On Nov 26, 9:02*am, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
On Fri, 26 Nov 2010 05:37:26 -0800 (PST), Bob Villa

wrote:
Jim wanted to know...

A couple questions.
Were these *real* sharkbites, or 'sharkbite type'?
Installed at the factory, or during the site install?
Were they in a spot that might be getting some vibration from the
whirlpool?

These are "actual" SharkBites installed at the factory used on 1/4"
poly tubing subject to pump vibration within inches of the sanitizer.
(So they probably lose their grip on the polyethylene)

Hadn't even thought of the poly. * * I would say the recipe for
disaster here includes somebody in a factory shoving them together all
day & not paying particular attention to them- the poly instead of a
more solid bite like on copper- and then the vibrations.

I feel better about mine already.g *Thanks.

The Sharkbite fittings have stainless steel teeth that grab onto the
pipe. I could see in an extreme vibration situation like the
whirlpool that the teeth would pretty quickly gnaw into the plastic
pipe and compromises the hold on the pipe. A recipe for disaster. It
makes me wonder who was asleep at the wheel when the decision was made
to use that type of fitting in that application. Who was the
manufacturer?

R