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SharkBite push-fit products are offered in sizes ranging up to 1" in virtually every type of plumbing fitting as well as mixing valves, regulators, flexible hose connectors and much more.


44 technology in 2004 via its SharkBite® T


he concept of push-to-connect plumbing fittings was pioneered by the Reliance Worldwide Corporation, introducing the game-changing


and Cash Acme


brands. For an industry that prides itself on tradition, this innovative product range quickly proved that plumbers are open to a new and better way to do things when the benefit is there. Business-savvy plumbers immediately recognized the value of the time-equals-money equation and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, SharkBite push-fit products are offered in sizes


ranging up to 1”, with larger diameter products on the horizon. Virtually every type of plumbing fitting is


SharkBite®


service offered and the solution provided – not the time spent doing the job. This was a mindset change that began when the innovators at Reliance took the simple push-fit concept, incorporated it into a robust material, and started a revolution in the plumbing business. Where do push-fit connections fit best into a


contractor’s tool kit? The answer is broader than you might think. Obviously repairs are tailor-made situations – the Internet is full of plumbing blogs and discussion boards with comments like “always keep some on the truck for quick-fixes.” But with the increasing awareness of being approved for use behind no-access walls or underground, contractors have recognized the benefits for new construction, including the commercial side where step-and-repeat floor plans offers opportunities for huge time efficiencies. For example, all the guest rooms in four Hampton Inn hotels in the Kansas City market were


For Labor-Saving Solutions


available with push-fit connectors, not to mention mixing valves, regulators, flexible hose connectors – the list goes on. Thanks to the time and labor saving benefits, not to mention the flexibility of working with copper, CPVC and PEX pipe in any combination, the market has enthusiastically embraced this technology. In fact, in the past seven years it is estimated that in excess of 100 million push-to-connect plumbing products have been sold across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. When you consider the traditional nature of the


plumbing business – and a tendency to rely on what’s tried and true – this shift is all the more amazing. After all, plumbers understandably take great pride in their work. The ability to sweat a joint properly is a skill honed over time. Furthermore, with the high cost of bad plumbing – and the significant liability thereof – new products and technology are naturally viewed with a squinted eye. But in the case of the push-fit concept, it didn’t take


plumbers long to realize the benefits of the proven technology. Once they understood that push-fit products were certified to the ASSE 1061 standard and code- approved, the time-is-money aspect became paramount. A plumber could exponentially increase the number of jobs done in a day, charging the same job price as with the traditional labor-intensive methods. In short, the value of the plumber’s work became the


e Circle 35 on reader reply form on page 111 – the Push-Fit Pioneer


recently plumbed using SharkBite fittings. Considering that SharkBite push-fit fittings were


genuine foreign objects to the average plumber just a few years ago, the rise to acceptance is nothing short of phenomenal. But given the profit-increasing benefits these little labor-savers offer, it’s no surprise they quickly became a tradition unto themselves. ;


www.sharkbite.com


Approved for use behind no-access walls or underground, SharkBite®


push-fit connections are ideal for new


construction applications, including the commercial side where step-and-repeat floor plans offer opportunities for huge time efficiencies.


phc december 2011 www.phcnews.com


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