lusciouslucius
lusciouslucius t1_j73idcb wrote
Reply to comment by GalacticVariable in Sharkbite connectors PSA by InfiniteCurrency8
Sharkbites are garbage, but IMO pro press is legit. They hold well, and though I have seen them leak through improper installation, that is always a risk. I haven't seen enough old pro press fittings to really see how well the joints hold up over the decades, but I have seen enough failures in sweat fittings to appreciate the larger radius and thicker material of the pro press fittings. You can argue that failures in sweat fittings are due to improper hydraulic design, but excessive water velocity is almost an industry standard, as the math behind water sizing is very fudgy, if the installer even bothered in the first place. Also, pro press installations have considerably better water pressure. I wouldn't install pro press in my house, but only because I know how to sweat, and pro press fittings are expensive.
That being said, the best domestic water system is expansion pex, which is cheaper and easier than copper anyway, so if you have the opportunity, just go with that.
lusciouslucius t1_j73jkyu wrote
Reply to comment by cardcomm in Sharkbite connectors PSA by InfiniteCurrency8
The big thing with sweat fittings are the pinhole leaks. They can occur from excessive flux, or from the fact that sweat fittings are just copper pipe stretched into a 90 or 45 or whatever. That means the material is not only weaker but exposed to more wear and tear from the water, as it has to more actively direct it. In cases with high water velocity, that means that the backside of 90s can be eaten away much quicker than the rest of the pipe. It's most common on the fitting immediately after pump.