SharkBite® – the Push-Fit Pioneer For Labor-Saving Solutions

The concept of push-to-connect plumbing fittings was pioneered by the Reliance Worldwide Corp., introducing the game-changing technology in 2004 via its SharkBite® 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.

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.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 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, in the past seven years more than100 million push-to-connect plumbing products have been sold across North America.

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 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 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.

For more information, please contact us at:
2727 Paces Ferry Rd SE
Building Two, Suite 1800
Atlanta, Georgia 30339
Phone: 770-863-4083
Fax: 770-435-7369
Web Address: www.sharkbite.com