Plumbing help- Compression fittings

[JAckal]

Hello,

I am helping a buddy install a small hot water heater in his trailer.

It is all plumbed with 1/2" id copper. ( 5/8" od.)

We went to Lowes to get some compression fittings and all they had were PEX and solder fittings.

I asked one of the young guys working there and he showed me this:



It is for plastic and he said to just leave out the internal stem. Red arrow in next pic.



There is still a ferrule in the nut.

I assembled one end and it still feels loose, and it is so tight that it squeaks.
Will this work if I keep tightening it? Or is the guy from Lowes full of **** like I think?

Let me know if it would be better to just go with 1/2" od copper and reduce down.

Thanks,
JAckal

 

[Tim The Tool Man]

First off Lowes plumbing department is the worst place to buy fittings. I never have luck finding the parts I need there. Personally I would recommend you try a ma and pa hardware store or home depot (not that I like hd, but their plumbing department isn't that bad...).

The only way to tell if your compression fitting works is to turn on the water and see what happens. If the package said it is a 5/8 comp. fitting, it should work. The part you left out is to keep poly tubing from crushing and is not needed with copper pipes.

 

[VHF]

There are plenty of compression fittings that will work with 1/2" ID copper, but I'm not sure about the one you bought. Usually the ferrule is separate, but it sounds like the one you have that it is is captured in the nut. If it is designed for PEX-only it may not work with hard copper.

 

[shocksandstrutz]

go to HD, and the fitting you have will NOT work, the one you will want is the fitting with a nut and a ferrule (ringtype / crush sleeve)

makesure your copper is clean, slide it on, tighten it up and bada bing your finished!!!

 

[Hghgrad]

I tried a few different things before I bought the gator bite things from there.

You just slide one part of the pipe in then slide the other in. Done


They were $6 a fitting, but I couldn't buy all the supplies to sweat those pipes for that price. Super simple and no leaks at all.

 

[Tim The Tool Man]

I tried a few different things before I bought the gator bite things from there.

You just slide one part of the pipe in then slide the other in. Done


They were $6 a fitting, but I couldn't buy all the supplies to sweat those pipes for that price. Super simple and no leaks at all.

Those gator bite and/or shark bite fitting really should only be used as a temporary repair and never inside a wall or floor. I also avoid using them all together on a water heater installation.

Here is a fun read about these types of fittings.

 

[JAckal]

Thanks for the info guys. I want to do it right the first time.

This is a concession stand trailer, and after driving a long ways and bouncing around, it would be a shame for the plumbing to start leaking.
I found a mom & pop small hardware store, and they had just what I needed.

About 1$ per fitting higher but it IS what was needed.

Thanks again for confirming what I was thinking.

You guys are the greatest.

Jackal

 

[Jazz]

I know this is an old tread (back from the dead) but wanted to add that I have some valves in my new construction fail this weekend due to freezing. Yes I should have drained the system but part of the remodel is finished, usable space and it's not possible to turn the water off that that part without turning it off to the other. I used shark bite connections to make a repair. I removed the temperature balance valve from my Jacuzzi tub since it had frozen and failed. I don't think I need it so it won't get replaced. Now I'm wondering if I should keep the shark bite repair (PEX tubing) or put pex fittings and collars on the tube. It does seem to me the flow with the shark bite or copper should be better than PEX fittings since the PEX fittings go inside the pipe.

BTW: My shower valve failed also and is being replaced under warranty by American Standard. I WILL be replumbing it copper or PEX with collars. I will NOT be using Sharkbite inside the wall.

 

[Boomer343]

Jazz I have used the sharkbites in covered locations but I have the deburring tool and always mark the depth the pipe needs to go into the fitting. I do the same for Pex or copper. I have used several of their hot water hoses and valves with no issues.

I have used the stainless crimps and the copper rings on Pex. I have soldered with 50/50 and with staybrite 8 and lead free solder.

I have not had failures on any of the systems to this date and the earliest Sharkbite is from 5 years ago.

Do what you feel comfortable with. The sharkbite style off fitting is here to stay and as long as it is installed according to instruction should not have issues.