insta push use

[jburkeg]

I have a mobile home that has polypipe plumbing.I have never used a insta push/shark bite/push-in or what ever it is called,plumbers repair part and dont know if all i have to do is push polypipe into it and pull back to lock it or what.can someone help me out here.

[LazyPup]

The push on fittings your are describng are called "Shark Bite Fittings".

Shark Bite fittings are new and have only recently been accepted under the Uniform Plumbing Code & the International Residential Code. Even though they have been accepted under the two major national codes this does not necessarily preclude that they have been accepted under your state or local code. (check with your local plumbing inspectors office before using them.)

Shark Bite fittings are approved for use on Copper, PEX and P.E. Pipe (Polyethelene pipe.)

When using shark bite fittings on PEX or P.E. pipe a thinwall brass ferrule is first inserted in the ID of the pipe to insure the pipe wall cannot collapse then the shark bite fitting is pressed firmly in place.

The depth of the gripping area on shark bite fittings is rather short so it is vitally important to make sure that you have a good square cut on the end of the pipe before inserting it in the fitting. Even a slight angle cut can result in a weak joint. One way to insure a good square cut is to cut the pipe by means of a sharp PVC snap cutter.

My singular reservation with shark bite fittings is the cost. By example a shark bite 1/2" 90deg elbow is $7.07. By comparison a sweat copper 1/2" 90deg elbow is about $.40.

The conventional manner for joining P.E. pipe is by means of Nylon or brass 'Barb Fittings". A Barb fitting has an elongated nipple with raised ridges that is inserted inside the pipe, then it is held in place by a stainless steel compression type hose clamp (radiator clamp).

As I am sure you have found by now, working on a mobile home can present some interesting challenges. By example, both the Uniform Plumbing Code and the International Residential code have approved P.E. pipe for domestic potable water 'Service" but prohibit its use for "Distribution"

Definition:
SERVICE- The underground line from a well or municipal water main to a structure.
DISTRIBUTION- Lines within a structure used to distribute water from the point of entry to the point of demand.

As you can see, the plumbing codes prohibit the use of P.E. pipe within a structure however Mobile Homes fall into a Catch 22 scenario. Understanding that Mobile Homes are manufactured at one location but intended to be delivered as a finished package most state and local codes have a special provision for mobile homes which states that if the meet all applicable building codes at the point of manufacture they will be accepted for use within the jurisdiction. In fact, if you will look closely at the exterior wall near the main entry door or in some instances on the front of the trailer you will find a small plastic medallion that states "This mobile home was built to meet or exceed all applicable standards at the point of manufacture". The problem with this is that many mobile home manufacturers carefully locate their production facilities in regions that have no code standards for mobile homes thus no matter what they do, they will meet code approval.

[mrcaptainbob]

Shark bites....

The employee in the plumbing section at HD shoed those to me a few weeks back. Okay...they're pricey. But...are they any good? The plastic compression fittings I whined about in a past post are certainly no good. How do these compare? How long have they been in the field?

[LazyPup]

Shark Bite Fittings have only recently been accepted by the national plumbing codes consequently there is no viable field feedback to rate the quality of the product.

Personally I would prefer to stick with the tried and true methods for another year or so at least until we begin getting user feedback.