My house has cpvc coming out from behind the wall into my under-cabinet sink area. There might be an inch of pipe to grab onto before the sharkbite shutoff valve. The CPVC is VERY brittle and is prone to cracking. The pipe is not anchored from the back, it simply makes a 90 degree bend and comes through the wall. No bracing. How do I get the sharkbite valve off without bending the pipe? I need some kind of specialty pliers to grip the pipe. Some kind of rounded semi-circle thing that won't bite into the pipe and crack it...

Don't want to take apart the wall.

goal is to replace the leaky sharkbite shutoff valve. They're getting old and seals are starting to leak.

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I tried to put a sharkbite shutoff valve on my CPVC, and it would go only halfway on. Flummoxed, I tried to push harder, to no avail. I tried pulling the sharkbite off, and it came off, but the plastic plug stayed inside the pipe. I got a large flat faced hammer and dinked the plastic bit into the pipe, then put the sharkbite valve back on, and it seemed snug and happy. Was this wrong to do?



Edited 2 times.

There are Sharkbite removal tools, that will compress the retainer ring without pulling on the pipe. Google "Sharkbite removal tool".

I already have that tool. I guess you didn't read the question: I need to use that tool to compress the sharkbite release ring, and then pull on the sharkbite valve to get it off the pipe. As I pull on the valve, the pipe starts coming out of the wall, putting pressure on the very brittle pipe and elbow connection behind the wall. I want to prevent that by holding onto the pipe somehow, by a tool that doesn't put so much pressure in one place on the pipe that it cracks. what tool is that? I would look up "1/2 pipe pliers", it doesn't show anything.

there is no magic answer. Sharkbite requires the pipe to be well anchored, with enough space behind the valve for the horse shoe ring to slide on and your fingers behind that to pull it out.

sometimes the ring does not compress the sleeve back evenly, making it difficult to disengage without straining the pipe.

I find that sometimes with the ring depressed as best you can, do a turning twisting motion may help the disengaging a bit easier.

and sometimes I will put both fingers behind the ring, with my palm pressing on the valve, I push it towards the wall, with my palm pushing hard on the valve itself, in an attempt to fully bottom the sleeve with the ring, then do a 45 degree rotation left then right then pull out quickly, I believe that rotation may stop the tiny little fins inside the valve from gripping too much onto the pipe. Works sometimes, not always.

you can also try one of those butterfly plastic pipe strap clamp, make it real tight against the pipe at the wall, then screw the strap onto the wall, may be the friction of the clamp will stay the pipe enough.



Finally if all else fail just cut the valve off and cement on a coupling and a short piece of CPVC.

I read the question just fine. A search shows a couple different removal tools(besides the "horse shoe".

curved jaw channel lock pliers

[th.bing.com]

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

Yes small channel locks as a hold back

small CURVED jaw pliers

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638