# Pex fail



## gz3s36 (Dec 8, 2018)

I ran a 3/4" pex line to my shop from the house. All copper in house. I used a Sharkbit ell to join pex/copper. It leaks around the Pex. There is a slight score line the entire length of pex. Any ideas?


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

gz3s36 said:


> I ran a 3/4" pex line to my shop from the house. All copper in house. I used a Sharkbit ell to join pex/copper. It leaks around the Pex. There is a slight score line the entire length of pex. *Any ideas?*


yup. It's leaking.


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## gz3s36 (Dec 8, 2018)

lol. Ideas on a solution to correct.


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## Randy Bush (Mar 7, 2011)

Get rid of the Sharkbit , Crimp a fitting on the pex to connect to the copper.


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## gz3s36 (Dec 8, 2018)

Yeah that's what I figured Randy. Was just hoping there was a trick I was unaware of. Thanks.


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Try to reset it, or replace the fitting. And check that it was fully pushed in.

My buddy re-plumbed his house on them a few years back. He's on well water. The sharkbites failed miserably with corrosion.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

Shark bite fittings are for temporary repairs, in my opinion, I would never leave one inside of a wall, or someplace inaccessible.


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## gz3s36 (Dec 8, 2018)

Mine isn't in a wall or concealed.


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## jhark123 (Aug 26, 2008)

Replace the shark bite with a crimp or expander pex fitting. Shark bites are a temporary fitting.


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

More of a sharkbite fail then a pex fail


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

You say there is a score mark the length of the pex. Are we talking from the house connection to the shop?

I don't use sharkbites that often, but they are approved, and function fine, in both exposed and concealed work.

But, if it would make you feel better, there are compression fittings for attaching copper to pex. You MUST be sure to use the little brass or stainless insert that comes with it, or it WILL leak.


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## gz3s36 (Dec 8, 2018)

Yes the score is the full length of the pipe. I think that's causing the o-ring to not seal.


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## EricBrancard (Jun 8, 2012)

Is the pex exposed to sunlight?


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## SPG (Mar 9, 2017)

Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:


> I don't use sharkbites that often, but they are approved, and function fine, in both exposed and concealed work.


Why do I get a feeling that we'll be reading about massive water damage lawsuits over Sharkbite in the future? 
I'll admit I don't have too much experience with them. In fact I've only come across two in the wild and both were leaking and the reason I was there. I sure hope I'm wrong and that I've unknowingly been around thousands of working good ones, but I'm very hesitant to use them on my own house and I haven't seen any plumbers around here using them.


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## TheConstruct (Dec 8, 2017)

I remember using some back when they were just getting popular. The company I was working for had us keep some on us for capping water lines when vanities with no shut offs came out etc. But we also fixed the odd pipe that got knocked during tear out and I recall using one of their shut offs on a job once to replace a leaking shut off. I dont think many got buried in walls but I hadnt thought about it much until this thread.... I never did trust them honestly.


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## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

I remember the PB revolution of the early 80's when it was the wave of the future, and the lawsuits it faced upon it's total failure. I also remember the new and improved all problems fixed PB wave of the late 80's, and the lawsuits it faced from it's failures.

PEX failures have been noted throughout Europe for years, but are not well known because of their lack of a full blown tort law freedom, and they will continue to grow in this country as problems get attention of lawyers, it's the nature of the game...

Sharkbites are based on the same technology, and will suffer the same fate over time.


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## gz3s36 (Dec 8, 2018)

Eric: No my PEX is not exposed to sunlight. Will toss out the Sharkbite and replace with a PEX fitting.


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

I'd be more concerned about that score mark the length of the pex first.



For the record, I use soldered copper on all my plumbing installs. I've used sharkbites a couple times when the old copper was so thin it couldn't be soldered, and it was a repair, not a re-pipe.

I've never done a full install with pex, either. :no:

I'm quite familiar with the PB debacle. I've always said that that was where pex was heading. But I haven't heard of any actual pex failures. 

I'd be interested in reading about these failures in Europe. I know it's been in service over there a lot longer than here.


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

Mildly amusing anecdote: 

I was in the plumbing wholesaler the other day, buying a bunch of copper fittings, and the kid says to me, "Hey, you ever seen our Pro-Press stuff?"  :blink:

Uh..Yea. I've seen Pro-Press for decades. :blink: I just don't have a Pro-Press tool. My torch and roll of solder works fine.

I told him, "I have a flip phone and a CB radio in my truck. Soldering works fine." :thumbsup: :laughing:


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## Chris Doom (Mar 21, 2019)

Crimps are used if the water is corrosive to the sharkbite fittings. Other than that, they are pass to leave in walls. Most guys I've known will only use them for temp fittings. The Pex has to be score free and the cut has to be even with the fitting pushed all the way in. I've never had a problem with them leaking if installed properly.


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## rescraft (Nov 28, 2007)

Could the scoring on the PEX come from feeding it through a wall, etc?
Maybe a sharp edge/nail?


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

I have Sharkbite fittings that are at least 10 years old without issue on my home. I have no problem trusting them. They are approved. 


Mike.
_______________


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## B.Johnson (Sep 17, 2016)

Lead pipes, cast iron, and cpvc were all approved as well...


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

B.Johnson said:


> Lead pipes, cast iron, and cpvc were all approved as well...




So those things failed that means Sharkebites will fail. How do you square that circle. 

Makes no sense. 


Mike.
_______________


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

B.Johnson said:


> Lead pipes, cast iron, and cpvc were all approved as well...


So tell me what's wrong with lead, cast iron and cpvc?

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

Inner10 said:


> So tell me what's wrong with lead, cast iron and cpvc?
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


I was wondering the same thing

Cast iron lasts for 75-100 years

lead pipe lasts for 100 years, quickly gets a coating on the inside which stops lead contaminating the water in most instances. If it did not virtually all of the people in the older towns of northeast in the last 100 years would have already had lead poisoning 

cpvc lasts for 50 years but does get brittle in some locations, not my favorite where it gets cold

as a test several years ago my plumber tested an old lead water supply line that was removed. He folded and pinched one end filled it with water and put a fernco cap on the other end, 2 years later he tested it for lead. Came up near zero ppm.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

rrk said:


> I was wondering the same thing
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My house has a lead service until a few years ago....I didn't die.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## B.Johnson (Sep 17, 2016)

Inner10 said:


> So tell me what's wrong with lead, cast iron and cpvc?
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk





rrk said:


> I was wondering the same thing
> 
> Cast iron lasts for 75-100 years
> 
> ...


That wasn't really my point. Materials that have been approved in the past sometimes can't survive the long term. I'm a big fan of sharkbite fittings, especially to transition to PEX from other materials. However, just because it's approved doesn't mean that there won't be failures in the future.


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## SPG (Mar 9, 2017)

rrk said:


> lead pipe lasts for 100 years, quickly gets a coating on the inside which stops lead contaminating the water in most instances. If it did not virtually all of the people in the older towns of northeast in the last 100 years would have already had lead poisoning


Not exactly, but not exactly wrong either. The coating that develops does keep the lead level down but not zero. It's also fragile and inconsistent. Not a good system to have faith in. I wouldn't have it in my house and have my kids drinking from lead pipes. 
BTW, A lot of people in the NE do have elevated lead levels. How else do you explain Eagles and Patriots fans?:laughing:


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

SPG said:


> Not exactly, but not exactly wrong either. The coating that develops does keep the lead level down but not zero. It's also fragile and inconsistent. Not a good system to have faith in. I wouldn't have it in my house and have my kids drinking from lead pipes.
> BTW, A lot of people in the NE do have elevated lead levels. How else do you explain Eagles and Patriots fans?:laughing:


lead pipe is not fragile at all, you can hit it with a hammer and it just bends. lasts for 50 or so years


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

B.Johnson said:


> That wasn't really my point. Materials that have been approved in the past sometimes can't survive the long term. I'm a big fan of sharkbite fittings, especially to transition to PEX from other materials. However, just because it's approved doesn't mean that there won't be failures in the future.


cast iron lasts way more than 50 years. Again if that were the case every house here built before 1970 would be having all their waste lines replaced, which is not the case at all. My plumber is just replacing a few sections from houses built in the late 40s and earlier.


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## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

Plumber says the water main. Hi they just shatter. All very old but lead.

We change all galvanized pipe but leave cast for waste. The plumber likes PEX and tries to convince me all the time. Showed me pictures of one expanded like a balloon and didn't bust. He uses expansion fittings.

I still don't like them.

Could this be a recycled shark bite fittings that list a tooth or two and the score is just a mark from gripping the pipe taking it in and off?


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

Inner10 said:


> My house has a lead service until a few years ago....I didn't die.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


Lead poisoning doesn't kill. It just reduces the IQ of kids to that of an average Canadian.


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## SPG (Mar 9, 2017)

rrk said:


> lead pipe is not fragile at all, you can hit it with a hammer and it just bends. lasts for 50 or so years


I was talking about the magic film that instantly makes lead 100% safe. If a change in the water can wipe it away I'd say it's pretty fragile.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

SmallTownGuy said:


> Lead poisoning doesn't kill. It just reduces the IQ of kids to that of an average Canadian.


Some claim all heavy metals cause this....






Tom


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## Idothat (May 19, 2018)

Calidecks said:


> I have Sharkbite fittings that are at least 10 years old without issue on my home. I have no problem trusting them. They are approved.
> 
> 
> Mike.
> _______________


I have sharkbites in my home as well , used to replace crimped fittings that failed . 

I still would not trust them in a cutomer’s home for more than a temporary fix , just because. 

The end caps are very useful for remodeling, and easily removed without having to cut the pipe


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## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

I used a short 8" piece of pex and two sharkbite fittings on my oil-fired boiler a few days ago to repair a pinhole leak that are always developing. It's close to the boiler but is the cold water supply and I checked the temp several times and the pex and fittings haven't gotten past 105*. 

It's not meant as a permanent fix but is working fine until I get down there to sweat over sweating more copper.


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

They are even approved for burial. 


Mike.
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