Pipes, Valves, & Fittings

 Twelve new P x P reducer and P x FPT union options are available for the Viega MegaPress and MegaPressG systems for carbon steel piping systems.

Viega introduces 12 new reducer and union options for the Viega MegaPress and MegaPressG systems for schedule 5 to schedule 40 carbon steel piping systems in sizes 1/2″ to 2″.

The Viega MegaPress system uses modern cold press connections for pipe installation. The Viega MegaPress system is ideal for hydronic heat, chilled water, compressed air, fire sprinkler systems, low-pressure steam and vacuum lines. Viega MegaPressG fittings are designed for use in fuel oil and natural gas applications.

The MegaPress and MegaPressG P x P reducers and P x FPT unions are available in 1/2″, 3/4″, 1″, 1 1/4″, 1 1/2″ and 2″ sizes.

“Viega is happy to introduce the new series of reducers and unions to the MegaPress system,” said Derek Bower, product director, metal systems at Viega. “Our continuously growing Viega MegaPress line makes it even easier to use this innovative system for a large number of commercial, industrial and residential applications.”

More than 200 Viega MegaPress fittings are available ranging in sizes from 1/2″ to 2″ that include elbows, couplings, reducers, tees, reducing tees, threaded adapters, caps, flanges and unions. The fittings use a stainless steel grip ring with an EPDM sealing element for the Viega MegaPress system, or HNBR for the Viega MegaPressG, along with a stainless steel separator ring that ensures the sealing element and grip ring perform at maximum capacity.

Ideal for industrial, commercial and residential applications, the Viega MegaPress system is easy to use, flameless and environmentally friendly. It makes secure, water-tight and air-tight connections in seconds. The system performs well in both new installations and retrofit projects. The innovative addition to Viega’s product line leaves no joining material buildup, exposed threads or tarnish creating a clean, professional appearance. Viega MegaPress is also FM- and UL-compliant.

The patented Smart Connect^® feature, available only from Viega, allows water to flow past an unpressed fitting, providing installers with added confidence in their connections.

Since the Viega MegaPress system is flameless, it is safer than traditional systems and eliminates the need for hot work permits. The system is clean, requiring no welding rods or cutting oils. It can be installed under flow conditions, making it ideal for maintenance or emergency repair jobs, and reducing costly downtime by decreasing plant shutdowns. The press technology also maintains the structural integrity of the pipe.

Viega’s MegaPress system is FM compliant for fire sprinkler applications and ASME B31 compliant for pressure and boiler piping and MegaPressG fittings are CSA LC4 compliant for fuel gas and oil applications. The system meets the most rigorous testing codes and standards in North America and is warranted against defects and workmanship.

Far too often government agencies preach one thing and do another, but for the USGBC they have truly put their words into action with their new headquarters in the Foggy Bottom district of Washington DC. Completed in 2007 the building has one purpose, to showcase to the public what green building could do.

The first building to achieve Platinum Certification under LEED’s 3 new guidelines, it exemplifies high performance and energy efficiency blending together to create a healthy and productive environment. To do this, architects, engineers and contributing professionals strictly adhered to LEED and other green building guidelines to produce a design that had sustainability woven in every wall and corridor. Goals such as reducing water usage by 40% and overall energy use (as compared to the average office building) by 50% were set to ensure the building met expectations.

Knowing Sloan’s commitment to the green movement, builders almost exclusively chose our products for their bathrooms. Selecting our SOLIS® solar-powered faucet, the UPPERCUT® dual-flush flushometer, XLERATOR® Hand Dryer, and WES-1000 Waterfree Urinal, the USGBC’s headquarters utilizes some our most advanced systems.

When the nation’s leading organization for eco-friendly building decided it was time for a new headquarters there was much anticipation as to how efficient the building could actually be. When the final product was done interested parties were not disappointed as the new USGBC would be a shining example of what environmentally responsible building could and should be.

The goal of the building was to not only lead by example but to become a living and breathing lab for the commercial building industry. Far too often new technologies get overlooked out of fear they might not perform properly or for lack of data to support energy savings claims. At the USGBC headquarters, however, new and efficient products would also be showcased with the goal of not only educating builders but also to help the building attain its main goals of achieving the highest LEEDs certification possible and be the most efficient building possible.

Led by designers and contractors from both Perkins & Will and Davis Construction, the building renovation would incorporate principles of reclamation, recycling and efficiency into every hallway, office and bathroom. Giving new life to things left behind by the previous building occupants, the designs utilized existing materials like the terrazzo flooring, glass panels and granite countertops. Even the old office furniture was salvaged for the new building. For the bathrooms, careful attention was given to water and energy savings. Utilizing new technologies like waterfree urinals, low-flow faucets and dual-flush fixtures would be essential. For contractors, when it came time to selecting the right products they turned to the industry leader, Sloan. Currently all bathrooms in the building feature Sloan faucets, urinals, hand dryers, and of course flushometers.

The strategies combined to create one of, if not the most efficient office building in the US. Achieving the distinction of the first Platinum certified building in America the building earned 45 out of a possible 57 LEED points. More importantly, Sloan products contributed to the building receiving a perfect ranking in the water efficiency category, and an impressive overall reduction of water use by 40%.

Watts today unveiled a press connection option for select water pressure reducing valves (WPRVs), as well as hydronic and mixing valves. Valves with the press option can be used for in new construction, as well as in renovation projects as an alternative to a sweat/solder joint.

Press technology provides a way to join copper tubing to brass and bronze valves more efficiently than with soldering. This approach offers both time and labor savings over soldering.

Press connections also allow installers create a watertight seal that is strong, consistent, and reliable and avoid soldering issues such as fire, smoke, and the need for fire watches.

For more information, visit Watts.com/pressconnections.

Local event uses Viega PEX Fire Sprinkler system in burn room demonstration to promote fire sprinkler safety.

Viega LLC partnered with the McPherson Fire Department to host a burn room demonstration for the public at Wickersham Park to promote fire sprinkler safety and awareness.

The McPherson Fire Department set up two identical 10-feet-by-10-feet rooms with furniture, equipped one room with a Viega PEX Fire Sprinkler system and started a controlled fire to demonstrate the little time it takes for a room to completely burn without the use of a sprinkler system.

While the room without the sprinkler system was immediately engulfed by the fire, the room equipped with a Viega PEX Fire Sprinkler system was saved quickly with little water damage. In addition to the fire sprinkler burn challenge, the event also included an appliance fire demonstration and a class that taught the proper use of fire extinguishers.

“Our goal for this event is giving the public a better understanding of some of the effective, economical sprinkler options that are available today,” said T.J. Wyssmann, division fire chief at the McPherson Fire Department. “Many materials found in modern homes cause fires to burn faster than ever before, but a sprinkler system can stop the fire in its incipient stage, hold the flames at bay until fire personnel arrive and allow everyone inside to exit safely.”

Viega makes fire protection installations simple with reliable, integrated system solutions that reduce callbacks and increase confidence on the job and afterward. Viega PEX Solutions offer installers several advantages, primarily installation time savings. With Viega PEX Solutions, installers can mount all the brackets, run the tubing and then press all the fittings, making the installation quicker and easier. In comparison, rigid pipe must be installed in a tedious, step-by-step process. “When a fire sets off a sprinkler system in a home, it rarely makes the news because it’s a non-event,” said Seth Larson, product manager, plastics at Viega. “The Viega PEX Fire Sprinkler system is designed to save lives, and these kinds of demonstrations show just how quickly a fire can spread without the help of fire sprinklers.”