I missed it. Handyone addressed the clips all the way back in post #18. Sorry about that.

Looks to me like they are for both retention and removal.

 

Hopefully it's fixed already. Everyone's helping, zoesdad and Baldwin included.

If the fitting is leaking on the right side, it's due to deformation or the fitting wasn't pushed on to the correct depth.
Deformation is most likely.
You will have to cut the right side back. Post back if you don't have enough pipe left after cutting back the right side about 3/4" back.

We've covered this subject well. If there's not enough pipe to use one repair coupling, you will need to use two with a short piece of pipe in between.

Note: As I stated in an earlier post, these fittings will not leak. Clean the pipe with emery cloth, don't worry about the surface scratches from the sandpaper. Also mark the pipe with a pencil so you know the pipe is fully inserted on the right.

By not cutting and cleaning the pipe as instructed, you are making a very easy job harder. This is about a 10 - 15 minute fix if you follow all the instructions given above.

 

That's a great video showing how it's done! I wish I'd have looked that one up before.

Yes, the push ring clips seem to be a sort of lock. Although those push rings aren't very easy to push in even when the locks aren't there. But today, I managed to get it together, even without the push ring locks in place. See my next reply for details....

 

It is! At least, I hope so. I tried again with the Sharkbite (Watts) fitting and it seems to be ok now. I don't know why it turned out differently this time, but there is no leaking (yet). I was planning on putting the SB fitting back on and then putting those clips on, thinking the looseness I was experiencing before was what caused the leak. But this time when I put the fitting on, it went into the left side easily enough, but I didn't get the right side in very far at all. I struggled with it to get it in farther, but it wouldn't budge. Finally, I turned the water on just to see what would happen at this point and was surprised it didn't leak! The looseness wasn't there anymore either--and I still didn't insert those clips. They don't seem necessary at this point. I'm really surprised it doesn't leak even though the right pipe isn't inserted very far. Not nearly as far as the left one is. I wanted to get it in farther, but I just couldn't. Since it's not leaking now, I guess I have to hope it all holds together. I'm afraid to mess with it now that's it holding together and not leaking.

Right now, I have a wastebasket on top of a step ladder right up against it in case it decides to leak again. I also have other countermeasures in place to prevent the type of mess I ended up with before. I'm not home now, so I turned the water main off because I'm not confident in this thing yet until I have the water on for a full day while I'm home. I don't want to go back home to a flooded basement.

Wow! This sure is nice to be done! And I thank everyone here for helping me out and I hope you all have a great Memorial Day weekend. I know mine will be better than it was previously shaping up to be.

 

The right side non-slip end only needs to go in about 3/4".

If it's not leaking immediately after turning the water on, it will probably never leak.

 

I think it went in about that far.

 

It sounds like you're done.
Good job.

 

Thanks! I couldn't have done it on my own.

 

Easy job made hard by over thinking it.

 

BW-

That’s great to hear. I bet you are in good shape. Seems like once those push fittings are on there, they don’t leak and they don’t pop off –LOL. I was always afraid of them popping off under pressure, but mine never did and you just don’t seem to hear of any cases of that. I guess the concept is sound.

Good luck!!