Sharkbite vs EPC or Mueller

[Flapper]

I will need to do a project using 1" push fittings and I have two options; Sharkbite brand fittings from Home Depot or generic "Blue Hawk" branded fittings from Lowe's. Update: I think the generic fittings at Lowe's are the same as TecTite, which seems to be a trustworthy brand. I am now wondering whether I should use Sharkbite or Tectite. Update 2: They are actually Mueller Proline and I used them.

Examples:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-1-in-Brass-Push-to-Connect-90-Degree-Elbow-U260LFA/202270512
http://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-1-in-dia-90-Degree-Standard-Elbow/4777221

The fittings at lowe's are cheaper and would lower the already high price for doing this with push fittings. But are they good enough or are they complete rubbish? Anyone here have any experience with these different brands?
There's also Mueller Proline push fittings that are even cheaper but they don't have 1" versions of those, but I'd like to hear your thoughts of those as well.
Example: http://www.lowes.com/pd/Mueller-Proline-3-4-in-dia-90-Degree-Elbow/3556994

 

[Plumber69]

Go to the sharkbite webpage. They tell you the difference between the knock offs

 

[Sponsor]

 

[ABSOLUTE WATER NJ]

I would solder or use pex. I have seen a lot of them leak. I would only use for emergency. Just my opinion.

 

[Flapper]

Go to the sharkbite webpage. They tell you the difference between the knock offs

You can't rely on Sharkbite to find out the difference between their brand and other brands; obviously it will be biased toward their brand.
They just say "other product" and "worst product". What use is that?!

I would really like to see someone test the Sharkbite brand versus Mueller Global and the generic "Blue Hawk" fittings and ProBite and whatever other brands are out there.

 

[Flapper]

I would solder or use pex. I have seen a lot of them leak. I would only use for emergency. Just my opinion.

It's already been soldered, and it's been a nightmare; I'm using push fittings to end this mess. This is sort-of, an emergency.

 

[Jadnashua]

One critical thing with installing any push-on plumbing fitting: there CANNOT be any burrs on the pipe, and it MUST still be round and not distorted. Sharkbite sells a special tool to deburr the end of the pipe, and also puts a small chamfer on it. If you don't, you run the risk of nicking or tearing the O-rings, which are what make the seal. You can do it without their special tool, but you must be careful. I'd feel more comfortable with the metal Sharkbites, verses plastic ones. The other thing...make sure you bottom out the pipe into the fitting to ensure proper sealing and to stabilize the pipe.

 

[Flapper]

One critical thing with installing any push-on plumbing fitting: there CANNOT be any burrs on the pipe, and it MUST still be round and not distorted. Sharkbite sells a special tool to deburr the end of the pipe, and also puts a small chamfer on it. If you don't, you run the risk of nicking or tearing the O-rings, which are what make the seal. You can do it without their special tool, but you must be careful. I'd feel more comfortable with the metal Sharkbites, verses plastic ones. The other thing...make sure you bottom out the pipe into the fitting to ensure proper sealing and to stabilize the pipe.

Yes of course.
Sharkbite doesn't make any plastic push fittings, do they? Plastic push fitting on copper pipe? How's that work?

 

[Jadnashua]

Watts, for one, and there are others, make their push-on fittings in plastic...HD carries them, and of course, you can find them other places as well.

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Plumbing...ct-Fittings-Connectors/Watts/N-5yc1vZbux3Z57z

They work exactly the same way the SharkBites do...an O-ring seal, gripper teeth to hold it in place.

 

[Flapper]

Watts, for one, and there are others, make their push-on fittings in plastic...HD carries them, and of course, you can find them other places as well.

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Plumbing...ct-Fittings-Connectors/Watts/N-5yc1vZbux3Z57z

They work exactly the same way the SharkBites do...an O-ring seal, gripper teeth to hold it in place.

Oh... those are "John Guest" fittings (according to PlumbingSupply.com) and they only go up to 1/2".
I've seen The Ultimate Handyman from the UK do a pressure test of plastic push fittings so apparently they are more common there.
I don't think I'd want to use plastic fittings on copper pipe, unless they were a lot cheaper.

 

[Flapper]

I've discovered that "GatorBite" fittings are the same as TecTite, and manufactured by Elkhart Product Corporation. "GatorBite" is/was Lowe's in-house brand. Their website says "Blue Hawk" so I don't know if they changed the brand name or not. I haven't closely looked at one of their products in-stores.

Home Depot sells Sharkbite (owned by Cash Acme).
Lowe's sells Tectite (owned by Elkhart Product Corporation) branded under Blue Hawk or GatorBite.

http://allthumbsdiy.com/reviews/sharkbite-vs-gatorbite-vs-tectite

 

[Flapper]

It's nice to know (or think) that the "Blue Hawk" fittings are the same as TecTite, which appears to be a trustworthy brand. Maybe I should use them instead of the SharkBite brand. They are a lot cheaper. I just wonder if they will last as long as Sharkbite. Tectite's warranty is twice of Sharkbite's.

Does anyone know where Tectite fittings are made? Sharkbite is made in USA. If Tectite is made in USA then I will probably use them instead. If they're made in China then I wouldn't use them.

 

[DaveHo]

I've had several Sharkbite fittings in use for close to 10 years. I use them to transition from copper to PEX at the water heater. Never an issue. How many fittings? What's the cost difference? Since I've used Sharkbites & they are the original push fittings, I say go with them. I'm sure someone will be along to contradict that statement. I think proper pipe prep is more important. I thought it was an emergency. Pick one & get the job done.

 

[Flapper]

I've had several Sharkbite fittings in use for close to 10 years. I use them to transition from copper to PEX at the water heater. Never an issue. How many fittings? What's the cost difference? Since I've used Sharkbites & they are the original push fittings, I say go with them. I'm sure someone will be along to contradict that statement. I think proper pipe prep is more important. I thought it was an emergency. Pick one & get the job done.

I need 3 elbows, two male adapters, and maybe a coupling.
At Home Depot with Sharkbite, this would cost $85.29. At Lowe's with Blue Hawk (Tectite I think), it would cost $51.35. (not including the coupling) Difference is $33.94.

You can see that there is a great savings with Lowe's fittings, but I don't want to end up with garbage.
I need to see the fittings in store, and find out where they are made. If they are made in USA then I will go with them.

I thought it was an emergency. Pick one & get the job done.

This is at our other house; we will be going there again soon. I can't fix it right now because we are not there right now but when we go there, it needs to be fixed as soon as possible there. So I have been thinking about it and trying to figure out what I should use.

 

[Flapper]

News!
The Blue Hawk brand fittings at Lowe's are not manufactured by EPC; they are made by Mueller!

I don't know about GatorBite... the Lowe's I go to doesn't sell GatorBite so I don't know if some stores sell Blue Hawk and some sell GatorBite, or if GatorBite is from the past and they dont sell GatorBite anymore. Probably the GatorBite were made by EPC, but the Blue Hawk is made by Mueller. They are made in China.
http://www.muellerindustries.com/uploads/pdf/ProLine Catalog.pdf (page 63)
So now we know.
I used those. They seem to be decent and they worked fine. I ended up changing the plan and used only two elbows.

 

[Flapper]

Also Lowe's sells some plastic push fittings too, made by Apollo.
So they sell Mueller copper push fittings, Mueller brass push fittings, and Apollo plastic push fittings.

 

[Flapper]

It looks like the pictures of the "Blue Hawk" fittings are EPC Tectite fittings, because the ball valve and some other stuff show EPC or Tectite. But the actual product in store is made by Mueller. Hmm, probably the same thing as how Home Depot shows images of valves and hose bibbs made by Homewerks Worldwide, but the actual product is made by Mueller.
Edit: the image of the 3/4 push fitting ball valve shows an EPC valve but the picture of the 1" shows a Mueller Proline valve.