Yeah, SharkBites are convenient, but I've seen similar issues myself. Had one fitting leak slowly after a freeze, just enough to drive me nuts tracking it down. Ever tried heat tape or cable on exterior lines for extra insurance?
Heat tape's decent, but honestly, have you considered just insulating the heck out of those lines instead? I wrapped mine up tight with foam insulation sleeves last winter—cheap and easy—and they held up great even during that nasty cold snap. SharkBites are handy, sure, but relying on heat tape feels like adding another thing that could fail or short out...or am I just paranoid?
You're definitely not paranoid—adding more electrical components does increase potential points of failure, especially in wet or damp environments. Insulation sleeves are a solid, low-tech solution that's easy to manage and less likely to cause issues down the road. I recently tackled some plumbing myself (first-time homeowner here), and found foam insulation straightforward and effective. Heat tape's handy for extreme cases, sure, but simplicity often wins out in reliability. Sounds like you're already on the right track with your setup.
Foam insulation's definitely a solid choice, but I'd say don't completely rule out heat tape either. Had a client last winter whose pipes froze even with foam sleeves—older house, drafty crawlspace, you know the drill. We ended up adding heat tape as a backup, and it saved them from another headache. Sure, simpler is usually better, but sometimes a little extra precaution pays off...especially if your winters get brutal. Just something to keep in mind.
"Had a client last winter whose pipes froze even with foam sleeves—older house, drafty crawlspace, you know the drill."
Yeah, I get where you're coming from, but honestly, heat tape makes me a little nervous. I've read some sketchy stories about them overheating or malfunctioning if not installed perfectly. As someone who's still figuring out all this homeowner stuff, I'd probably lean toward something simpler and less risky.
My place isn't ancient, but it's definitely got its quirks (like random drafts that seem to pop up out of nowhere). Last winter, I used foam insulation plus sealing gaps around pipes and vents with spray foam—worked pretty well for me. Maybe it's just luck or milder winters here, but I haven't had any freeze-ups yet.
Not saying heat tape isn't useful in certain cases...just feels like one more thing that could go wrong if you're DIY-ing it for the first time. Guess it depends how comfortable you are messing with electrical stuff under your house?
