I do make sure to deburr everything perfectly and double-check the depth marks—sloppy prep is usually what bites people with these fittings.
That’s the key right there. I’ve seen more leaks from folks skipping the deburring than from the fittings themselves. I still get a little nervous using push-fits near anything high-temp, but I get why they’re handy in tight spots. Curious—has anyone had issues with push-fits on older, pitted copper? I’ve run into that a couple times and it made me second-guess using them.
Curious—has anyone had issues with push-fits on older, pitted copper?
Yeah, ran into that exact headache last winter. Thought I’d save some cash and time with push-fits on my old basement lines, but those pipes looked like they’d been through a war. Fittings went on fine, but a week later I had a slow drip—right onto my stack of paint cans, naturally. Ended up sanding the heck out of the copper and trying again. Not sure I totally trust them on anything that’s seen decades of hard water...
Fittings went on fine, but a week later I had a slow drip—right onto my stack of paint cans, naturally.
That sounds about right... I’ve had similar luck. Honestly, sanding helps, but sometimes those old pipes just don’t want to cooperate. I usually give the copper a good clean, check for deep pitting, and if it still looks rough, I’ll swap to compression fittings instead. Push-fits are great in theory, but old plumbing can be stubborn. Don’t beat yourself up over it—sometimes there’s no perfect fix with decades-old lines.
Push-fits are great in theory, but old plumbing can be stubborn.
I hear you on that. Push-fits never quite gave me peace of mind, especially with pipes that have seen better days. Have you ever tried using pipe dope instead of tape on those threads? I’ve found it seals better sometimes, but maybe that’s just my luck. Curious if anyone else had issues with compression fittings backing off over time...
Curious if anyone else had issues with compression fittings backing off over time...
Yeah, I’ve noticed that too, especially if there’s any vibration in the system. I tend to snug them up a bit more than recommended, but not so much that I risk damaging the olive. Pipe dope has worked better for me than tape on older threads—less chance of leaks cropping up later. Push-fits just make me nervous on anything that isn’t pristine copper.
