Al,
I think you may want a ball valve. They tend to be a lot more reliable than
gate valves.
PEX is not the same thing, it is a plastic material. There are methods of
joining it to copper but I am unfamiliar with any of them except by sweating
threaded fittings onto the ends of the pipes to be linked with plastic types of
fitting. I seem to remember that there is a sort of bulbous fitting which can
be put onto the end of a copper pipe and the PEX heated and forced over the
bulb where it cools and contracts and is further secured with a band. There may
also be compression plastic fittings to clamp down over the ends of the copper
certainly there are such fittings for drain lines but I don't know about
pressured water lines.
----- Original Message -----
From: Alan & Terrie Robbins
To: Blindhandyman
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 10:09 AM
Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Shut off valve
Just called my local hardware store as I need to pick up a
shut off valve to go in half inch copper line. I believe
what I want is referred to as a gate valve (inside totally
retracts to give full unrestricted flow) correct? I asked if
they had these so I could use the shark bite fittings. They
said they had Pex and it was the same. Since I've read about
both but never used either are these the same or
interchangeable? Is there a special tool I'll need to have
on hand to remove should I want to? Last question: Do you
feel the shark bite or Pex are as reliable as compression
fittings?
thanks
Al
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