SharkBite Universal Residential Renovation (Augusta, GA)
The Challenge
Tim Redd, of Universal Plumbing in Augusta, GA, has been a plumber for 28 years. He and his team renovated a 1950’s home, which included changing out bathroom wall fixtures, and updating pipes from copper to PEX. Redd said his goal was to get the job done quickly and safely, so that the customer could get their home back as soon as possible. Due to his past positive experiences, Redd immediately thought of using the SharkBite Universal system as an efficient, no-tools method to finish the job faster.
Larry Jones, owner and president of Universal Plumbing, said he takes pride in customer satisfaction, safety and the productivity of his crew. So, when the team mentioned the ease of SharkBite Universal, Jones was skeptical how the system would compare to traditional plumbing methods like solder or crimp. “I was not really sold on [SharkBite] initially…until we used it,” he said.
In the years I have used SharkBite, we've yet to have one fail.
The Solution
After persuading Jones to let them install SharkBite Universal, the crew was immediately impressed with the efficiency, safety and versatility of the system. “It’s a lot easier than us having to try and get into a tight space and solder. A lot of times your crimpers won’t fit in the walls. So, you use a push-to-connect fitting and it goes right together,” Redd recalled about the simplicity of using SharkBite for the renovation.
Redd also cited the high success rate of SharkBite fittings, emphasizing time and labor savings, which benefitted both the crew and the customer.“[SharkBite] cuts our time down, and cuts the customer’s time down,” he said. “We’re able to turn the product around and get [the customer] back in their homes a lot quicker that way.”
Jones said his experience with SharkBite Universal fittings completely changed his perspective. “I’m very difficult to convince, and I’m convinced. [SharkBite is] one of the greatest tools…one of the greatest money makers…one of the greatest time savers that we’ve had introduced to us,” he said.
To this day, all of Jones’s service trucks are equipped with SharkBite fittings, and the crew will continue to use SharkBite across many applications. “In the years I have used SharkBite, we’ve yet to have one fail,” Redd added, “They’ve always served us well in what we’ve done.”
Project Highlights:
- Plumbing crew was hired to renovate a 1950’s residential bathroom, replace fixtures and update pipe from copper to PEX.
- Plumber who had successfully used SharkBite on many previous jobs.
- SharkBite Universal saved the team time and labor, resulting in all service trucks being equipped with SharkBite products for future projects.
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