Why You Should Consider Push-to-Connect Water Heater Connectors
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The push-to-connect end of SharkBite push-to-connect water heater connectors.
Push-to-connect water heater connectors* (also known as quick-connect) are the answer to making your water heater serviceable by:
- Giving you the ability to quickly disconnect and move the water heater when needed.
- Attaching to any number of plumbing supply lines: any kind of PEX, CPVC, PE-RT, and copper.
- No plumbing experience needed.
- Reliably sealing off the supply line connections.
- All brass construction handles high temperatures.
Let’s cover each of these positive reasons for push-to-connect water heater connectors in turn.
Push-to-connect water heater connectors are easy to disconnect.
Yeah, it seems obvious since the opposite name, pull-to-disconnect (with a manufacturer corresponding disconnect clip) is how this kind of connection works, but it is a major selling point!
SharkBite disconnect clip
Sioux Chief disconnect clip
Notice how the shape of each disconnect clip is slightly different. So if you are running with one brand, another brand’s disconnect clip probably won’t work.
Now, I will preface this with, ideally you are taking the union end off at the water heater itself. That is by design on both a push-to-connect water heater connector as well as a regular connector. Some manufacturers advise against reusing a push fitting. Others state they can be reused 4-6 times. Check ahead before buying. Even with a suggested use, YMMV.
From a personal standpoint, I realize the flexibility of this kind of fitting comes at a cost**. However, any other kind of fitting is permanent and requires some major plumbing surgery. Worst case, SharkBite, Sioux Chief, Apollo, or anyone else selling push-to-connect fittings are enabling people like me to maintain their own home without calling in a professional. If I have to go buy another one, I will happily. The fact that it is a push on and forget it (after monitoring it for a few days for slow leaks), you are still ahead.
However, there are three reasons to use the push-to-connect side:
- The water heater side is seized and you need to move the water heater quickly.
- The water heater end of connector needs teflon tape, teflon paste and monitoring for a period afterwards to ensure there is no leak after you reconnect the water heater. The push-to-connect side applies the appropriate amount of pressure equally around the entire pipe, ensuring the correct seal. While I’d still monitor both sides for a few days, we’ve had to go back and correct small leaks on union joints (while installing our Flo smart water shutoff) and haven’t had to revisit our SharkBite connections on our water heater once.
- Despite the fact that these are flexible stainless steel hoses (unlike the no burst lines running to your washing machine), they can corrode and/or fail at some point. If you are not a plumber and want to do this maintenance item on your own, a push-to-connect water heater connector will allow you to do this at your leisure.
An empirical sample:
Push-to-connect water heater connectors in the wild!
You may have noticed, our water heater does not have a SharkBite water heater connector with a quarter-turn valve. When we installed the water heater seven years ago, an all-in-one unit wasn’t available, as it is now in the store. So we pieced our way with this solution: a SharkBite quarter-turn valve connected to the SharkBite water heater connector through a small piece of copper. Your own water heater install will look a little less Frankenstein with this newer offering.
Water heaters are one of those systems in your house that requires maintenance from time to time. We all know we need to drain them about once a year. It’s also suggested to replace the anode rod every 3 to 5 years to extend the life of the internal tank.
Maintenance is a good thing, but many of us live in houses with 8-foot ceiling height. Or perhaps you have a vaulted ceiling or higher ceilings, but the location of your water heater is in a standard 8 foot ceiling. Code also requires that water heaters are elevated on a stand.***
So despite the fact that my water heater is about 4 feet tall, I have a stand and I only have a couple feet of space between the top of the water heater and the ceiling. This is less than the length of a solid anode rod.
You can see this is the case when we replaced the anode rod**** and moved the water heater into the vaulted ceiling space of the kitchen.
This was one of many projects on the checklist, so when the water heater side of the connector refused to budge, the SharkBite side had no such qualms. We got the job done and moved on.
You also may have the case, like us at the time years ago, where we were not expert plumbers. Push-to-connect connectors allow you to connect to any type of plumbing material without any plumbing knowledge.
While my husband upped his skills (and my confidence in his abilities) when he reconstructed the water main into the house, it was not always so. Our inexperience was a blessing in disguise when it came to maintaining the water heater because it is just so darn easy to disconnect. Even with our much improved skills on both copper and PEX, SharkBite water heater connectors are still a good idea!
Attaching to any number of plumbing supply lines.
Our current configuration has the SharkBite biting into copper. However, if we had another supply line leak****, we’d replace the copper with PEX and never look back. In fact, we could use the same SharkBite connectors on the new plumbing.
SharkBite connectors will work on any kind of PEX (PEX-a, PEX-b and PEX-c), PVC, CPVC, and copper.
No plumbing experience needed.
Anyone that can shove a toilet paper holder together can shove a quick-connect *** on a pipe. If you can’t, you certainly have an untrained friend who can and will gladly do so in trade for a beer (to be enjoyed AFTER said pipe is connected). 😉
Quick-connect essentially connects any of the plumbing materials listed above without solder, union joints, clamps or any other method of piecing plumbing together.
There are only five easy steps to replace your hard line stainless pipe with quick-connect connectors:
- Cut off the water to the house.
- Detach the old connectors from the water heater.
- Make clean cuts on the incoming and outgoing plumbing lines with the right pipe cutter: PEX, PVC (link) or copper. No allowed hacksaws here!
- Prep the cuts. For copper you’ll want to ream and deburr the outside of copper (with a Plumbers 4 in 1 Pipe Cleaning Tool and a Deburring Pipe and Depth Gauge Tool) as any sharp edges or burrs could improperly seat or cut the O-ring seal. PEX will need an insert to stiffen the pipe, keeping it perfectly circular for the fitting.
- Then attach the new quick-connect water heater connectors. No other sealants or tape should be used.
If you do not have a shutoff on the incoming line just before your water heater, highly consider getting a push-to-connect connector with a shutoff. A quarter turn valve shutoff will let you service your water heater without turning off the water to the rest of the house. The outgoing line does not need a shutoff.
Reliably sealing off the supply line connections.
As mentioned above, the SharkBite side applies the appropriate amount of pressure equally around the entire pipe, ensuring the correct seal. No leaks here!
All brass construction handles high temperatures.
Hot water right out of the water heater will not phase a brass connectors due to the properties of brass.
Are quick-connect fittings reliable?
Based on the growing number of manufacturers producing quick-connect water heater connectors, I’d go with a resounding yes.
If something was not going right for these companies they would not be jumping on the bandwagon. Plus it seems the patent for the original, Sharkbite, has run out.
The push-to-connect end of these Sioux Chief water heater connectors look awfully familiar…
If you are actively looking and you want the longest standing product in the business, Sharkbite is a solid product. It has since been bought out by Apollo. So at some point the Sharkbite brand may get relabeled to Apollo, but know you are getting the same product.
The results of our own small empirical sample also says yes. Our SharkBite water heater connectors have been in place since 2012. Despite taking them on and off as necessary, they are still very much in use and, most importantly, not leaking.
To be specific, when I say “as necessary”, the water heater has been moved several times:
- When we first installed the water heater and worked with a plumber.
- Next, I still needed to complete drywall repairs after verifying the supply line in the wall did not leak. I will say that since I lost momentum in this project, my verification of no leaks spanned over the course of a year. So I very much used my water heater before repairing the drywall.
- Next, I needed to move the water heater to upgrade the baseboard when I was replacing the baseboard throughout the rest of the house.
- Last, we had to move the water heater to replace the anode rod.
I’m not 100% sure which end we disconnected the other times, but, as photographed, we used the SharkBite side at least once during the anode rod replacement.
Another tip: When you go online make sure you have the expected end on the other side.
When I was taking photos for this post I didn’t notice, but placed side by side, the Sioux Chief push-to-fit without the shutoff has a male end. Your regular braided steel water heater connector has two union connections.
Sioux Chief push-to-connect vs regular braided stainless water heater connectors.
The Sharkbite has a union connection on the other end as well.
SharkBite water heater connectors have a union connection on the opposite side.
I can’t go back anytime soon to verify if there are other ends since this was on “vacation” at Menard’s (I’ve even checked the website and the one photographed is not on the website).
However, it is a good lesson for all of us: double check what you need. Sure, you know you need the push-to-fit end. But what is on the other side?
In conclusion…
You can see the connectors are durable and reusable. Again, YMMV, but consider your alternatives.
The only thing you have to remember is where you put the disconnect clip. Push-to-connect end requires this “key” to disengage the teeth around the ring. Honestly, we’ve misplaced ours a time or two. I’d suggest storing one on top of the water heater, like we do now.
Our designated push-to-connect disconnect clip storage spot. The bright orange color helps too!
Quick-connect fittings are really an ideal solution for any kind of plumbing fixture or device where are you need to disconnect water from time to time. It also has the added benefit of almost not caring what kind of plumbing material you need to connect. Push-to-connect connectors will handle most kinds of plumbing pipe just fine.
If you frequent Home Depot, they carry Sharkbite. As with anything, you can also find most kinds of push-to-connect water heater connectors online.
*Push-to-connect water heater connectors are code compliant everywhere. Push-to-connect type connections are even approved by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) for installation behind walls and underground!
**If you have some wildly fluctuating water pressure SharkBite may not be the way to go. Installing a backflow preventer and/or a whole home water pressure regulator is more of a necessity (for your other fixtures too!) before going this route.
*** There could be other code compliance requirements needed for your home. For instance, if you have a home or business in an earthquake/ seismic zone, code further requires that you add strapping to your tank water heater.
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