Kitchen sink disaster—DIY or call a plumber?

I’ve had one fitting start leaking behind a cabinet after a couple years—turned into a bigger mess than if I’d just sweated the joint to begin with.

Man, I feel you on that. I tried push-to-connect under my bathroom sink once because it was supposed to be “foolproof.” Fast forward a year and I noticed a musty smell... sure enough, slow leak. Ended up pulling the whole vanity to fix it. Now, if it’s out of sight, I’ll sweat or use compression too. For quick fixes or visible spots, push-to-connect is still hard to beat though. Just depends how much you trust your future self to remember it’s there!

Been there, done that—had a tenant call about “a weird smell” under the sink and it turned out to be a push fitting that decided to give up after two years. Here’s my take:

- If you can see it and get to it easy, push-to-connect is like magic.
- Hidden spots? I trust copper and sweat joints way more... learned that the hard way.
- Compression’s not bad either, but I always double-check them after a week or two.

Honestly, sometimes DIY is fine, but if you’ve got cabinets or flooring at risk, calling in a pro can save you from those “what’s that smell?” moments down the line.

Had a similar “what’s that smell?” moment last winter. Thought I’d nailed it with a push-to-connect, but two months later, my socks told a different story.

“If you can see it and get to it easy, push-to-connect is like magic.”

I get the appeal of push-to-connect fittings—quick, no torch, no fuss. But honestly, I’ve had mixed results with them over the years, especially in spots that see a lot of vibration or temperature swings. Under a kitchen sink, where folks are always bumping pipes or shoving cleaning bottles around, I’ve seen those fittings start to seep after a while. Not every time, but enough that I’m wary.

Sweating copper’s a pain, sure, but once it’s done right, it’s solid for decades. I’d rather spend an extra hour upfront than come back to water damage and a tenant with wet socks. Maybe I’m old school, but if access is tricky or there’s any movement in the line, I’ll break out the torch every time. Push-to-connect is great for emergencies or temporary fixes, but for anything long-term—especially in rentals—I stick with what’s tried and true. Learned that lesson the hard way after a “quick fix” turned into a weekend of drying out cabinets...

Push-to-connect fittings get a bad rap sometimes, but it really depends on the quality of the fitting and the conditions. I know you mentioned this:

Push-to-connect is great for emergencies or temporary fixes, but for anything long-term—especially in rentals—I stick with what’s tried and true.

I get where you're coming from, especially with tenants and high-traffic areas. Still, there are some decent push-to-connect options out there now that have improved seals and locking mechanisms. I've used them under my own kitchen sink (which gets its fair share of abuse) and they've held up fine for years. The trick is making sure both the pipe and fitting are absolutely clean—any grit or burrs, and yeah, you'll get leaks eventually.

From an environmental perspective, sweating copper isn't exactly low-impact either. The flux, the propane, not to mention the fumes—it's not ideal if you're trying to keep your home greener. Push-to-connect means less energy used and no chemicals off-gassing into your kitchen. Plus, if you ever need to change things up (new faucet, filtration system), you can just pop the fitting off and reuse it. Less waste in the landfill.

That said, if you’re dealing with really old or out-of-round pipes, I’d probably go with copper too. Nothing worse than chasing a slow leak because something’s just not seating right.

But I wouldn’t write off push-to-connect for long-term use everywhere. Maybe not in a crawlspace that floods every spring or behind a wall where nobody’s going to check it for a decade... but under a kitchen sink? If you pick a reputable brand and follow install instructions to the letter, it’s usually fine. Just my two cents as someone who’s trying to cut down on torch work and keep things simple—and sustainable—where I can.