Charlotte Connectite PVC fittings- Good idea or Duds?

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Are Charlotte Connectite fittings reliable?

  • Yes

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Don't know

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • It depends on the application (please explain)

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Zanne

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I recently saw these on websites for big box stores & was wondering if they are any good. They advertise that they can connect PVC to PVC, PVC to ABS, etc for gravity systems by clicking things together. They say they can be adjusted, re-angled, removed, and re-used. I like the concept of not having to glue things, but I wonder how easily they come apart and if they would likely result in a failure/disconnect & leaking.
Has anyone tried these?
They seem to have various kinds now: toilet flanges, straight connectors, 90 sweeps, 45s, and sanitary tees. I'm wary of them and not sure how tight they hold. Online reviews have been mixed.
 



the video claims they save time
i disagree
new connect fitting,,,,,,,,,,,,, solvent fitting
1] inspect and cut .............. 1] same
2]sand/bevel ....................... 2] same
3] mark .............................. 3] not needed
4] lube ................................ 4] primer/glue
5 ] insert ........................... 5] same
6] push and twist................ 6] same

at lowes a 3'' sch 40 90 connect fitting is $8.39
at lowes a 3'' glue 90 is $2.97
i do not see an advantage here
i also do not trust a rubber oring for longevity
 
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Thanks, Frodo. That's what I was thinking. The only benefit I saw was the ability to adjust the angles or replace a fitting without cutting, but I don't know how long these things would hold up. I saw a few reviews for one of the straight couplings & people complained that the teeth did not grab or that the teeth bent or broke so it didn't stay together.
 
I think it has a future.
The big users of course will be the DIY'ers.
Once it gets perfected, and sales volumes climb, the prices will drop.
Being able to take it apart(and reuse it) can be a big plus.


Reliability? I think that remains to be seen.
 
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Maybe on a finish so i dont spill my glue or primer under the cabinet or in the tile floor. Maybe also in a wet condition. But i would rather just save the money and glue the fittings.
 
Thanks for the replies! I do think the system needs improvement. I'm sure other brands will come out with their versions & make some changes. Maybe stronger teeth, different ways to lock the teeth, different color bands, etc.

I don't know if there is a slow setting solvent. I know that after I use the glue I generally have a few seconds to sort of gently twist things to get them to seal, but not too much room for movement. I think the idea for adjustment is that if further down the line the angle isn't working, you can take it apart and re-do it. It would also save some $ if someone uses the wrong fitting & is told to change it out.
 
The problem I see, is that it is proprietary. I try to avoid things only available from one source. Particularly those that only work with their own system.

For mostly the same reasons, I prefer generic drugs. The stuff that’s been around for a while is time tested. The new stuff isn’t.

I used to work for a water district, and was on the pre-approved products committee. I once had a conversation with a sales engineer for one of the manufacturers, about why we were so conservative on what we would allow.

I told him that the industry nationwide, had just gone through about a billion dollars, replacing the polyethylene service lines, that been the next great thing, “better than copper”, that had lasted twenty years, before the longitudinal crystalization, had shown up, and they all started splitting, and we had to dig them up, replace them with copper, and repave the streets.
 
That's another good point FishScreener. I didn't read anything that indicated the Charlotte brand fittings would only work with charlotte brand pipe. I saw some in the store today & they were actually cheaper than listed online, but I didn't buy any. I want to wait until there are more versions.
 
A contractor i was working with last summer used something similar. Had an o-ring roll, so we had a serious leak. Then they couldn’t get the thing to release, so he had to cut back a foot, and install two glue fittings.
 
The lock ring and seal may be patented but the design approach is not proprietary.
Above comment mentions something similar and with o-rings. So sounds like they already have some competition.
The fact that it's by The Charlotte Pipe Company, I think is a good thing. An American company that's been around forever.
Also, they say those fittings will fit in the same places as a solvent cement fitting of the same diameter and are compatible with both PVC and ABS.
They can be used as a transition fitting as it works with Schedule 40 OD plastic pipe.
The DIY'ers will jump all over these.
 
I noticed when I went to the store that these fittings were marked down a few $. I don't know if that is permanent or some sort of sale. I also wonder if they will connect sch40 solvent weld to slip-joint or if I'd need the standard solvent weld to slip joint adapter. Right now I have PVC slip fit going to chrome plated stuff or just slip fit all the way to solvent weld.
 

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