"Speaking of valves, has anyone here tried those push-to-connect fittings (like SharkBite)? I've heard mixed opinions—some swear by them for convenience, others say they're not as reliable long-term compared to traditional soldered connections."
I've used SharkBites a few times, mostly in tight spots where soldering would've been a nightmare. Honestly, they've held up fine for me so far (going on about 4 years now). But I still prefer soldered joints if I have the room and time—just feels more permanent somehow. Plus, there's something oddly satisfying about getting that perfect solder joint... or maybe that's just me being weirdly proud of my amateur plumbing skills.
I've had decent luck with SharkBites too, but honestly, I've started leaning toward compression fittings lately. They're still DIY-friendly (no torch needed), and I find them reassuringly solid once tightened properly. Plus, from an eco standpoint, they're reusable—just loosen, reposition, and tighten again if needed. SharkBites are convenient for sure, but compression fittings feel like a nice middle ground between convenience and durability...and bonus points for not risking burning down my house with amateur soldering skills.
I've been there with SharkBites—they're handy in a pinch—but I'm definitely with you on compression fittings lately.
"compression fittings feel like a nice middle ground between convenience and durability...and bonus points for not risking burning down my house with amateur soldering skills."
Exactly. After seeing a neighbor flood half his basement trying to solder pipes himself, I've become extra cautious about DIY plumbing. Compression fittings just feel safer to me, especially when you're working in tight spaces or near flammable stuff. Better safe than soggy, right?
Compression fittings are definitely a solid choice if you're unsure about soldering. I've seen plenty of DIY plumbing jobs go sideways because someone underestimated how tricky soldering can actually be—it's not just melting metal together, there's prep work, flux application, and getting the heat just right. Compression fittings sidestep all that hassle nicely.
One thing I'd suggest though, especially if you're new to compression fittings: make sure you don't overtighten them. A lot of people crank them down super tight thinking it'll prevent leaks, but it can actually deform the fitting or damage the pipe. Just snug it up until you feel firm resistance, then give it maybe another quarter-turn. And always double-check your connections after turning the water back on—slow leaks are sneaky.
But yeah, overall compression fittings are a great way to DIY safely without ending up ankle-deep in water or accidentally torching your drywall. Plus, they're easy enough to adjust or redo if you notice a drip later on...which is way less stressful than re-soldering a joint that didn't take properly the first time.
Compression fittings are usually my go-to as well, but I'll admit I've had a couple of close calls. A few years back, I thought I'd tightened one enough—felt snug and everything—but after about two days, I noticed a tiny drip under the sink. Turned out I'd slightly misaligned the pipe when tightening, causing a slow leak. Lesson learned: always double-check alignment before tightening fully. Still beats soldering though... torching copper pipes in tight spaces always makes me nervous.
