Kitchen leaks are no joke. But you can’t just wait around and expect it to be fixed. Hiring a plumbing service may also charge a lot of money. It’s better to do it yourself!
Which fitting should you choose, SharkBite vs Compression?
First off, SharkBite is a temporary solution. You can easily install SharkBite fittings by yourself. But they are quite expensive. On the contrary, compression fittings are super cheap but take a while to install. However, if you’re looking for longevity, compression fitting is the way to go.
Anyhow, this was only a summary of the whole topic. We’ve discussed the topic thoroughly.
Stay with us if you want to find out!
Knowing the key features or advantages will give you a heads-up. You can then easily understand which route you want to take.
For example-
You can’t decide between Delta Faucet and Glacier Bay without knowing what they are.
To save you time and effort, we’ve come forward and made a little chart:
| Aspects | SharkBite Fittings | Compression Fittings |
| Installation | Pretty Easy | Moderately Easy |
| Longevity | Short | Long-Lasting |
| Price | Expensive | Cheap |
| Reusability | Yes | No |
Which one are you liking more? Have you come to a decision yet?
If not, let’s continue to know about them.
Now, the above-mentioned info isn’t enough and there’s more explaining to do. Therefore, we’ve compared each of the aspects of both fittings.
Installation
The SharkBite is a push-to-connect fitting. This is fairly new in the plumbing world and it has gained quite fame among users.
To install it, first, cut the pipe with a pipe cutter. After that, take a pipe cutter and cut the leakage area. After that, polish it with 120 grit sandpaper.
Then get the SharkBite fitting and remove the collar from inside. Push both pipes into this fitting. It follows a “bite” method so it’ll grab onto the pipe very easily.
And that’s it. That’s all you’ve to do to install it.
On the other hand, the compression fitting is a DIY fitting. It takes more time and effort to install.
Installing a compression fitting requires 5 parts to be assembled correctly. So, after cutting the pipe, insert the compression nuts. They come with compression fitting kits so you should easily find them.
After that, get the compression rings and insert them on each pipe. Now it’s time to install the fitting body.
First, take one pipe and align it with the fitting body. Turn the hex nut with your hand until you get a grip. Now do the same for the other pipe as well.
Then, take a wrench and do a half turn on both of the nuts. Now, run the water and check for leakage.
It’s clear now that the installation of SharkBite fitting is objectively easier. But compression fitting is also easy. It just takes a little bit of focus and patience.
Longevity
Every good product that has superb longevity is loved by people. It also applies to these fittings as well. Sometimes, both products offer almost the same longevity; just like Moen and Pfister faucets.
The SharkBite is fairly new and has only been around for a while. It also has some plastic body parts. Since it follows a “bite” method, it can easily get loosened after a year or so.
So, people have yet to see how good these fittings really are.
On the contrary, compression fittings are traditional and have been around for a while. It’s also favored by people as it has impressive longevity. It can easily last for 20-25 years.
Even though compression fitting is time-consuming to install, you may love it for longevity.
Price
When choosing between two similar products, the price can become a huge factor. For example, sometimes people choose glacier bay over the Moen faucet. Because the Moen is super expensive. So, we’ve compared this as well.
SharkBite fittings are easier to install. For that, they are priced higher than compression fittings. But they aren’t that pricey and are still pretty affordable.
On the other side, the compression fittings are really cheap. This is also one of the reasons for it being super famous. This also makes it a good alternative to soldering which requires help from an expert.
Speaking of fittings, these are our favorite picks regarding them:
| Product 1 | |
| Product 2 |
Now, you can easily get whichever you like and get started!
By the way, you can also try soldering the copper pipes if you want to. That’s another great method and it lasts a long time. But as we’ve mentioned-
You’ll need professional help if you pick this instead of SharkBite and compression.
FAQs
Question: Is a SharkBite a compression fitting?
Answer: No, not really. The SharkBite comes in a package and you’ll only need to insert the pipe. The difference is that, unlike compression fittings, they can’t be tightened by the user.
Question: Do SharkBite ever leak?
Answer: Sometimes, the SharkBite can leak due to vibration. Also, improper pipes with dirt, gunk, and debris can cause leakage.
Question: Do compression fittings fail?
Answer: In most cases, compression fittings almost never fail. If the compression isn’t done properly, there’s a chance that it might leak.
Conclusion
Well, that was everything that you needed to know on SharkBite vs Compression. We are hoping that you’ve found the information that you were looking for.
Good luck fixing the pipe!