Sharkbite

[clare]

Well, today I ran into the first sharkbite failure I have personally run into. The nextdoor neighbour had a new dishwasher installed last summer and the installer cut into the hot water line BELOW the shutodd and inserted a sharkbite "T" to connect the washer. The copper pipe was over 40 years old and there was some verdi-gris on the copper. He did not clean the copper with steel wool or sandbaper befor installing the sharkbite..

Today the neighbor needed to replace the "O"rings in the kitchen faucet so went to turn off the shutoffs under the sink and all of a sudden he had water dripping from the top of the "T". He called me over and I shut off the hot water with the shutoff on the feed to the water heater. The shutoff leaked so I turned the water back on just part way, where the packing didn't leak.Went up to the kitchen and the water was RUNNING out of the sharkbite.

I ran over to Home Despot and grabbed new shutoffs and a handfull of fittings and replaced the whole shebang - putting the shutoff BEFORE the "T" and dishwasher as well as the faucet.and soldering everything. Under an hour including the run to the "borg"

Now I'll have to replace the shutoff at the water heater some day - hopefully the main shutoff will work - - - - - - - And it's buried behind the washer/drier.

[DerbyDad03]

You called it a "SharkBite failure".

Do you place the blame on the SharkBite or on improper installation?

[Micky]

Where do you live, and is the house on the other side of you for sale?

[Stormin Mormon]

Was the other installer a Mexican?

And was he in the USA, legally?

[philo]

Yep, I'd call it an improper installation and nothing more

[Gordon Shumway]

He lives across the street from Donald Trump and the house behind him is where Ted Cruz lives. I doubt you would be interested.

[clare]

Mostly blame it on the installation - along with the fact the "simple installation" is not tolerant of any movement in combination with any lack of preparation

In that way no different than a soldered joint - but a soldered joint you EXPECT to take some skill.

I've used sharkbites twice in the past in situations where I didn't feel confortable using a torch and to the best of my knowledge they are holding up just fine. They were NOT in applications where any movement was likely and they were protected from anything even bumping them.

[clare]

I'd never re-use one that had failed. No way to replace the "o"-ring seal.

[clare]

And exactly what has that got to do with the price of chicken milk in Idaho on a Thursday???

[Micky]

You're so nice to the guy in the story, I want to be your neighbor too.

[Micky]

Hmm. I've used one so far, the valve on a toilet water supply. A bad idea?

I suppose the toilet vibrates a tiny bit when flushing and filling, and moves even a bit more when sat on.

[clare]

About 12 years ago, before his divorce, they were looking for a bigger house but decided to spend over $60,000 having an addition put on above the garage and family room. I acted as supervisor on the site to be sure the GC didn't screw anything up. In the contract they specified the exact same window as was used in the rest of the house (which I had supplied at the window shop I worked for at the time) and they installed a different window - not even the same hight - and not spaced to look like it was part of the original installation - so I called them on it - "what brand window did you install? What size? - and exactly where in the contract did it give you permission to do that?? Get it OUT and get the right window in there - and while you are at it move it about 10 inches or a foot to the left - make it look like the addition is part of the house - not a bloody afterthought!!!!

When they were finished it was pretty hard to tell it was an addition (unlike a few other jobs around the subdivision where roof lines don't match, etc)

About 7 years before when they were in sweden (he's a professor and was on sabatical) I was managing the rental and when the renters decided to leave they wanted the house renovated - new kitchen, pull all the carpets and remove all wallpaper - complete redecorate and replace all the windows -as well as re-do the main bathroom. Using email to communicate I designed the kitchen and had it built, had the floors all redone (including installing new hardwood) replaced the windows, and redid the bathroom. I only did a small fraction of the work - but I made sure everything that was done was done to the highest standard, and to their requirements.

I got paid reasonably well for my efforts.

He now travels quite extensively - to conferences and speaking engagementa around the world - and I look after the place whiole he's gone - blowing snow in the winter and keeping the lawn in check during the summer - etc. I'll be looking after the water heater shutoff while he's gone next month.

And in answer to your question - no house on the other side - I'm on a corner lot in Lincoln Village subdivision of Waterloo Ontario. A beautifull place to live and with EXCELLENT neighbours!!!!

[clare]

Take a look at

to see the house, and mine on the corner. The top picture is spring 09, the bottom early summer 14.

[clare]

Actually, the other way around. The bottom one is 09, the top is 14.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Looks like a nice neighborhood.

[clare]

On Sun, 24 Apr 2016 21:08:07 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

We have been here 35 years now - we like it. Not the most expensive part of town - there are nicer areas - but definitely nothing to sneeze at. Actually a lot nicer than some of the "tonier" parts of town. It was the outskirts of town when we moved in - and the area was about 8 years old. Good school just about 5 doors down behind and across the road.(just off the corner of the picture) Just about a mile to the main "ring road" - the conestoga expressway and less than 2 miles to a major regional shopping center -with a smaller plaza with good grocery and pharmacy within a mile and a convenience store, pizza shop and local pub within half a mile. City bus stop just across the road. Less than3 miles from both universities - far enough that we don't have student housing on our doorsteps. It's over 3 miles to the outskirts now. There are good walking and hiking trails not far away, and several nice local parks. In 15 minutes I can be on the 401 (Macdonald Cartier) highway that runs from Windor/Detroit to Montreal, and just about an hour to either London or Toronto. We can be up to Lake Huron and Georgian Bay in just over 2 hours or up to the Muskokas or Algonquin in 3 or 4 They just repaved the streets for the first time last summer, and we are high enough we never have any flooding - sitting on sand over open bottom gravel so we don't need a sump pump either. All underground services means storms don't usually cause much power disruption We lost the cherry tree just to the right of the house on the bottom picture last year..

We've though about selling and finding a bungalow we can "grow old" in but they are all more expensive than what we'd be able to get for our

2 storey - particularly if we want an attached (or even any) garage.

[Stormin Mormon]

Oh, give it a bloody rest, you poltrophobic moron.

(How did I do? Are my usenet manners improving? I do, so, want to learn from you.)

[Ed Pawlowski]

Had the same thoughts. My wife has a problem with stairs so I'd like a one floor with two bedrooms, one to be used as a sewing room. Over the past two years we remodeled the bathrooms and I don't want to give them up.

[John]

Have you considered a stair chair lift?

John

[clare]

Most definitely have. A heck of a lot cheaper tnan just the real estate fees.