Sharkbite fittings are increasingly becoming popular this days because of it reliability and easy to install. But how long does sharkbite fittings last on copper? Will it last a lifetime or just a few years before there will be a leak or before something goes wrong?
Well incase you don’t know, SharkBite fittings are designed by the manufacturer to last a long time, it is expected that an average sharkbite should have a shelf life of about 25 years or even more.
But what about the shelf life of sharkbite on a copper? It depends on if its properly installed. When sharkbite fittings are properly or correctly installed on a copper, it is expected to have same shelf life similar to that of the copper pipe itself.
Although a typical sharkbite fittings comes with a 25 years warranty but all this depends on several factors which should be put into consideration. This factors are water quality, the temperature and how often it is used (frequency of usage).
Note : when using sharkbite over a long period of time one thing is certain, their might be wear or damage or probably a leak. So the idea thing to do is to inspect the fittings regularly for any of this issue to ensure your sharkbite are doing it’s job.
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How does SharkBite work on copper
Just like we have said before, SharkBite fittings are designed to work with copper (hard or soft) pipes and the way they work is pretty simple and you don’t necessarily need to have a traditional plumbing technique for this to work .
A typical SharkBite fittings have a teeth or a collet which is designed to firmly grip the copper pipe, to create water-tight seal all you have to do is to push or slid your sharkbite fittings into the copper pipe. Once the water-tight seal is created, it will be difficult to pull and again;
by pushing teeth into the pipes that then seal a rubber gasket around the connection. This creates a water-tight seal and a connection that is difficult to pull off without the use of a special tool.
How reliable are SharkBite fittings on copper pipe?
SharkBite fittings are reliable on copper pipe as the material they are made from are of the highest quality. The manufacturer ensures that they are rugged enough to withstand not only high pressure but also withstand temperature changes.
actually you have nothing to worry about, with sharkbite you will be able to achieve a secure and watertight seal with out any professional plumbing experience.
To achieve a watertight seal, sharkbite is an excellent choice you should go for, but it should be install correctly else you might end up messing everything.
Do SharkBite fittings leak over time?
Although sharkbite fittings are designed to be leak free which makes it number one plumbing choice but actually they could leak over time most especially when the installer failed to install them in the right manner or installed properly.
What you should do to prevent sharkbite from leaking over time is to ensure that the pipes and fittings are carefully deburred and also neatly cleaned, this should be done at the surface before sharkbite fittings are slid into the copper pipes. Additional it is recommended that the fittings are pushed into the copper pipes to give that tight needed connection.
Lastly you might consider making use of pipe sleeves, this are needed in places that are wet or when your copper pipes passes through an underground. With the pipe sleeves you get extra protection and also minimise any potential leak.
If you noticed any leak then one of the following might have happened :
- You didn’t care to deburred the pipe before you started the installation.
- Secondly you didn’t insert the copper pipes correctly
- Lastly it seems you didn’t care to cut the pipe squarely
How do you fix a leaking copper pipe with a SharkBite?
First and foremost you should quickly locate the leak, this is the first step in fixing a leak in a copper pipe and also use a marker to mark the section that need to be cut.
Secondly you should completely shut or turn the water supply off to stop the flow of water and also drain off any water still remaining .
Third thing you should do is to cut off the section that was marked and where the leak was found , you should use a pipe cutter or autocut tool for this.
It is idea you debur the inside of the copper and also remove any debris on the pipe and have both end of the pipe cleaned very well and dried as this will ensure that sharkbite fittings is fully seats. lastly you are to secure the fittings by using the tightening tool
Do you need to clean copper pipe for SharkBite?
No doubt, SharkBite fittings works well with copper but the copper pipe has to be cleaned and smoothen in such a way that the edges are dirt and corrosion free .
To achieve a watertight and leak-free connection It is important for you to properly clean copper pipe for SharkBite, you should ensure that any dirt, water and debris are cleaned out most especially at the end of the copper pipe and also you need to use a pipe cutter or any similar tool to debur the copper pipe.
Sources:
https://www.sharkbite.com/ca/en/resources/blog/connecting-copper-to-pex-fast-with-sharkbite-fittings
https://www.pipsisland.com/how-to-install-sharkbite-fittings-on-copper-pipe/
https://www.sharkbite.com/us/en/resources/videos/how-to-install-sharkbite-push-to-connect-fittings