I've gotta say, soldered joints are solid, but don't underestimate press-fits completely. Had a boiler setup at my uncle's place done entirely with press-fits, and it's been going strong 5 years now—through some pretty brutal winters too. Trick is making sure the pipe ends are clean and properly deburred before pressing. If you rush that step, you're asking for trouble later on... learned that one the hard way myself.
"Had a boiler setup at my uncle's place done entirely with press-fits, and it's been going strong 5 years now—through some pretty brutal winters too."
That's interesting, although five years isn't really that long in the grand scheme of plumbing lifespans. I'm curious how press-fits hold up over 15 or 20 years compared to soldered joints. My neighbor had press-fits installed about eight years ago, and while they've been mostly trouble-free, he did have one fitting start leaking unexpectedly last winter. Makes me wonder if they're truly as robust long-term... or if it depends heavily on the installation quality and conditions.
My dad had press-fits put in about 10 years ago when he redid his basement heating setup. They've mostly held up fine, but last year one fitting started dripping a bit—turned out it wasn't seated perfectly from the start. Makes me think installation quality is key. Wonder if anyone's had similar issues pop up after a long stretch, or if it's usually smooth sailing once they're properly fitted?
"Makes me think installation quality is key."
Yeah, I'd agree with that. We had press-fits installed about 7 years ago when we upgraded our heating system, and they've been solid so far. But my neighbor had a similar issue—after about 5 years, one fitting started leaking slightly. Turned out the installer rushed that particular joint. Seems like if they're done carefully from the start, they're pretty reliable long-term... but shortcuts definitely show up eventually. Did your dad end up replacing the fitting or just reseating it?
Totally agree that installation makes or breaks it. When we redid our boiler setup, I went with soldered copper joints instead of press-fits—mostly because the plumber I trust swears by them. He said press-fits are fine if done right, but he's seen too many rushed jobs leak after a few years. Honestly, I'd rather pay a bit more upfront for peace of mind than deal with leaks down the road... just my two cents.