex but the tubing is a different size not 1/2" and will leak

 

[twistedtree]

My boat has had plumbing replaced with the pex push connect shark bite fittings done at some point in the past, don’t know how long ago it was done but I’m not impressed. Most of the fittings leak and I haven’t been able to get it to stop. I’m replacing it here soon with pex A expansion fittings. Some really great pressure tests online and that seemed to hold up the best. Figure I’ll buy the milwalki electric expander tool and sell it when I’m done.

This is my first choice.

 

[SteveK]

Shark bite fittings have been around for a long time, mostly used in homes. If they had widespread leaks word would get a round and soon they would stop making them. So far I have not had any failures.

So, can we explore why so many here find them leaking on boats.
From their Q&A site
SharkBite fittings can leak due to one of these reasons:

The pipe was not properly deburred prior to installation.
The pipe was not properly inserted.
The pipe was not squarely cut.
The pipe has scratches or debris on the outside that is preventing the O-ring from getting a watertight seal.

 

[slowgoesit]

Shark bite fittings have been around for a long time, mostly used in homes. If they had widespread leaks word would get a round and soon they would stop making them. So far I have not had any failures.

So, can we explore why so many here find them leaking on boats.
From their Q&A site
SharkBite fittings can leak due to one of these reasons:

The pipe was not properly deburred prior to installation.
The pipe was not properly inserted.
The pipe was not squarely cut.
The pipe has scratches or debris on the outside that is preventing the O-ring from getting a watertight seal.

Steve, you forgot to add:

• The design of the fittings is poor.
• The materials used in the construction of some of the fittings are substandard.
• The quality control of the manufacture of some of the fittings is substandard.

I recently built a house and was using sharkbite fittings. The first assemblies went just fine. Then I went back and bought a bunch more. The first two I assembled broke during assembly. Further investigation revealed that approximately 1/3 of the various fittings were either missing components, were broken, or some of the components weren't completely formed, ie; part of a "rim" on the component was missing.

I removed ALL of the sharkbite fittings from the job, went back to Lowes, and returned them all. Lowes said they have had a BUNCH of returns recently for defective fittings . . . .

Thank God I hadn't put everything together, turned on the water, and been away from the house . . . .
So the three failures I bulleted above are ALSO reasons that sharkbite fittings fail.

I replaced all the fasteners with the Pex Stainless steel crimped rings.

Personally, I'll not be using sharkbite fittings again, ever. YMMV

 

[SteveK]

Scot you do understand that on the world stage China likes us better. Our sharkbites don't have these issues.