Curious issue with sharkbite and cpvc

[05r50]

My house is about 25 years old and has cpvc pipe. I’m doing a kitchen remodel and needed to cap off a 1/2” line that I no longer will need.

Having used shark bites in the past I thought it was a no brainer. I thought the cap was fully seated but when the water was turned back on it blew the sharkbite off and water was everywhere.

What I found was the sharkbite separated from the inner and outer parts. The inner plug stayed in the cpvc and the outer brass came off. The inner plug was not fully seated but I was not able to push it any farther.

Went to the store with a section of the pipe and the bite. The employee checked the bite plug on a new piece of cpvc and it fully seated with no friction.

Fixed the issue with a $.22 cpvc cap.

Either the 1/2” I have is a bad size or it has swelled over the years?

Anyone else experience this?

 

[Crfdell]

Cpvc has a different OD than copper or pex, pvc would work from my understanding.

 

[JRC3]

By "inner plug" do you mean the PEX stiffener? Because its use is described in its name. haha

Sharkbite (SB) can be used on CPVC. My guess is your older CPVC didn't have the right ASTM code for a SB.

https://www.sharkbite.com/sites/g/f...rkBite_Installation_Instructions_2018_WEB.pdf

 

[gagecalman]

Cpvc has a different OD than copper or pex, pvc would work from my understanding.

That is incorrect. Cpvc has the same OD as copper and pex. Pvc is different.

 

[toomany]

Before I replaced the Cpvc with PEX in my house, I had used a couple SharkBites for repairs. I want to say the Cpvc has specific ones.

Copper/PVC/PEX fittings all worked with each other.

Cpvc had it's own, or only one side of the fitting worked with it.

 

[fitter30]

If you mark the depth on the pipe you will know if it's seated.

 

[gagecalman]

Before I replaced the Cpvc with PEX in my house, I had used a couple SharkBites for repairs. I want to say the Cpvc has specific ones.

Copper/PVC/PEX fittings all worked with each other.

Cpvc had it's own, or only one side of the fitting worked with it.

That is incorrect. Cpvc, copper and pex have the same outside diameter. Pvc is different (larger OD).
SharkBites with the tan ring work with PEX, copper, and CPVC pipe in any combination.
SharkBites with the white ring are for PVC.

 

[manwithtools]

Before I replaced the Cpvc with PEX in my house, I had used a couple SharkBites for repairs. I want to say the Cpvc has specific ones.

Copper/PVC/PEX fittings all worked with each other.

Cpvc had it's own, or only one side of the fitting worked with it.

That is incorrect. Cpvc, copper and pex have the same outside diameter. Pvc is different (larger OD).
SharkBites with the tan ring work with PEX, copper, and CPVC pipe in any combination.
SharkBites with the white ring are for PVC.

gagecalman is correct on this one.

 

[greg13]

That is the very reason I do not use them. I did a few and one developed a slow leak on PEX, Just don't trust them.

 

[gagecalman]

I've never used them either.

 

[iamrfixit]

Sharkbites make a good emergency repair or temporary install, that's about as far as I'll ever use them. For that matter cpvc is also a terrible product. Gets really brittle over time, especially on the hot water lines. I've seen multiple catastrophic failures of cpvc.

My nephew had over $20k in damage after a fitting under his bathroom sink split and flooded his whole house. Of course happened while he was gone for the weekend. Water ran down a heat vent, through the running furnace which cracked the heat exchanger, also down the basement wall and shorted the breaker panel, ruined the washer/dryer and pretty much all of his flooring on the main floor as well as the carpet in his basement.

When I have to work with CPVC I cut it out and replace with Pex. Any type of pex is a WAY better product. I prefer the expansion method but clinch or crimp ring also works very well.

 

[JRC3]

That is the very reason I do not use them. I did a few and one developed a slow leak on PEX, Just don't trust them.

Real Sharkbite? Or was Watts or that brand Lowes used to carry? Also, did you use the PEX insert?

 

[Marctrees]

Seeing as how OP consciously originally chose to Sharkbite instead of the simple and cheap glue on cap makes me question if any other plumbing was done properly.

Marc

 

[rlitman]

That is incorrect. Cpvc has the same OD as copper and pex. Pvc is different.

Exactly.

Not a plumbing application, but I made an electrified fence for a koi pond out of copper pipe, and I used CPVC tees to insulate it from the ground, as they were a perfect fit.

 

[greg13]

Real Sharkbite? Or was Watts or that brand Lowes used to carry? Also, did you use the PEX insert?

That was 10 years ago, really don't remember and don't care. Problem solved!

 

[JRC3]

That was 10 years ago, really don't remember and don't care. Problem solved!

So you're proclaiming Sharkbite fittings are problematic but you're not even sure you ever used them?

It's like saying Channelocks are junk because a Pittsburgh set smashed your fingers once.