Anything welding

The "Shark Bite" repair fittings work amazingly well.

 

I’ve had good luck with them, too. Good to transition an old system to pex, which is what I’ll go with since it’s a little more burst proof and this is the pump house. Doesn’t get super cold long enough here in Bama to be a huge threat, but it still happens.

 

Making sure to bevel(?) the end of the pipe and a dab of o-ring grease helps keep the pipe from cutting the seals in the fitting.

 

I've installed quite a few Shark Bite fittings as well and can attest they work very well. I've only installed them in exposed areas where I can get to them in case they ever leak, but so far after almost 10 years the oldest ones are still tight. Lately I've been using PEX piping when it's concealed behind walls, which is also ridiculously easy to install and is less susceptible to bursting if the water inside freezes. Much, much easier than sweating copper.

 

I agree. My place in northern michigan, I used them to repair both pvc and copper pipe leaks...mostly copper, though. Pvc is surprisingly forgiving to freezing temps.

Again, the shark bites are the real deal.

 

Silicone bronze flows sooo smooth

 

hmm... I’m a curmudgeon and still rather sweat copper the old skool way... probably shouting at the rain, LOL

 

I'm with you. The only reasons for the new materials is to take the craft out of the trade so it can be done by unskilled (often illegal) labor.
It's not the material so much as the joints that scare me. There have already been problems and lawsuits with earlier attempts.

To relate it to this thread, it's kind of like using JB weld because you don't know how to weld

 

The reason I switched to PEX was because the 75 year old plumber we used to plumb our 100 year old house up in northern NH uses it almost exclusively. The joints are mechanical, not like the polybutylene joints you're referring to that failed over time that used cement to join the fittings. I'm not trying to say PEX is better than copper. I'm able to sweat copper so it's not an issue of me taking a shortcut, the main thing for me is it's ability to expand and resist bursting if water freezes. Many of the plumbers up there have switched over. But I get it, to relate it to this thread I suppose it's like the difference between AC and DC technology for welders where folks were resistant to accept the DC technology when it first came out. There is something to be said for tried and true until the newer technology is proven.

 

Was thinking
Shade Tree Plumber

 

That all depends just what kinds of pressure and dead lines your under . no matter how much you had loved what you have done it can become a JOB.

Be very thankful it seems you have never been in this position

 

It's a thin line.

I learned that if I build more than 5 trailers in a year, I tire of the fabrication and it is not fun.

With that said, I'm on my 3rd one for just this December.

I need to turn off my phone...

 

Shut the phucking door!!!! Now this is fabrication. Outstanding work and thank you for sharing. Only got to use silicon bronze once on a engine block crack. Nice work Sir.
Zim

 

All good now. Going to insulate and build a much smaller pump house next.

 

Compression ring pex is definitely the way to go over sharkbite, but I still like sharkbite. When I redo my houses worth of hodgepodge I'll get a compression ring tool.

 

On another note if UPS tracking is to be believed my new welder will be here Monday!... I should go get a gas bottle and some wire

 

Sweet! Which welder did you end up buying?

 

Weldpro 210 lcd

 

200 lcd?
Couldn't find a 210.
I bought the 200 a couple years ago. It's been good for me

 

It's their new one with the LCD. It seems they list it as the 200lcd but in the videos they talk about it as a 210.

Great to hear, do you use the stick or lift tig functions?