A New Line of Push-to-Connect Fittings
SharkBite launches a professional series of plastic fittings that is claimed to speed up PEX-to-PEX rough plumbing jobs.
SharkBite has introduced a new line of connectors called EvoPEX—with everything from elbows to angle stops—that retain the push-to-connect usability of the universal brass fittings that put the company on the map. But EvoPEX connectors have some differences.
First, EvoPEX fittings can only be used to join PEX tubing, not the wide array of supply-line materials that are compatible with the original SharkBite brass fittings. The brass fittings create a seal at the end of the pipe, whereas the EvoPEX fittings seal around the outside of the pipe as it’s pushed into place. Both the original and the new EvoPEX fittings are approved for behind-the-wall applications and direct burial, although the brass fittings require a layer of silicone tape. EvoPEX fittings also include a visual gauge to confirm a good seal.
An EvoPEX 1/2-in. elbow fitting sells for around $4, which is in line with SharkBite universal brass fittings, as well as the brass fittings available in other systems, such as Viega and ProPEX . But EvoPEX is a plastic fitting; when compared to other plastic fittings in those same competitive systems, EvoPEX components are upwards of four times the price. Considering that EvoPEX connectors eliminate two of the biggest benefits of the universal brass fittings-—the ability to work with PEX, copper, CPVC, and more; and the ability to remove and reuse fittings— the higher cost and diminished functionality of these connectors may make them a hard sell.
—J.F.
From Fine Homebuilding #286
More about plumbing with PEX tubing
Video: Connect PEX With Push Fittings – For a quick repair or retrofit, push fittings are a go-to for handymen.
Three Designs for PEX Plumbing Systems – The pros and cons of trunk-and-branch, home-run manifold, and submanifold systems.
