Because Texags knows things and the Home Improvement Board knows everything, I come with questions. Has anybody used Sharkbite plumbing fittings? How easy were they to use and did they work?

I have two copper stubs (2' to 3' tall) of plumbing that were left behind when my water heater tank was removed and replaced with a tankless one in a different location. The bottom of the stubs where I want to cap them are right against the exterior of the house and I have never sweated copper pipes before. I'm really chicken about learning to use a torch in this situation.

These Sharkbite fittings claim that they just need to be pressed on to properly prepared pipes. This would be perfect IF they actually perform as advertised.

Thanks for your help!

People don't like them, but I've successfully used them twice (once on Pex and once on CPVC). I wasn't completely sold on them, so I used them on pipes that weren't buried inside a wall. 1 has been holding solid for 7 years and the other for 3 years. They were both couplings.

When we had Snowmaggedon and were without power so long, I was worried about my pex pipe in the attic. It held, but it sent me down the rabbit hole for pex and fittings while freezing. Most of the videos showed that sharkbites held really well, but I'm old school and just leery. Also I don't sweat in copper so another reason, but they seem to do what they say.

I've used them in a couple places.
I replaced our washing machine box with theirs. It was very simple and a plumber friend of mine says he has not had a single failure in multiple years of using them for various jobs. The only time one has failed was due to improper install.

Buy a couple and throw them on there.

If you are worried about it wait until you see a plumber on your street and offer him $20/30 bucks cash to sweat some caps on.

Hold on..........

Did they leave them uncapped and turn your water back on after putting in the tankless?

If they were under pressure they should have capped them. If you have water on in your house and they aren't gushing water then the Shark bites will be fine.

Oops. I forgot that part.

I'm all dry here. The plumber capped them off when he removed the tank water heater. Is just that the two left-behind pipes are an eyesore.

If you can imagine cutting and capping the inlet and outlet pipes just as they connect to the top of the tank you'll understand what I'm left with. The two pipes run up the side of my house to about 5'3" and then take and 90 degree turn away from the house for about 5". To top it off, it's in the middle of my back deck, right where the nice patio table is.

I'd like to cut the stubs a few feet shorter so I can camouflage the rest of the plumbing pipes silliness there with a planter.

Plumbing pipe silliness (definition) - Where somebody ran the hot and cold water for the kitchen sink up from the crawlspace, out through the crawlspace ventilation grate, over a few feet, then back inside the house to the kitchen sink. In the summer my kitchen sink cold water is solar heated.

The most recent episode of "The Money Pit" radio help program
responded to a caller that had very tight spaces in which to work,
ergo best solution was this product.
TMP agreed and sent him on his way with no caveats.

Look it up for more details.

Used them once on a leaking water line to fridge. I could never get them off - even with the tool. I had to cut and replace a couple of times due to my poor measurements. It was a 3 Home Depot visit repair.

Cut them as flush as you can and just push a copper cap on it. No solder needed.