How To Install A Shark Bite Plumbing Fitting (Tutorial)

This is a quick tutorial that I made to show you how to install a shark bite plumbing fitting. These fittings are amazing for homeowners that want to do their own plumbing work, or are in an emergency situation. What makes them awesome is that any homeowner can install them! Simply follow the instructions in this video and you will have installed your shark bite in a matter of minutes!

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Disclaimer: Some of the links in this description may be affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

[MimMim-hsrs]

Sanding is one of the first things not recommended but still a nice easy to understand video, thank you!

[MegF]

And recommend to mark pipe to ensure you push it on far enough. I had failed outside faucet on a Sunday night before a freeze with pipe sticking out of house and water shut off to house. Thankfully guy at Lowes told me about these shutoff shark bite gizmos. I was able to cut pipe with the little cutter, clean pipe, mark pipe so put on far enough, and then push on pipe. Turned water back onto house and was shutoff. Now I can call a plumber to put on a new faucet after the freeze. WHOO HOO! Whoever invented these... thank you!

[CAMPFIRESKY]

Shark Bite site specifically says not to use sandpaper to clean pipe. Only use fine grit emery cloth.

[fredchester]

I thought that you are NOT supposed to "sand down" the end of the pipe because that decreases the diameter of the pipe circumference and leads to the "O-ring" not getting a good enough bite. The issue with the end is NOT the surface (unless it has some paper or dirt on it), but rather making sure that you DE-BURR the cut end of the copper pipe. That cut edge of the copper pipe MUST be de-burred to an angle so that it doesn't cut into and damage the O-RING when that end gets insurted by the SharkBite plumbing fixture. Again, the key is making sure you DE-BURR, and not shave down the copper pipe by a couple millimeters to expose the new copper. Also, use the SharkBite measuring tool to make sure the end is fully inserted.

[kevinkunz]

DO NOT SAND. This can leave superficial scratches on the pipe that could cause a leak between the o-ring and the outer surface of the pipe.

[indygolfcart]

Worked great for me! I cut and capped a half inch copper pipe in my basement that froze this winter during a brutal cold stretch. Cost of cutting tool and SharkBite fitting? $17 :-) All is well.

[dannon]

WRONG - sanding the end of the pipe prevents a good seal of the Shark Bite O-ring - It may leak. Also the outer edge of the cut end cannot be sharp as it will cut or damage the O-ring causing a leak. If the pipe needs to be cleaned it should be finished to a smooth surface.

[QueLastima]

It's 3:30 in the morning. WHY AM I WATCHING THIS?!?!

[bluemax]

Well, I guess if it works on a corroded and filthy pipe like in your demonstration, it will work very well on one that is clean.

[chocloditelensman]

I didn’t sand my pipe. It wasn’t corroded or discolored. Worked perfect.

[cbsmanager]

Nice tutorial. I installed one of these yesterday on a 1/4" line for refrigerator water supply and it only took me about 20 minutes. I used 120 grit sanding cloth the clean the pipe first, though.

[Andrew-ondo]

I had a leaky 3/4 in main line coming into a house that I could not get to completely turn off. Therefor difficult to get it hot enough. One of these worked great.

[Shooter]

You should have shown how to use the one that repairs a leak . Way more people have a leak than having to cap off a pipe .

[aguila]

Short, to the point videos are so nice and helpful. Subscribed. 👍🙂

[jscottupton]

The actual "seal" is a rubber gasket. Use sharkbite in places where you can see the pipes. If you use it behind hidden walls then you are a gambler. It might last 30 years. It might last 20 years. Who knows?

[someguysjournal]

That's awesome lol there's twenty minute videos about shark bites that don't give any additional information

[kcglide]

Oh, you didn't make the 1 inch depth line. Sometimes you maybe in a precarious position, like under a house with only 24" of crawl space. You need to know the pipe is set proper.

[GaryYoung-eqph]

No need 2 mark it 1 inch before pushing.?

[andonlysushant]

Here are the CORRECT instructions how to do this DIY procedure.

Example. Let's say you have a copper or Pex pipe.

Close the MAIN water supply valve.

1. Now cut this pipe at a given location on this pipe (i.e. where you want to place the shark bite) and let the water drain in some bucket.

2. The next Very important thing to do is, NOT to "mark your pipe with a pen" about the depth of pipe that need or should insert inside the pipe (after you post the pipe in shark bit end), ...BUT.... TO actually find out, how much pipe you should cut "IN BOTH DIRECTIONS" from the cut you already made. So, for this, look step 3.
3. Now you, look at your shark bite and place the shall bite's center point, at the first cut you made on the pipe. Now mark, "both edges/ends of shark bite" sitting/aligning on the pipe. Let's call it, left mark and right mark on the pipe. Between these 2 marks you just did, there will be the first CUT you made on the pipe.
4. Now, you use the shark bite depth tool (orange color which has all the sizes 0.5" to 1.5") and insert left end of the pipe to the left side of the shark bite and see how deep it is. Mark this on the left pipe (after first cut) i.e. now it will be marked INSIDE between the LEFT MARK you did in step 3. Let's call it INNER-LEFT-DEPTH mark (i.e mark between the LEFT MARK from step 3 and the cut on the pipe). Do the same procedure, on the right side of the pipe, using right side of the pipe, by inserting it into the right opening of the Shark bite. After inserting that, you will now get INNER-RIGHT-DEPTH-MARK i.e. a mark between the cut of the pipe and the RIGHT MARK you got from step 3.

5. Now, USING a Scale/measurement tape, find what's the depth/measurement of "INNER- LEFT-DEPTH -to-> the cut" ... note down this number/value as LEFT VALUE. ... Let's assume this left value was 1 inch.

Do the same procedure by measuring, "cut -to- INNER-RIGHT-DEPTH mark". Note this value as RIGHT value. Lets assume this right value was also 1 inch.

6. Now wipe the INNER left and INNER right marks using a wet cloth or something.

7. Go to LEFT mark (that you made in step 3) and measure "left value" from that left mark and mark it. This "new-inner-left-depth" mark is now measured from the LEFT MARK (i.e. not from the cut/center of the pipe).

Do the same procedure, i.e. mark "new-inner-right-depth" mark measuring from the RIGHT mark (you did in step 3).

8. Now, use the cutter, and cut the pipe AT exactly on the "new-inner-left-depth" mark and cut the pipe AT exactly on the "new-inner-right-depth" mark. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, I THINK NO OTHER VIDEO EXPLAINED AND it really trumps people while putting a shark bite on any plumbing pipe.

9. Using that orange tool that Shark bite company sells for finding depth of shark bite ends (i.e. how much pipe you should insert), it also has a smoothner/cutter in it, i.e. if you insert the end of pipes in that tool and rotate clockwise as listed on the tool, then it will SMOOTHEN the edges of pipe, for the new-left/right-depth end points of the pipe. Basically, what you have to do is, smoothen the edge of the pipe end points which will go inside Shark bite openings and touching the RUBBER washer/seal.

10. Now, ensure if your shark bite has any DRAIN value (that you open and let water fall down especially during winter time for sprinkler water clearing etc) you place the shark bite acc. so the drain value is always down facing. Actually shark bite can rotate 180° on the pipe after fitting it ( so that should not be a problem ). ALSO, check there is no dirt or debri inside the shark bite, after doing all this nano engineering work today first time by you.

Well by now you just put the left pipe on left shark bite opening and right side of the pipe, into the right side of the shark bite opening. While inserting, the pipe will go exactly upto the left and right mark, you did in step 3.

IMPORTANT: the pipes should be straight if possible like a straight line after you insert both ends in shark bite. Avoid getting any angle more than 5° i.e. after installation, the pipe with shark bite should look like 1 straight pipe, not bending unnecessarily like a bow. Basically there should NOT be any hard tension between shark bite and pipe (that you inserted inside shark bite) giving it any reason to leak water due to a bad angle and high water pressure can leak water from such bad angle.

NOW have a bucket ready next to you, open the main water valve slowly, turn on water and see, if the shark bite installation was successful. Is it leaking any water from the end of the shark bite or not.

If not, you just saved both TIME AND $$$$ And learned something new today.

[omrrlpy]

The release on my fitting seems to be ceased, there is no movement for me to remove the shark bite help please.