SharkBite vs GatorBite vs TecTite

One of the most daunting tasks when working on a plumbing project is soldering.

I know I had my share of gaffes When first started tinkering around with Bernzomatic (brand name) torches, flux, solder, and copper pipes. The feeling of sweating a joint and seeing a leak when the water was turned back on was shall I say, very frustrating.

Soldering isn’t hard but it takes a lot of practice to get it right. With little knowledge from Taunton’s For Pros by Pros Remodel Plumbing book, you too can become an expert (please note – there are other versions of this book, but I own and prefer this 2005 version (hey what can I say, soldering techniques don’t change that often!)

Update – November 20, 2023

Hello fellow DIYers! Please note that the content was originally written all the way back in 2009! As of November 2023, SharkBite is still going strong (though many products are no longer made in USA), but GatorBite brand (owned by Elkhart) seems to have been discontinued. Tec-Tite (also owned by Elkhart) is still around, but does not offer the same variety of fittings as SharkBite. Also, all Tec-Tite push-to-connect fittings are sub-branded as “Apollo Press”. There are many knock-off fittings with similar functions so please be careful. You do not want to use an unknown brand with unknown workmanship!

However, as much as I prefer to “sweat” a joint whenever possible, there are certain instances where a quick push-fit fitting is appropriate and I will review three major brands: SharkBite, GatorBite and TecTite.

SharkBite

SharkBite is part of Reliance Worldwide Corporation (RWC), a corporation rooted in Australia. Originating in 1949 as a modest tool shop in Brisbane, RWC has progressively transformed into a major competitor in the production and distribution of water flow and control mechanisms.

Notably, it holds the distinction of being the first-to-invent-and-market Push-to-Connect (PTC) plumbing fittings, under which the SharkBite brand is classified.

Originally launched in 2005 in Australia, it’s patented fittings became widely available in the US via Home Depot stores back in 2005 (however, the same design had been used in Australia for many years prior).

The Sharkbite brand is owned by Cash Acme which is in turn owned by the Reliance Worldwide.

GatorBite

GatorBite came on the market somewhat mysteriously.

Its fittings became widely available via Lowes but the company did not have its own website, nor did Lowes or the manufacturer or GatorBite offered any installation tips and instructions.

Other than some packaging materials that came in Lowes’ blue instead of Home Depot’s orange, their brass fittings were virtually indistinguishable from each other.

Initially I thought SharkBite and GatorBite fittings were made by the same manufacturer but that turned out to be not true. GatorBite is actually made by a company called Elkhart Products Corporation (see TecTite brand).

Tec Tite

TecTite is the brand owned by the Elkhart Products Corporation. Its push-fit fittings seems to be identical to that of GatorBites, minus SKUs and packaging.

Please note that TecTite fittings are generally not available through Home Depot or Lowes. I checked around and only a handful of plumbing supply stores carried them.

Online, I saw that Ace HardWare Outlet and Amazon carried limited fittings.

You can find a complete list of TecTite PTC offerings here

Comparison

As you can see from below, GatorBite column is noted in black. That is because there is no available information at Lowes stores, Lowes.com or GatorBite.com (does not exist) other than some vague information which is similar to Tectite.

However, GatorBITE’s packaging is starting to appear with Elkhart Product Corporation contact information in the back.

Description	SB	GB	TT
No Soldering, clamps, unions or glue	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fits copper, CTS CPVC and PEX	Yes	n/a	Yes
Integrated Tube Liner (a1)	Yes	n/a	Yes
Dezincification resistant brass (DZR) body	Yes	n/a	Yes
Certified to ANSI/NSF-14, 61	Yes	n/a	Yes
Certified ASSE 1061	Yes	n/a	Yes
Fluid Applications – potable water	Yes	n/a	Yes
Fluid Applications – potable water system flushing chemicals	Yes	n/a	Yes
Fluid Applications – chilled water with corrosion inhibitors	Yes	n/a	Yes
Fluid Applications – hydronics heating (b1)	Yes	n/a	Yes
Fluid Applications – Rainwater / Greywater	Yes	n/a	Yes
Approved for Underground use, behind walls without access panels (c1)	Yes	n/a	Yes
Meets UPC, IPC and cUPC requirements	Yes	n/a	Yes
Warranty	25 years	00 years	50 years
Operating Temp (max)	200F	n/a	250 (d1)
Working Max pressure	200 psi	n/a	200 psi
Solder Distance	18″	n/a	18″

(a1) : GB / TT comes with a tube liner in the packaging that you must insert, if needed
(b1) : SB / TT – glycol mixture hydronics is not to exceed 100% concentration
(c1) : SB / GB / TT – you must check with your township before using in this manner
(d1) : TT – Conflicting info. FAQ document states max temp up to 180 F. All other document specifies max temp up to 250 F.

PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES

After examining their online brochures and specifications, I thought they looked incredibly similar. But I wanted to physically compare them side-by-side so I went out and purchased a 1/2″ straight coupling along with a 3/4″ 90 degree elbow from Sharkbite, Gatorbite and Tectite.

Other than PVC inserts that came separate in Gatorbite and TecTite packaging, they all had virtually same physical characteristics. As suspected, Gatorbite and Tectite connectors even had identical stampings containing the source of origin and other product related information.

Being a curious DIYer, I used my nifty Blade-1KG Pocket digital scale to weigh these products and this was the result:

Part Name	SB	GB	TT
1/2″ Straight Coupling	56.2 g	58.3 g	58.3 g
3/4″ 90 degree elbow	131.11 g	135.3 g	135.3 g

 
* digital scale was calibrated using a 500g weight. Results are within plus or minus 0.2 grams.

As you can see from my rough weighing, Sharkbite couplings are consistently lighter than Tectite/Gatorbite couplings. Now, I am not proposing that this somehow implies that Sharkbite couplings are inferior but I wonder if there are any pros or cons of being more “hefty”?

Tips

• Although these fittings are categorized as being lead-free brass, SharkBite and GatorBITE packaging comes with California Proposition 65 Warning, “…this product contains chemicals known to the State of CA to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm…”. This is because the Federal requirement for lead-free brass is any brass containing less than 8% lead. California’s definition of lead-free is 0% lead, hence the warning. So if you have little ones around, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap, and maybe wipe your hands with baby wipes.

• O-ring inside the fitting is preventing leaks. Make sure to de-burr copper pipe ends before mating to prevent nicks and cuts to the o-ring

• SharkBite fittings come with a tube liner built-in that is NOT intended for use when mating to copper. Make sure to remove it first!

• GatorBITE / Tectite come with a tube liner (white) that you MUST ADD when mating to PEX or CPVC.

• GatorBITE / Tectite – Only the white tube liner is to be added; DO NOT REMOVE the black piece that is integrals to your fitting!

• SharkBite / GatorBITE / Tectite – Although they all use Dezincification Resistant brass bodies (DZR) to minimize corrosion from hard water but manufacturing defects can and will happen. So you want to pay special attention to your installed fittings for any leaks if you have particularly hard water (i.e. lots of minerals; you can see green crust around faucets, tub stains, etc.)

Wrapping Up

Rather than going with TecTite, I am going use Sharkbite couplings in my bathroom remodeling project in the near future (update: as of this writing on November 2023, I will be remodeling again so I will be able to show you how SharkBite fittings faired after 14 years of use. Stay tuned!)