ProPress for black iron gas pipe

[pacnw]

http://www.viega.net/xchg/en-us/hs.x...log.html#pg=U9

saw this on This Old House today.

anyone using it?

any log term concerns for leaks?

any install restrictions?

[snupytcb]

i saw it too. i am very interested and have a supply house getting some samples for me. i have a decent sized gas piping job comming up and would love to use this if i can. it would be sweet if they would lend it to me to test it.

[meplumber]

We have used the ProPress copper system many times on pipe as large as 4". The labor savings washes the high fitting costs. We started using it on a job where the engineer spec'd it and we found that we like it. I am not sold on it for every job like some guys. The cost benefit doesn't always work and my guys know how to solder.

As for the gas stuff, we have taken the stance that we won't try it until an engineer spec's it. Let him certify it, I'm not going to. We got sucked into Trac Pipe and now have to go back and pay to bond some of our early installations, because it was buried in the manufacturer's instructions.

Welded black iron pipe has been carrying gas for a long time and I am not going to be the guinea pig on this one. I trust our pipefitters and welders. They melt steel everyday. As for smaller than 2 1/2", the Rigid 300 machine and a pipefitter that knows how to run it is a beautiful thing.

Has anyone tried it on gas yet? Would love to hear how it worked.

[snupytcb]

i agree with you. i think the bennifits are you don't need to lug the cutting and threading gear around. and black iron is alot cheaper than csst and the fittings.

[jtrammel]

I googled it and found a 1/2" union for $74, I think I'll stick with my threaders and black iron fittings.

[snupytcb]

wow!! suddenly csst sounds cheap. did it say how much the tool was? or is it the same tool as copper and you change the head or something? i have never any propress.

[Joehvac25]

I googled it and found a 1/2" union for $74, I think I'll stick with my threaders and black iron fittings.

I'm fairly certain I could install a threaded union for less than $74.

[jnsrose]

I also seen this advertised in the supply house. I could see where it could be useful but those fittings are expensive. Apparently from this post nobody has tried it yet. Can not wait to hear some feedback from someone that has tried it. I guess like stated above no one wants to be a guinea pig.

[snupytcb]

i don't have a problem being the guinea pig, i just don't want to do it out of my check book.lol. i am highly interested but if it is truely that expensive, it is not worth it for me. maybe it is for the big cos. that do alot of comercial steel piping, but i am just a one man band.

[meplumber]

Not for big companies either. We have 70 employees and we do some big work. I have seen too many products come along over the years that weren't properly tested for long term usage. I want to either see some long term resistance data to the O rings with petroleum or have one of the train drivers flat spec it so that they can assume the liability. Apparently it uses the same equipment as the copper system. We invested almost $8K to outfit a couple of crews to do up to 4". About what we have invested in Victaulic. That was the craze a few years ago and now we rarely see that spec'd anymore. I ain't gonna be the guinea pig on a school or hospital project, which is where you would have to be for the labor savings to even begin to wash the fitting costs.

[kamersoutdoor]

We heard rumors of this two years ago. Last summer my rep tells me they will be introducing this soon. He says the heads are unique, but fittings were reasonable. Kinda blew it off, but will keep a close eye on this!