VOICE NOVEMBER 2018
PROPRESS USED IN HISTORIC LANDMARK RESTORATION
VIEGA MARINE PRODUCTS MAKE ONBOARD REPAIRS EASIER CAMPGROUND BATHROOM GETS MAKEOVER PROPRESS HERO IN OVERNIGHT WATER PIPE REPLACEMENT
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CONTENTS WHAT’S HAPPENING AT VIEGA 03 A letter from the Executive Vice President and COO
28 Top-notch learning
at educational facility
31 Tech Talk RESIDENTIAL 26 Viega products speed up townhouse complex project
VOICE COMMERCIAL 06 13
Boiler piping at veterinary hospital replaced with MegaPress XL
14
Rehab facility makes big changes in tight spaces
16
Efficient overnight piping replacement in occupied building
20
Campground puts in state-ofthe-art restrooms with flushing technology
INSTITUTIONAL 30 Newly built university housing puts PureFlow to work
INDUSTRIAL 04
Meat-processing facility turns to press technology
22
Quick changes with MegaPress at concrete plant
MARINE 10 Yacht repair company proponents of Viega SeaPress
Historic building avoids flame by using ProPress
ON THE COVER Rendering courtesy of AOS Architects. The Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera House was recently renovated and restored with Viega ProPress behind the walls.
a publication of Viega LLC November 2018 Marketing Director Mark Brodie Creative Marketing Manager Molly Morrow Content Marketing Editor Kristen White Graphic Designer Marcus Jessen Marketing Coordinator Lauren Reutter Contributing authors Jacob Demars, Dave Holden, David Melendy, Kristen White Contributing photographers AOS Architects, Mark Waldron Future articles and tips Please send in your interesting stories and tips relating to Viega products for possible publication in future issues of Viega Voice to press@viega.us.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
WE LIVE ‘CONNECTED IN QUALITY’ EVERY DAY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE BEST IN PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
A letter from the Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Ask anyone from Viega why we do what we do every day and you will most likely get the same answer: we do it for our customers. Whether it's an innovative new product; industryleading service; or a friendly, knowledgeable voice on the phone when you call, the reason is the same. Each and every day, we look for new ideas, different ways to do things and better processes to follow so we can improve the customer experience. We live continuous improvement! Viega LLC took a big step forward in 2018 toward achieving this ongoing goal. The first phase of a massive multi-year project to begin production of ProPress manufacturing in the United States was completed early this year in McPherson, Kansas, with the first fittings rolling off the production line in the 80,000-square-foot building in July. The second phase of the ProPress manufacturing project, already underway, will bring an additional 200,000 square feet of ProPress production online in 2019. The first phase was itself a massive project undertaken in a short time – start to finish in about two years. Nearly 20 of our U.S. colleagues spent almost a year in Germany learning how to produce the fittings with the same standard of quality our customers have come to expect from Viega. They lived and worked side by side with German colleagues. This was a huge
sacrifice and shows their dedication – and Viega’s dedication – to our products and customers. None of it would have been possible without the teamwork and power of the Viega Group. No matter what part of the world they come from, Viega products are all manufactured to the same high standards you know and expect from Viega. We live “Connected in Quality” every day to provide you with the best in products and services. We’re also finishing the work on our new headquarters and state-of-the-art education center in Broomfield, Colorado. When completed at the end of this year, we will have a headquarters designed for optimal collaboration so we can continue to improve the customer-service experience. Having a second educational center, in addition to our current one in Nashua, New Hampshire, will allow us to continue providing top-notch industry-leading training for you, our partners. As 2018 comes to a close, we want to tell you how thankful we are for you, our loyal customers. We promise to continue to strive to earn your trust and support and to continue to enhance your experience with us. We wish all of you the happiest of holidays and a healthy, prosperous 2019. ■
ROBERT BOOTS Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer
Viega. Connected in quality. | 3
INDUSTRIAL
VIEGA MAKES DAILY CLEANING EASY Word-of-mouth recommendation. That’s the essence of why Viega products were used in a meat-processing facility in Pennsylvania. Godshall’s, a premium meat and turkey product company, had soldered and sweated fittings in an older building, and when plumber Karl Keath presented Viega fittings to company heads, they were intrigued. But it was when they visited another company’s meat-processing plant and saw Viega fittings being used there that they were sold on the method.
Keath said Godshall’s considered a competitor’s press fittings, but they didn’t like that the competitor solders their valves to their fittings. They wanted the completely clean look of no solder, putting Viega fittings top of the list. Using Viega fittings has changed things for Keath’s company too. “It was so streamlined and quick and clean,” he said. “I also love that the MegaPress is a bit more rigid, so if it gets hit
“We originally started out soldering and sweating all of the copper fittings for them,” explained Keath, owner of Karl L. Keath Mechanical in Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania. “I’d been at a trade show and saw Viega, then took it to their company knowing that it would be a great solution for them. When they went to another meat-processing plant, they actually had Viega fittings there. From that point forward, that’s what Godshall’s wanted to use.” The company recently constructed a new building that has about 50,000 square feet of processing area. Keath put in MegaPress Stainless and ProPress fittings for processing water and hot water return, as well as compressed air. Lines with Viega fittings are used for the production line, pneumatics, processing water, fill tanks and more. Keath estimated that his crew installed between 1,200 and 1,500 fittings in various sizes, from ½" to 4" in ProPress and ½" to 2" in MegaPress Stainless. “Viega is really beneficial, because anytime you go into a production area that is USDA inspected, they can’t have soldering and things like that. Because of the chemicals they’ll use for cleaning and such, it’ll deteriorate the fittings or solder joints. So before, they had to insulate everything in the production area because of daily washdowns,” Keath said. “We brought ProPress and MegaPress Stainless to them, and now nothing can be degraded [by the chemicals]. They don’t have to insulate, and the USDA is ecstatic about that. It’s a huge benefit. That insulated coating can get hit and ripped, so this takes one more thing out of the process.”
4 | Viega Voice | November 2018
by a forklift or something, Schedule 40 is sturdy enough to withstand an average day in the plant. “Honestly, there’s not even a time comparison with Viega. We do a lot of boiler installations, and we use Viega for that now, too, because of the speed. It’s [quicker] time in and time out, which is what we’re looking for. I’d say it’s cut our time at least in half.” Keath said that during some of the Godshall’s installation, he had a crew of six working on the project; but a large part of it was done with three men – something he could not have done, and so fast, with soldering. “We do quite a bit of work for Godshall’s in changing, adding or subtracting things, and Viega makes that easy,” he said. ■
HONESTLY, THERE’S NOT EVEN A TIME COMPARISON WITH VIEGA. IT’S [QUICKER] TIME IN AND TIME OUT, WHICH IS WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR. I’D SAY IT’S CUT OUR TIME AT LEAST IN HALF. – Karl Keath, Owner, Karl L. Keath Mechanical
Viega. Connected in quality. | 5
COMMERCIAL
HISTORICAL BUILDING GETS PROPRESS BEHIND THE WALLS A beautiful facility created for amazing music is getting fixed up – and Viega is there. The Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera House (MOH) is a historic building that has changed hands and offerings through the years. Thanks to some work and agreements in 2017, a $45 million renovation began, and Viega ProPress is part of the work. – Continued on page 8
6 | Viega Voice | November 2018
Viega. Connected in quality. | 7
COMMERCIAL
Mechanical contractor Devine Brothers, Inc. had previously done some work with the co-owner and developer of the MOH, and was brought in for the plumbing design for the massive building. Because the Devine Brothers crew tries to use ProPress wherever they can, it was part of the design from the beginning. “This is an old building,” said Rich Devine, President and CEO of Devine Brothers. “We didn’t want to use torches and have to worry about soldering or fire watch. There are plaster ceilings, too, and it’s a lot easier to get a pipe in there and press instead of getting your hands in there in the nooks and crannies in the walls to have to solder.”
8 | Viega Voice | November 2018
THIS IS AN OLD BUILDING. WE DIDN’T WANT TO USE TORCHES AND HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SOLDERING OR FIRE WATCH. – Rich Devine, President and CEO, Devine Brothers
Devine said about 15,000 feet of copper pipe was run in the MOH for domestic water. Live Nation has signed as the tenant and concert promoter for the MOH and is expected to bring in large crowds. In such a huge facility – it will seat 4,000 when finished – there is a lot to plumb. “There's a kitchen, multiple bars, and with five floors, there are a lot of bathrooms,” Devine said. “ProPress makes sense because there’s the risk factor of soldering in an old wood building. Plus the speed is a big advantage. “Our estimating software recognizes a 10-15 percent savings [with Viega] and when you get a job with large mains and large runs like this, it can go higher.” Devine Brothers started its work in October 2017 on the building, which has an estimated opening in December 2018. The company used ProPress fittings anywhere from ¾" to 4" in size, and sometimes had as many as 12 crew members on the project at one time. The entire building has undergone a massive restoration and renovation process. Included on the National Register of
Historic Places since 1972, careful work was done to keep the “bones” of the opera house in place as it was converted into a music hall. The MOH was originally built in 1908, in just a few months, by Oscar Hammerstein I. It was originally home to Hammerstein’s Philadelphia Opera Company. The house was sold to the Metropolitan Opera House of New York City in 1910 and was renamed. Various opera companies used the building through 1934, followed by five decades of constant use as a movie theater, a ballroom, a sports venue and a church. Vacant from 1988 to 1995, the building was declared imminently dangerous by city building authorities, but was saved from demolition when it was purchased by a Reverend to become the Holy Ghost Headquarters Revival Center. The church would later spend millions of dollars attempting to stabilize the structure. A co-ownership agreement was eventually reached between the church and current developer in 2017, at the same time that Live Nation signed its lease agreement to bring concerts to the revitalized opera house. ■
MARINE
MARINE JOBS MADE EASIER WITH VIEGA FITTINGS
10 | Viega Voice | November 2018
Although a 150-foot yacht is big, the spaces inside to do repair or replacement work are still very small. That’s exactly why the crew at Engineered Yacht Solutions in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, used Viega for a recent motor-yacht job, as well as many others. EYS worked on the yacht, around 150 feet in length, removing all the aluminum bilge suction lines and replacing them with Viega SeaPress instead. The ability to press fittings, and to do it quickly, meant the small crew doing the work was done with the Viega portion in just a few days. “There were some sections of bilge-suction piping that were compromised with holes and degraded material,” said Aksel King, Vice President of EYS. “The vessel was probably 10 years old, and the material we cut out was a 60-series-grade aluminum, which is not the best for seawater or for the way they'd constructed the boat. SeaPress is a big upgrade for the vessel, a better material, and it made the job easier to do, too.” Because there was a tight time frame to get the repairs done, coupled with the fact that cold press technology is safer, particularly in tight quarters, EYS turned to Viega. Plus, King and EYS President Thomas McGowan both have a history of using Viega fittings long before they started the company together three years ago. “If I’m working on piping on a boat, I’m concerned about putting a bunch of welding equipment inside a million-dollar motor yacht!” King said. “When you start striking an arc, it’s fire. You’re going to have to have a fire watch and have a marine chemist come and make sure the area is safe to work in. I don’t have to worry about that with Viega. – Continued on page 12
“And at the end of the day, sometimes you don’t even have the ability to weld inside of a boat because of the other work going on, or time restraints and physical location. We just go in and cut and press.” On the recent vessel, 54mm SeaPress fittings were used for about 40 feet of pipe run. King said they used a variety of fittings, including tees and 45-degree elbows, and connected to the bilge suction manifold.
King and McGowan have been using Viega for about a decade. They were introduced to the company when the suppliers they had been working with for a local repair suggested Viega as an option. They started with ProPress and later added SeaPress to their repertoire. Much of the product they now install is SeaPress, or ProPress Stainless 316, occasionally utilizing ProPress Copper for chilled water. With Viega’s recent launch of MegaPress CuNi, EYS now has more options to choose from, depending on the vessel they’re working on. Both CuNi and SeaPress are 90/10 copper nickel fittings; but SeaPress is for CTS tube, while CuNi is for IPS pipe. “Being able to remove and reinstall pipe without having to do hot work, and 99 percent of the time in very tight quarters, is great,” King said. “We use a lot of Viega stainless steel and copper nickel fittings.” Thankfully for EYS, many customers in Florida already know about Viega and its products, so they understand why it’s a good choice for their vessels. EYS does almost anything that pertains to repair, modification or upgrading on vessels, including plumbing, fiberglass work, stainless steel work, pipe bending, lathing, grinding, polishing and more. Their average vessel is about 150 feet, though some are as large as 250 or 300 feet in size. “I like Viega products. They’re easy to use,” King said. “In all reality, the best way to sell it is to say that it’s simply the best option.” ■ 12 | Viega Voice | November 2018
IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
BOILER PIPING REFIT WITH MEGAPRESS XL Greg Gauthier has been using MegaPress regularly for years, so when he needed some larger-diameter carbon steel pipe fittings, MegaPress XL was the perfect fit. Gauthier Plumbing and Heating, located in Worcester, Massachusetts, replaced piping for two boilers in late summer at a newly established veterinary hospital in Northbridge, Massachusetts. The building had been vacant for about five years, and Gauthier said there was some cracking and wear to the boiler piping that was redone using primarily 3" carbon steel pipes and MegaPress XL fittings. “We’ve used MegaPress for the past five years, and the ProPress for several years – including the larger diameters – so we knew that using the MegaPress XL would save us a significant amount of time,” Gauthier said. “We saw a demo of the XL, and it was that or I had to get a welder in. I thought, ‘Let’s go with the fittings. They’re cleaner, smoother and a better application.’” He borrowed a PressBooster tool from Viega reps and got to work, putting in approximately 25 MegaPress XL fittings. Gauthier said the product was “awesome, absolutely perfect, a great tool and asset,” and that he will look in the future to purchase his own PressBooster and larger jaws, as he knows he’ll have need for them again. ■
WORCESTER, MA
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COMMERCIAL
VIEGA SOLUTIONS PERFECT FOR TIGHT QUARTERS
WITH THIS BIG JOB, WE KNEW MEGAPRESS WOULD BE A WAY TO SAVE ON AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF LABOR. – Rich Lobrovich, Project Manager, First Service Mechanical 14 | Viega Voice | November 2018
When you combine an aging building, extremely hot conditions, tight work spaces and a need for quick tie-in, Viega systems are the perfect answer to retrofit needs.
There was very little space to work with, in the back corner of an area. We didn’t even look at doing this project with anything other than Viega.”
That’s what contractors working on St. Joseph Villa in Salt Lake City, Utah, discovered. Rich Lobrovich and Chad Hustad, Project Managers for First Service Mechanical, used ProPress and MegaPress products in the building. The ease of use, plus the time saved with Viega, was huge.
First Service Mechanical has used ProPress several times in the past, but this was their first venture with MegaPress. Hustad said his crew felt comfortable with it, since they already knew the tooling and process.
“Our pipefitters had to work around existing steam pipes to do this project, so they were working in confined areas,” Lobrovich said. “Installing large lengths of carbon steel pipe and using a threading machine in the boiler room would have been very difficult. There was so much intricate piping that it would have been a lot of cut and threaded pipe. So we decided to use MegaPress.” St. Joseph Villa is a nursing home, rehab and healthcare facility. They offer in-house therapy programs, an integrated cognitive program and rehab to return home options. The building had old steam heat exchangers that needed to be replaced, along with plenty of old, corroded pipes, giving the First Service Mechanical crew plenty to do. The original request was to replace the steam boilers in the facility; however, Lobrovich said he recommended ditching the old steam-heat exchangers and replacing them with hydronic flat-plate heat exchangers. An engineer determined there was enough capacity on the existing hydronic boilers for this suggestion, so the First Service Mechanical crew got to work. “There was so much intricate piping,” Lobrovich said. “We used a lot of sizes, from ½" up to 2", that we pressed.
“With this big job, we knew MegaPress would be a way to save on labor. We saved on an extreme amount of labor,” Lobrovich said. He estimated 150 MegaPress fittings were installed for the hydronic heat-exchanger project. “The time you’d need to measure, walk in another room, cut and thread the pipe and come back, it would have been timeconsuming,” Lobrovich said. “We were able to cut the pieces and press and be done in probably 20 percent of the time it would have taken us to thread that pipe.” The company replaced another heat exchanger at the St. Joseph facility a few months later and is preparing to repipe the building next year, which will mean a lot more Viega fittings. Viega wasn’t specified to start with, but Hustad said First Service Mechanical offered it as a good way to make the project work, given the space confinements and time savings. The success of the hydronic heat-exchange project spurred the subsequent work at St. Joseph. “From our customer’s perspective, the tie-in was very quick in the middle of the winter. None of their live-in occupants were aware of the system downtime,” said Lobrovich. “This reduced the overall cost of the project.” ■
COMMERCIAL
BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL
An occupied 12-story commercial building – plus the need to replace nearly all the pipe and fittings – could only call for one thing. Viega ProPress. A crew from Green Team Services Corporation was brought in to update a large commercial office building in downtown Miami that was full of old galvanized pipe. James Terry, Founder and President of Green Team, said they replaced “every single piece of water pipe in that building,” which includes a restaurant on the first floor. Built in 1970, much of the mechanical equipment in the 140,000-square-foot building needed an upgrade. The company that had recently purchased the building decided to put in new chillers and replace the domestic water system. But because the building was fully occupied, it made things trickier, meaning Viega was even more attractive as the solution. Work took about a month and a half in total. There were multiple phases to the job – changing over galvanized pipe to copper and installing new ball valves on each floor. There were multiple low- and high-pressure mains into the building, plus the team put in a new pump skid.
CREW COMPLETES OVERNIGHT PROPRESS INSTALL 16 | Viega Voice | November 2018
The first phase included running all new 4" piping in the mechanical room which was in the basement. Terry said his crew spent about three weeks installing new water mains and then came back for a large overnight shutdown. “We had 11 plumbers for 12 hours, overnight, from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. It was a real marathon!” he said. “It would have been impossible without ProPress. The planning and the
logistics that go along with an overnight project like this are huge, and it’s much more efficient to do with Viega. “There are no surprises with ProPress. You know you have everything you need. I would never have done this job without being able to press. You’re talking over 100 joints in one night. You couldn’t solder that or do it any other way.” Terry said using ProPress, particularly on the overnight portion of the job, kept the budget down for the client by having labor as low as possible. It also helped the team get the job done efficiently while having as little of an impact on the building’s occupants as possible. Green Team bid the job with ProPress specified. Terry said they’ve been using Viega for the past decade and can’t imagine using another method. – Continued on page 18
YOU’RE TALKING OVER 100 JOINTS IN ONE NIGHT. YOU COULDN’T SOLDER THAT OR DO IT ANY OTHER WAY. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT PROPRESS. – James Terry, Founder and President, Green Team Services Corporation
“It’s the simplest form. I wouldn’t make a domestic water repair that was copper [without ProPress],” he said. “We have so much experience using Viega, and we’re so comfortable with it. The ease of use and the installation process is great – you just go get a couple of boxes of fittings, the press gun, and you’re ready to go.” Green Team has multiple bins of “emergency” Viega fittings in the most popular types and sizes in its warehouse so that if they have an unexpected shutdown in the middle of the night, they don’t have to depend on their suppliers when it’s 3 a.m. However, Terry noted that Lehman Pipe in Miami has twice been kind enough to open in the middle of the night for the Green Team when they needed some unique parts that weren’t already on hand. “We work on all kinds of buildings – offices, healthcare, education and hospitality type – and none of them want to wait to have their water on,” Terry said. “For me, Viega means you can get to the next job quicker because you’re getting the job done right the first time, and you know there aren’t going to be any issues.” ■
18 | Viega Voice | November 2018
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COMMERCIAL
VIEGA FLUSHING PRODUCTS: A GOOD FIT FOR HIGH-USE CAMPGROUND When you’ve been hiking for hundreds of miles, a campground with showers and a state-of-the-art restroom facility is definitely a highlight of any day. That’s what Devils Backbone Camp in Virginia offers, thanks in part to Viega flushing technology products. Devils Backbone Brewing Company has two locations in Virginia, with varied beverages and food. The company also runs a 73-site campground, Devils Backbone Camp, located just a few miles from a crossing point of the Appalachian Trail and Shenandoah National Park. For many Appalachian Trail hikers, the chance to get cleaned up and enjoy a good meal at the nearby brewpub is a much-appreciated one. Devils Backbone has been working with Tectonics II, a designand-build company, for years. Last year, Tectonics II was asked to help with expansion at the campground that included a bathroom. The plumber, Jeff Howard, President of Grassfield 20 | Viega Voice | November 2018
Plumbing, suggested to the Tectonics team a fixture package for the bathroom that included Viega in-wall carriers. “We hadn’t used Viega before, and Jeff brought us a newer skillset and these new fixtures that are appealing,” said Justin Crandall, Vice President of Tectonics II. “The finished fixtures were sleeker than what we typically use. He assured me that these would stand up to the use in the bathroom and look good, and have easy cleanup. It’s very simple, while looking good.” There are four toilets on each side of the bathroom (the men’s side has two toilets and two urinals). All have Viega carriers. There are also four showers and three sinks on each side. Howard said he felt like the in-wall carriers would look good, save space and save money. “I traveled to Europe last year and we saw this type of system everywhere,” he said. “Everywhere I went, from hotels to restaurants,
they used the carrier toilets. So I asked my supplier if there was some sort of comparable here in the States, and they sent me information from Viega. When [Tectonics II] asked for carriers, I thought this might be a good option.” Howard said he likes the space-saving aspect of moving the tank inside the wall. This frees up at least six inches of space in the bathroom. Additionally, the ability to use a smaller-sized pipe coming into the toilets without compromising on performance was attractive.
in installation. Viega’s commitment to customers includes support, advice and training for its products. The entire expansion project at Devils Backbone Camp started last October, and was completed earlier this year, with the carriers going in during the hiking off-season. With the bathroom now open to campers, Crandall said so far, the facilities have been well received.
“Normally you use a valve that requires a larger pipe. With this type of system, you can reduce the pipe size dramatically and still get the same flushing action from these toilets,” Howard said. “So you’re saving money by reducing the pipe size.”
By installing Viega Flushing Technology, you move the bowl off the floor and the tank inside the wall. This makes a bathroom easier to clean and more hygienic for users. It also creates more space in the bathroom. Maintenance of the carriers is easy, with access through the flush plate. Viega also offers a wide variety of flush-plate options – including touchless models – to suit all styles and frequency needs.
Viega lent a hand with this project. Tim Schmidt, Product Manager for Flushing and Drainage Systems, and Kevin Ashworth, Technical Manager for Flushing Systems, provided on-site training and support
Each year, 2-3 million people hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail, which runs from Maine to Georgia. Nearly 4,000 people attempted to hike the 2,181-mile trail in its entirety in the 2017 season. ■
INDUSTRIAL
22 | Viega Voice | November 2018
MEGAPRESS MAKES PROJECT CHANGES EASY
After 1,500 feet or more of carbon steel pipe had already been run for a project, there was a last-minute change in plans and two additions were made. With any other pipe joining solution, that would have thrown off construction by a few days, but thanks to Viega’s MegaPress System, the delay was minimal. The project is a new concrete plant for Dolese Bros. Co. in Oklahoma City. Founded before Oklahoma officially became a state, Dolese has 116 years of experience in Oklahoma, with more than 50 facilities and nearly 1,000 employees. – Continued on page 24
INDUSTRIAL
Dolese Bros.’ old plant was nearing the end of its production life, so the company built this new flagship location from the ground up. The new build includes underground and aboveground water piping. An on-site water recycling system pipes water from ground level up 30-40 feet. Hot-water and chilledwater loops keep the concrete at the correct temperature during hot and cold months. A crew from Flintco LLC installed all the air lines and water lines at the new Dolese plant, and they put MegaPress to work for it. MegaPress and MegaPress XL fittings in sizes 1" up to 4" were used on the project. “We used Viega fittings for about 95 percent of the aboveground water piping, approximately 2,000 feet,” said Adam Trautman, Project Manager for Flintco. “We’re historically a general contractor, and we don’t have a lot of certified pipe welders on standby that we can just pull whenever we need. “At one point we had discussed doing everything threaded, but even with a pony threader, that much pipe – and those types of pipe sizes – can put a lot of wear and tear on our guys and the equipment. Everyone we’ve shown the MegaPress XL to is impressed – it’s like pressing copper.” In talking to their supplier, Viega was suggested, particularly with the need for the larger-sized fittings. Trautman said the superintendent looked at MegaPress and “was blown away by it.”
24 | Viega Voice | November 2018
It was when a last-minute change in plans came up that the versatility and ease of use of MegaPress really shined. It was decided that two additional isolation valves were needed, and the piping had to be cut into the already installed lines. “If we’d had to add in two more valves using traditional welded fittings, it would have been a day and a half or two days, easily, with a welder to get that job done,” Trautman said. “With MegaPress, we were cut in and ready to move water within 30 minutes.” At the new concrete plant, chilled water is added to the concrete to keep it cool in the summer so it doesn’t exceed temperatures regulated by the American Concrete Institute. Pipe runs from a 15,000-gallon storage tank to the top of the plant to cool the concrete. Similarly, in the winter a booster pump and hot water are used so that the concrete doesn’t freeze. Flintco hadn’t used Viega fittings prior to building the Dolese concrete plant, Trautman said, but he had seen ProPress used in other projects before. “I’m definitely intrigued after seeing how easy and versatile it was to use MegaPress – efficient and effective,” Trautman said. “We’ll continue to be open to using MegaPress, especially for retrofits. It’s a great solution if you don’t have a large dedicated piping crew on site.” ■
WITH MEGAPRESS, WE WERE CUT IN AND READY TO MOVE WATER WITHIN 30 MINUTES. – Adam Trautman, Project Manager, Flintco LLC
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RESIDENTIAL
WITH ANOTHER APPLICATION, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN THERE ALL DAY LONG. DOING REPAIR WORK WITH VIEGA FITTINGS, YOU GET THINGS DONE IN A COUPLE OF HOURS INSTEAD. – Allen Pacheco, President and Owner, Pinnacle Plumbing
26 | Viega Voice | November 2018
WHY THREAD WHEN YOU CAN PRESS? A crew from Pinnacle Plumbing began threading the carbon steel pipe needed for gas lines in a 96-unit townhouse complex; but shortly after, they switched to Viega MegaPressG. The rest of the project – which includes more than 30 buildings, some of them mixed use – was completed with Viega. “After getting into the project, we were able to increase the speed of installation with less manpower using Viega,” said Allen Pacheco, President and Owner of Pinnacle Plumbing. “I think we did one building with the threading machine and it was just too much time.” Pacheco brought ProPress into the job as well, noting how well it worked for the boiler room, where plumbers were crammed in 36-inch-wide closet-like spaces. “To solder in there just doesn’t work,” he said. “And when it’s 101 outside and 98 percent humidity, it’s too much. We started to see the value, obviously for safety, but also turning around and installing this faster than we could have done with more manpower. Viega worked out a lot better.” The townhome complex has 31 buildings with two or three homes in each, plus three other buildings that have commercial space on the lowest level. There are a few buildings that include a cluster of apartments and community-style/common rooms. The little subdivision is located within walking distance of the small village of Pascoag, Rhode Island. The majority of MegaPressG fittings used in the development were 1" (with some 1¼" fittings also required). ProPress was used for the residential boiler systems, in ¾" and 1" sizes. One of the larger buildings includes a 2" copper main water supply as well. Pacheco and his crew, led by project foreman Christopher Baker, began using Viega ProPress about four years ago. It came as a recommendation, and although he was hesitant at first, he quickly realized Viega was, as he said, different and better. “We tried it on a 2½" boiler pipe, and from there we did a lot of commercial work with Viega. With another application, we would have been there all day long,” Pacheco said. “Doing repair work with Viega fittings, you get things done in a couple of hours instead. People also complain about things like smoke and flames in their homes, so this is something that the industry needs. We’ve transitioned and now every vehicle of ours has the press setup.” ■ Viega. Connected in quality. | 27
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT VIEGA
EXPERIENCE TOP-NOTCH EDUCATION We’ve been told time and again that Viega’s educational facility in Nashua, New Hampshire, is the best in the industry. It’s not full of the standard drawn-out Power Point presentations you might be used to. Instead, we get people hands-on with products, and they help shape the education they receive. Numerous reviews and feedback through the years peg Viega’s training as one of a kind and an experience in the industry unlike any other. It’s a training event that customers are excited to attend and distributors are proud to take their clients to. “In 36 years in the industry I have been fortunate to have taken many training events from other vendors and manufacturers,”
said Walter Marcon, sales representative for Wolseley. “This Viega training was, by far, the best and most professionally handled and executed affair I have had! The training facility was amazing, well thought out and perfect for our customers.” Viega’s educational facility opened in 2006 and was recently enhanced by the installation of the Interactive Learning Center. The ILC, full of touchscreen monitors where people can get hands-on with Viega products and learn about all the amazing features and benefits, was completed in 2017. Marcon said he’s had other experiences where customers and tradespeople are told to look and not touch, so being handson in the Nashua facility was a pleasant surprise. “Thank you again for the great training,” said Corey Schmidt of Able Distributing. “I have been selling plumbing products for 35 years and have seen a fair amount of manufacturer presentations. You are the best I have seen! My customers thought you were great.” From start to finish, those who attend a training, whether for a day or a week, are pleased. Never been, or thinking about coming? We’ll walk you through the experience. Upon arrival, receive a warm welcome from training staff, then familiarize yourself with the facility layout. Grab a snack and have some shop talk with our trainers. This is a great opportunity for contractors, wholesalers and others to ask
28 | Viega Voice | November 2018
questions or get discussions started to help the instructor shape the customizable agenda for the rest of the session. After the groundwork is laid, attendees get a tour of the ILC and see the cutting-edge technology that is part of the holistic interactive experience with Viega. It helps to set the foundation for the theory behind the systems that will be experienced in the classroom. Attendees also journey into the “trenches,” an ever-evolving hands-on installation space that allows participants to physically get their hands on all the systems, including ProPress, MegaPress, PureFlow and fire protection, ProRadiant heating and cooling, plus in-wall flushing products. In between days or upon completion, training center attendees are typically invited to experience the New England culture outside of the educational facility. From a trip to historic Fenway Park to a fishing excursion out of Plum Island, attendees’ experiences go beyond product knowledge and system integration. They get the chance to enjoy regional cuisine and all that New England has to offer. “No matter the learning preference of the attendee, or their goal coming into the trip, our customers leave with a better sense of how the Viega partnership benefits them and their business,” said Jason McKinnon, Director of Technical Services for Viega. “The investment made for the trip will pay dividends once they return to their everyday working life.” ■
INSTITUTIONAL
IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
STUDENT HOUSING USES PUREFLOW A growing need for more student housing at Wayne State University created great opportunities for Viega PureFlow products on the campus. The first of a multi-stage expansion was opened to students this fall at the university in Detroit, Michigan. The newly built Anthony Wayne Drive Apartments were completed in late summer of 2018, and the 11-story tower was ready for students for fall semester. Future phases include the rest of the Anthony Wayne Drive Apartments (expected in fall 2019) and the opening of a renovated Chatsworth Tower in the fall of 2020. The contractor on the project already had a good working relationship with Viega and chose to use the Viega PureFlow System to plumb the buildings with 2" and smaller diameter PEX and polymer press manifolds. Viega District Manager Michael Norgan said plumbing contractors were particularly drawn to Viega because of the ability to use the press jaws on PureFlow Press or ProPress fittings, since copper mains bring water into the building. From there, 2" risers carry the water up the towers. ProPress fittings were also used elsewhere in the building for heating and cooling piping. â–
DETROIT, MI
30 | Viega Voice | November 2018
TECH TALK
Q Is it normal for there to be slight movement with my ProPress Zero Lead bronze fittings after making the press connection? A Yes. A ProPress Zero Lead bronze fitting with slight movement after press is not a cause for concern. Viega’s Zero Lead silicon bronze alloy is a harder material than the copper or non-Zero Lead bronze commonly used in plumbing fittings prior to 2014. When a Zero Lead bronze fitting is pressed onto copper tube, both materials are deformed into a hexagonal shape that increases the mechanical strength of the connection. After the ProPress jaw is released, the harder Zero Lead bronze material may relax somewhat more than the copper tube, resulting in slight movement between the Zero Lead bronze and the copper tube. Please follow normal system pressure-test procedures after installation. A successful pressure test indicates system integrity. Extensive internal and third-party testing has shown consistent results regardless of this slight movement.
Q When installing a Viega ManaBloc, can I use any adapter to connect the water supply lines? A The supply connections on the Viega ManaBloc are National Pipe Straight Mechanical (NPSM) thread. A standard fitting purchased from a plumbing distributor would be National Pipe Thread (NPT). The NPT fitting is a tapered thread and would damage the ManaBloc if it was installed. Viega sells the NPSM-threaded supply adapters separately.
Q Does Viega offer residential and commercial design services? A Yes. Viega continually strives to support our business partners by offering design services for NFPA 13D fire protection systems, radiant heating and cooling systems, as well as residential and commercial domestic plumbing systems. With the Viega NFPA 13D fire protection design, the design team will create a drawing that includes the hydraulic calculations based on the location details, a detailed list of materials of the design and the layout of the design. The radiant design services include heat loss calculations, a drawing that shows the tubing layout, and a bill of materials containing tubing, manifolds, fittings, panels, controls and any other needed materials. Domestic plumbing designs provide the customer with a CAD layout design, a detailed list of materials and prices that can be used to submit for a bid on a project.
Tech Talk provided by Viega technical experts Jacob Demars, Dave Holden and David Melendy
Viega. Connected in quality. | 31
VOICE Viega LLC 12303 Airport Way, Suite 395 Broomfield, CO 80021 Change Service Requested 800-976-9819 viega.us insidesales@viega.us
The term Viega, as used in this publication, does not apply to a specific company within the various separate and distinct companies comprising the Viega group of companies. The term Viega, as used in this publication, refers to the Viega brand itself or generally to the Viega group of companies. References to activities in North America specifically refer to activities of Viega LLC. A green dot on a Viega ProPress, MegaPress and PureFlow Press fitting indicates the Smart Connect feature with an EPDM sealing element. A yellow dot on a Viega ProPressG and MegaPressG fitting indicates the Smart Connect feature with an HNBR sealing element. A white dot on a Viega ProPress (304 FKM) fitting indicates the Smart Connect technology with an FKM sealing element. For a current list of applications, please visit www.viega.us/applications. Zero Lead identifies Viega products meeting the lead-free requirements of NSF 61-G through testing under NSF/ANSI 372 (0.25% or less maximum weighted average lead content).
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©2018. Climate Mat®, Climate Panel®, Climate Trak®, FostaPEX®, GeoFusion®, ManaBloc®, MegaPress®, ProPress®, PureFlow®, Radiant Wizard®, SeaPress®, Smart Connect®, SmartLoop®, S-NO-ICE®, Viega®, Viega. Connected in quality®, Viega Eco Plus® Visign®, XL® and XL-C® are registered trademarks of Viega GmbH & Co. KG. Eco Brass® is a registered trademark of Mitsubishi Shindoh Co., LTD. RIDGID® is a registered trademark of RIDGID, Inc.
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