>B< Press fittings chosen for refurbishment at University Hospital Kerry

Background

When faced with re-piping water services into two active wards at University Hospital Kerry, contractor Thermopro Ltd chose Conex Bänninger >B< Press fittings for a fast, secure and flame-free solution.

Products

To complicate matters further, one of the wards belonged to the oncology department where infection control is of critical importance, meaning all the work had to be done out-of-hours.

The contractor was also up against a tight deadline for the refurbishment of a third ward, which was closed while work took place but which the hospital needed to be ready to resume normal operation as quickly as possible.

DJ Walsh, founder and managing director at Thermopro, which is based in County Kerry, said: “If we had had to try to work in the active wards using traditional plumbing methods it would have been a nightmare.

“There was no way we could risk using braze or solder because of the obvious safety concerns.”

>B< Press fittings are completed using a press fit tool and, following the usual preparation, take just five seconds to complete.

As a flame-free, mechanical joint no hot works permit is required and the installer does not have to hang around for hours afterwards as a precaution.

This all makes press fittings a much better option for projects where a building continues to be occupied while work is carried out.

The re-piping for the active wards was for washing facilities in consulting rooms, toilets, kitchen areas, and laundry and sluice rooms.

DJ said: “With the >B< Press fittings, we were able to run all our main lines over a Friday night and Saturday.

“Using traditional methods, we would have struggled to keep up with the builder’s programme to get the work done over two weekends, but it was made easy with >B< Press.

“The speed at which we were able to carry out the work was unparalleled.

“We were also facing a lack of availability of plumbers who could work out of hours, but using the >B< Press fittings meant we could manage the project with just a team of two as the whole project moved forward much more quickly.

"There was some investment needed in the tooling but it will quickly pay for itself. We will definitely be using this system again in the future.”

Prior to commencing the job, the Thermopro team undertook formal >B< Press training with Conex Bänninger’s Technical Sales Manager for Ireland, John Crofton.

The Conex Bänninger >B< Press fittings are suitable for use with hard, half-hard and soft copper tube, providing a secure, long-life, leak-proof joint.

Utilising 3-point press technology, with one press each side of the bead and a third compressing the O-ring, they are available in copper and red brass. >B< Press fittings can be used with copper tube to EN 1057.

Thermopro Ltd was set up by DJ in 2007. He began his plumbing career in 1998 and worked for both a domestic and commercial plumbing company before starting his own.

The company, which employs 11 installers, has carried out multiple refurbishment projects for the hospital, along with providing ongoing reactive maintenance for Kerry Airport and Kerry County Council.