Soldering versus ProPress

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On small stuff go with sharkbite style fittings. They are code approved for everything now. And, I don’t see any advantage to the ProPress fittings over the SharkBites. Both are reliant on the o-ring for a seal.

We started installing SharkBites only in locations in which we could observe them, about 7-years back when they first came out. I still don’t like burying them behind drywall, but they are quick and effective, but a little spendy.

And, I am very hesitant about new tech. I worked for a Water District for about a decade, form 95 to 05. That district alone spent over $10,000,000 to remove Polyethylene service laterals which were installed in the late sixties through to mid seventies. It was sold as a wonder product, a third the cost of copper, last forever, butters your toast, etc..

About twenty years in the stuff began splitting linearly, and causing huge leaks between the main and the point of service. When they extrude poly tubing it gets a linear structure form the extrusion process. After repeated hydraulic shocks the tube crystallizes, and will then split along the crystallization lines. Thus PEX, Polyethylene Cross Linked was born.
 
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A properly made solder joint will outlast and is stronger than propress.

A proper made solder joint is stronger than the pipe wall.

The solder joints I tested survived 5,000 + PSI and the pipe failed around 5500 psi. Type L soft copper.
 
A properly made solder joint will outlast and is stronger than propress.

A proper made solder joint is stronger than the pipe wall.

The solder joints I tested survived 5,000 + PSI and the pipe failed around 5500 psi. Type L soft copper.
5500 ? i smell something a bull left up in here
highest rating is 3800
 
5500 ? i smell something a bull left up in here
highest rating is 3800
My mistake, it’s been about 20 years ago. ....it burst at around 4000 psi. . Type L soft copper tube. Hard drawn burst pressure is way higher....

1/2” id hard drawn type L copper has a burst rating of 7,765 PSI.

I tested it at a hydraulic hose shop.
 
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I don’t like how propress deforms the copper pipe when it’s pressed.

......Tag😬
 
YEP, It is all about the money. Do you get up and go to work for free? Or do you go to get paid?

The customer has conditioned the plumber to put price before what the plumber considers quality.

The “ cheapness “ of America falls on the shoulders of its consumers.

Homeowners have come to believe they know better than the pro. How did this happen one might ask.

Simple. Big box and DIY shows that are trying to drive sales at big box. DIY shows are like short propaganda films by Home Depot.,

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
 
We just started a big job in DC with domestic water service from 8" down. Everything above 4" will be sch 10 stainless weld and roll groove for field joints. The 4" and under will be pressed. I agree with Frodo on soldering everything under 1" unless the job requires burn permits and fire watch for soldering.
 
I invested in torch tips so no problem press for me. 🤣🤡 just kidding.

I do resi only and can’t remember when I’ve worked with anything bigger than 1” pipe.
94B1F8A9-4590-4CD4-AD88-0AAE6898E2E7.jpeg
 
You should be set for tips. I personally prefer to solder unless it is a repair and i have to battle a valve that wouldn't shut off completely. I did change out my old galvy laundry tub faucet piping with propress because i borrowed the machine and fittings from work.
 
Supplyhouse went out of business and I paid 12k for about 40k of stuff. I spent a whole day loading my van and trailer.

My whole house and backyard was full of plumbing crap. They gave me all the showroom faucets, I stripped them all for the parts.

I had 15 tub/shower units in my backyard. 🤣 toilets, sinks,you name it.

I had a yard sale and made 1/2 my money back and you couldn’t even tell anything was gone.

I need to find my old pics, it was nuts.
 
I like to solder brass hose bibbs onto the copper male adapter.

Plant that seed for the next generation.🤣🤣🤣
 
The customer has conditioned the plumber to put price before what the plumber considers quality.

The “ cheapness “ of America falls on the shoulders of its consumers.

Homeowners have come to believe they know better than the pro. How did this happen one might ask.

Simple. Big box and DIY shows that are trying to drive sales at big box. DIY shows are like short propaganda films by Home Depot.,

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

All good points, I agree with all except the DIY learning. This process has developed for the past few decades. Distribution channels have become pipelines to cheaply sourced goods, often knock-offs of better quality goods. This has evolved in *all* areas of manufacturing, not just big box stores, and wholesale supplies sometimes sell the same item at a higher price. Cost-cutting pressures and measures have taken over the pricing models so that what you see isn't always the value you get (devil in details). I blamed us too as consumers for the downslide, but there is also blame to be shared on education: math skills are far too poor. For example, if you spend $200 today and have to replace in a few years and pay re-installation costs, vs. $400 that lasts 30 years, how much did that really cost? And then there is marketing that drives faster &/or greater sales: the person promoting an item gets a bonus, his boss gets a bigger share, etc., and the consumer conditioning that has been developed exacerbates the problems (re your 4th p'graph). And there are the larger forces that shape overall economics. But I think to come out of this spiral, math education has to be a core part of the solution, without using calculators. The person hiring professionals and buying products these days has to have a lot more education and logical skills in order to discern quality and value.
 
if you don’t think those DIY shows all sponsored by big box isn’t driving DIY sales and trying to convince everyone how easy DIY is with cheap inferior products........I don’t have anything left to say other than I rip that crap out almost daily. ✌👍
 
My owners go to auctions a lot. Mostly companies closing up shop. We had an 1 1/2" propress 90° blow off in a Ford plant when pressure spiked to over 250. It was not pretty and Ford was not happy. It was a long run and then the 90° turn
 
I didn't suggest that DIY lessons sponsored by box stores was the only way to learn, did I? Homeowners need a lot of education, and there are many good educational resources. I've seen your posts recognizing that someone hired as a licensed plumber did work that you had the satisfaction of tearing out and re-doing for a hefty fee. So I think you agree with me that not all "skilled resources" are equal. Unfortunately, sometimes you don't know until you've experienced their work personally. More often, you talk with someone who is skilled, then they send their "guys" out, and you pay a big bill and have to move the wall for a slab foundation 6" or 13". Or you redo their work. Or you find another resource to fix their problems. Sometimes you wish you had done it yourself, but sometimes it can't wait.
 

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