I’m right there with you on solvent welds for anything permanent or hidden. I’ve seen push-to-connects leak after a year or two, and it’s just not worth the hassle if you have to rip out drywall. One thing I’d add—measure twice, cut once, and always dry-fit. I learned that the hard way after gluing up a drain that ended up half an inch off... had to start over and wasted a bunch of pipe. It’s tempting to rush, but patience really does pay off in the long run.
“measure twice, cut once, and always dry-fit. I learned that the hard way after gluing up a drain that ended up half an inch off...”
Been there myself—except in my case, it was a shower drain and I didn’t realize it was crooked until the tile guy pointed it out. Had to tear out a section of subfloor to fix it. Ever since, I’m super cautious about dry-fitting and double-checking slope. I get why folks like push-to-connect for speed, but for anything behind a wall or under a slab, I just can’t trust it long-term. Maybe I’m paranoid, but water damage is no joke.
Yeah, I get where you're coming from. Water damage is expensive and a pain to fix, so I’m with you on being extra careful. I’ve tried push-to-connect fittings for quick fixes, but for anything permanent, I just don’t trust them either. Dry-fitting takes more time, but it’s worth it in the long run. No shame in learning the hard way—most of us have been there at some point.
Usually I’ll try to do it myself, but only after watching like five YouTube videos and making sure I’ve got a towel ready for the inevitable “uh oh” moment. Push-to-connect fittings are great for stopping leaks in a hurry, but yeah, for anything that’s supposed to last, I’m double-checking every joint and probably overusing plumber’s tape. Learned that lesson after one too many soggy cabinets... Not fun.
