# "shark-bite" fitting VS water pipe ground



## Rich D. (Oct 14, 2011)

I'm sure you all know of those shark bite fittings that u push to connect.

Well that got me thinking. Will that basically put a break in the connection to earth after that fitting, since the o rings are what contacts the pipe? Resulting in a break of ground in the system. Leading to a problem if theres a ground clamp somewhere after the sharkbite fitting ?


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

I have not used them much but they do have stainless steel "chinese" fingers inside that do grasp the copper and i believe are in contact with the brass sleeve so there should be a pathway for ground. I may be wrong but a plumber would most likely know the answer better since they use shark bites the most.


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## Rich D. (Oct 14, 2011)

Very true they do have those fingers.

Maybe somone could move my thread to plumbing :thumbsup:


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## thelegend (Nov 16, 2010)

They are used everywhere , yet there is ni mention of how they can/will effect the ground. Makes you wonder


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## plummen (Jan 9, 2010)

I ground to the street side of water service before the meter myself anyway


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## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

woodchuck2 said:


> I may be wrong but a plumber would most likely know the answer better since they use shark bites the most.


I've never installed one.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

There's a few situations you have with "shark bites" some are plastic and some are metal. The metal ones keep bonding intact but the plastic don't. In the UK when I was leaving I heard the law changed so that all exposed copper had to be bonded like the old days. I was a bit of a mish mash of information though soo I'm not sure how that played out. If you are doing a repair and use in on copper try to use the metal ones. Your best not using them at all but they do have their uses.


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## UALocal1Plumber (Jun 19, 2009)

They're a horrible product and you shouldn't use them under any circumstance... as far as the grounding, a modern building really should have a grounding rod in the soil, yes no? In NYC we've had mandatory grounding rods for 30 years on new work. 

Keith


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## Rich D. (Oct 14, 2011)

UALocal1Plumber said:


> They're a horrible product and you shouldn't use them under any circumstance... as far as the grounding, a modern building really should have a grounding rod in the soil, yes no? In NYC we've had mandatory grounding rods for 30 years on new work.
> 
> Keith


Phone companys use ground clamps on pipes all the time.

I hate the fittings too. The one thing I used them for is when a gate valve leaked when shut and I couldnt get to the water main. I used one to install a new valve next to the bad one so I could solder past that. 

Imo that's the one use they have. Haven't had a problem yet.

They are approved for behind wall applications so that means something.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

UALocal1Plumber said:


> They're a horrible product and you shouldn't use them under any circumstance... as far as the grounding, a modern building really should have a grounding rod in the soil, yes no? In NYC we've had mandatory grounding rods for 30 years on new work.
> 
> Keith


You should see how often they are used in Europe. I would say 40% of new builds use speedfit. Long term no one really knows how long they will last. I didn't like using them but when copper hit silly expensive and plastic dropped it was used in prob 60% of new builds. I have pulled dry rotted o rings from hot lines just 7 years old. They weren't leaking but when I removed the fitting the o ring just cracked in half. But they do have there uses. I once needed to add a t on a second bathroom. It was impossible to get to it any way except to take the floor up in the next room and work at arms length on the pipe. I managed to get a t on the hot and cold. It was still hard but with out speedfit fittings I would have had to pull up all the new tile and shower to get to the feeds.


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## UALocal1Plumber (Jun 19, 2009)

You're not making a distinction between plastic lines and shark bite fittings. 2 or 3 pex manufacturers make some top quality stuff. Uponor, Roth. Shark bite is garbage, and is not approved for use by any local code authority. 

Keith


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## Rich D. (Oct 14, 2011)

UALocal1Plumber said:


> You're not making a distinction between plastic lines and shark bite fittings. 2 or 3 pex manufacturers make some top quality stuff. Uponor, Roth. Shark bite is garbage, and is not approved for use by any local code authority.
> 
> Keith


Pretty sure its common sense I'm not talking about plastic lines since this thread is about grounding :laughing: when I say shark bite I mean push to connect fittings. Which are compatible with copper.

Also please read original first post before commenting.


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## UALocal1Plumber (Jun 19, 2009)

Oh... I apologize. To clarify, anyone who uses shark bite fittings is an unqualified hack who fools himself into thinking that he knows what he's doing. So they suck in any situation, with grounding involved or not.

sorry again
Keith


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## Rich D. (Oct 14, 2011)

UALocal1Plumber said:


> Oh... I apologize. To clarify, anyone who uses shark bite fittings is an unqualified hack who fools himself into thinking that he knows what he's doing. So they suck in any situation, with grounding involved or not.
> 
> sorry again
> 
> Keith


You may of just pissed a few people off on this fourm. Every once in awhile they have to be used. Like when you cant drain an entire system or when stuffing bread in a 1"pipe just dosnt work. No there not the best but they have there times.

Bcconstruction described a time he used them in a post above. I guess he's just a "unqualified hack who fools himself into thinking he knows what he's doing". I don't think that's the case keith.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

UALocal1Plumber said:


> Oh... I apologize. To clarify, anyone who uses shark bite fittings is an unqualified hack who fools himself into thinking that he knows what he's doing. So they suck in any situation, with grounding involved or not.
> 
> sorry again
> Keith


Must make me a hack then as I have done over 30 houses with speed fit though out including barrier pipe for rads and feeds. Why don't you like these quick connect systems? How many have you had fail because I have done a lot and not had any fail. Yes dried out o rings but that happens to most o rings in hot enviroments. kind of silly to say people who use these fittings are hacks as the guy who taught me everything I know about plumbing is still currently the best plumber i ever come across. 

Again just because you won't use it it don't make it bad. These systems are used throughout the rest of the world to do full systems. I know plumbers who think using compression fittings makes you a hack as well. I never had issues with these either.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

BCConstruction said:


> Yes dried out o rings but that happens to most o rings in hot enviroments.


But... but... You're saying the O-rings go bad, but you trust them anyway? :blink:


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## Bearded Wonder (Jan 21, 2011)

Rich D. said:


> You may of just pissed a few people off on this fourm. Every once in awhile they have to be used. Like when you cant drain an entire system or when stuffing bread in a 1"pipe just dosnt work. No there not the best but they have there times.
> 
> Bcconstruction described a time he used them in a post above. I guess he's just a "unqualified hack who fools himself into thinking he knows what he's doing". I don't think that's the case keith.


"once in a while they have to be used"....????? Are you saying there were problems with no solution until these came along a few years ago? I think you mean there are situations that require more time and expense to do correctly and it's easier/faster/simpler to take the cheap way out and use these gadgets. I'm no plumber, but if a plumber on my job tried to use one for something, I'd tell him to either do it right or leave. Just saying...


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## Rich D. (Oct 14, 2011)

ClaytonR said:


> "once in a while they have to be used"....????? Are you saying there were problems with no solution until these came along a few years ago? I think you mean there are situations that require more time and expense to do correctly and it's easier/faster/simpler to take the cheap way out and use these gadgets. I'm no plumber, but if a plumber on my job tried to use one for something, I'd tell him to either do it right or leave. Just saying...



Printing out an invoice on the computer is easier/faster/simpler than hand writing it out which takes longer.. still get paid either way though.

These things are just new technology no one is used too and are hesitent to use.

Ahh whatever to each man there own. The Plumbing code allows them here... Till then


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Tinstaafl said:


> But... but... You're saying the O-rings go bad, but you trust them anyway? :blink:


All o rings go bad. It's something you got to expect with rubber. Rubber dries out under the best of conditions. Like most things they will be fine until messed with. This includes dry solder joints, compression fittings, pex fittings etc etc 

I just replaced an o ring on my flashlight. It gets hot every time I use it and the last time I tightened it down it cracked in half. Now if I didn't mess with the o ring it would have been fine and still kept a water tight seal. The same goes for these quick connect systems. I would have problem trusting them for 15 years.


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## Rich D. (Oct 14, 2011)

I couldn't agree with you more bc



BCConstruction said:


> I would have problem trusting them for 15 years.


I think these fittings have a 30 year warranty


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