Push-to-connects have saved my butt more than once, especially in crawlspaces where swinging a torch is just asking for trouble. I still kinda trust solder more for long-term fixes, but those sharkbites are hard to beat for speed. Only thing I’ve noticed—if the pipe isn’t cut super clean and square, they can seep a bit. I’ll keep a deburring tool handy just for that. Anyone else get nervous leaving them behind walls, or is that just me being paranoid?
I get what you mean about being nervous leaving push-to-connects behind walls. I had a spot in my basement where I used one on a copper line—super tight space, no way I was getting a torch in there without risking the joists. It worked great, but I still found myself checking it every few days for weeks after, just to make sure it wasn’t weeping. Guess old habits die hard.
One thing I’ve noticed is temperature swings seem to matter too. Had a SharkBite on a cold water line that started seeping after a winter cold snap. Turned out the pipe had a tiny burr I missed, so now I’m religious about deburring and cleaning up the ends. Still, if it’s going behind drywall, I’ll usually go with solder or compression fittings if I can swing it—just gives me more peace of mind long-term.
Funny thing is, for temporary fixes or spots where you need to get water back on fast, those push-to-connects are hard to beat. But yeah, there’s always that little voice in the back of my head wondering if I’ll regret not sweating the joint...
I get the peace of mind with solder or compression, but honestly, I’ve had just as many issues with compression fittings as push-to-connects. The key for me has been prep—like you said, deburring is huge, but also making sure the pipe’s bone dry and fully seated.
—I get that, but in tight spots where soldering isn’t an option, I’ll double up: push-to-connect plus a pipe support bracket to keep things steady. Not perfect, but so far, no regrets (or leaks).“if it’s going behind drywall, I’ll usually go with solder or compression fittings if I can swing it”
I hear you on the prep—honestly, I’ve seen more leaks from folks skipping the basics than from the fittings themselves. Deburring and cleaning make a world of difference. I’m with you on using brackets for push-to-connects in tight spots, though I’ll admit, I still get a little nervous leaving them behind drywall. Ever had to go back and fix one that popped loose? I’ve only had it happen once, but it was a mess... probably my own fault for rushing.
I still get a little nervous leaving them behind drywall. Ever had to go back and fix one that popped loose?
Yeah, I’ve had to open up a wall once for a push-to-connect that let go. It’s rare, but it does happen—usually when I didn’t double-check the depth or skipped the support bracket. Now I always tug-test every fitting before closing up. Not foolproof, but it helps me sleep at night.
