Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => Plumbing => Topic started by: schoppy on May 03, 2015, 12:11:51 AM

Title: Leaking push type fittings
Post by: schoppy on May 03, 2015, 12:11:51 AM
Has anyone had problems with push type fittings (any brand like shark bite, etc.) leaking when the boiler cools down such as when shutting it down for the season?   
Title: Re: Leaking push type fittings
Post by: atvalaska on May 04, 2015, 09:45:55 AM
easy together = easy apart ...uponor ! :)
Title: Re: Leaking push type fittings
Post by: Singlemalt on May 04, 2015, 11:25:34 AM
Mentioned shark bite fittings to my portage and main dealer and he wasn't recommending them.

Said they tend to leak.
Title: Re: Leaking push type fittings
Post by: LittleJohn on May 04, 2015, 11:35:16 AM
With a push-to-connect, if you remove a connection you typically have to cut back a few inches to get to fresh pipe for the re-connect to onto.  I at least think that is the preferred method

BTW, I agree with atvalaska -> UPONOR ;)
Title: Re: Leaking push type fittings
Post by: RSI on May 04, 2015, 04:01:23 PM
From what has been mentioned here over the years, Sharkbite brand are pretty good but most others leak. Watts brand push fittings seem to be about the worst.
I have heard that Copperhead brand are good too but I don't use any push fittings.
Title: Re: Leaking push type fittings
Post by: racnruss on May 04, 2015, 07:54:10 PM
can't remember the brand they were, but I tried a couple on my initial setup and they leaked pretty soon.  Took them out and replaced with clamps, no problem since.
Title: Re: Leaking push type fittings
Post by: schoppy on May 04, 2015, 11:17:46 PM
Thanks everyone for the input. My Portage and Main dealer recommends and uses compression fittings but a friend from church uses and recommends the crimp ring style. I am wondering if any certain type has more flow restriction than another style as the least restrictive would seem to be the best to me (assuming no leaks of course).   
Title: Re: Leaking push type fittings
Post by: mlappin on May 05, 2015, 06:29:44 AM
Thanks everyone for the input. My Portage and Main dealer recommends and uses compression fittings but a friend from church uses and recommends the crimp ring style. I am wondering if any certain type has more flow restriction than another style as the least restrictive would seem to be the best to me (assuming no leaks of course).

Easiest way to tell would be to take the various styles/brands and measure the ID of them , the smaller the ID the more restriction. Of course though, being only and inch or so, the water will just temporarily speed up thru the smaller section, so unless you have an obscene amount of connections in your pex a few thousands between different style/brand fitting shouldn’t add up to a whole lot. On one of my circuits I have a total of four connections on the Logtor then it goes to copper with long radius elbows, when I’m done the house circuit will also be all copper with long radius elbows.
Title: Re: Leaking push type fittings
Post by: schoppy on May 13, 2015, 09:38:00 PM
Thanks mlappin.
Title: Re: Leaking push type fittings
Post by: RSI on May 13, 2015, 09:59:45 PM
The crimp fittings are all fairly close to the same inside. The straight adapters are equivalent to about a foot of pex and the elbows are equivalent to 10' of pex.

If you use the expansion type they are larger inside. You are supposed to only use them on pex A.
I have seen them on pex B and pex C and they worked fine but I would stay with approved fittings for the type pex you are using.
Title: Re: Leaking push type fittings
Post by: schoppy on May 14, 2015, 10:41:41 PM
I agree with staying with the correct pex crimp for my pipe. I was looking at using the crimp to sweat adapters with long radius elbows for best flow because the crimp elbows look like they would restrict flow more.
Title: Re: Leaking push type fittings
Post by: RSI on May 14, 2015, 10:44:23 PM
Sioux Chief makes a long radius pex crimp elbow but I am not sure where you can buy them. Menards might be able to special order them. I should ask next time I am there.
Title: Re: Leaking push type fittings
Post by: mlappin on May 15, 2015, 06:36:08 AM
I agree with staying with the correct pex crimp for my pipe. I was looking at using the crimp to sweat adapters with long radius elbows for best flow because the crimp elbows look like they would restrict flow more.

 :post:
Title: Re: Leaking push type fittings
Post by: mlappin on May 15, 2015, 06:37:57 AM
Sioux Chief makes a long radius pex crimp elbow but I am not sure where you can buy them. Menards might be able to special order them. I should ask next time I am there.


Go here and click on you’re state to find a distributor.

http://www.siouxchief.com/connect/find/find-a-distributor (http://www.siouxchief.com/connect/find/find-a-distributor)