When you are finishing a piping project, the last thing you want to discover is a missed connection. Viega’s Smart Connect technology and sealing elements will help ensure that your connection is secure, every time.
Fittings with Smart Connect technology help you identify unpressed connections during a pressure test (either with air or water). ProPress and MegaPress metal fittings will have a colored dot that designates Smart Connect technology and which of three different sealing elements is in the fitting. PureFlow polymer fittings will have a green dot to indicate the presence of Smart Connect technology (they do not have a sealing element). Each color of dot has a corresponding sealing element, making it easy to identify.
• Green dot – This specifies a fitting with an EPDM sealing element.
• White dot – This specifies a fitting with an FKM sealing element.
• Yellow dot – This specifies a fitting with an HNBR sealing element.
Sealing elements are sometimes confused with O-rings. O-rings are installed as part of a dynamic seal (so the O-ring can move with the assembly), but a sealing element is installed as part of a static seal. The element never moves once it has been pressed. Because sealing elements do not move once installed, they aren’t subject to the wear and tear of an assembly joined with an O-ring.
At Viega, we are equally confident in the quality of our sealing elements and our fittings. That’s because we pair quality design and manufacturing processes with weathering tests to ensure sealing elements perform as intended well into the future.
The three types of sealing elements and the approved applications and specifications are:
• EPDM: Ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubber (EPDM) is a synthetic, cured all-purpose elastomer with excellent resistance to chemicals and other harsh environmental conditions. With operating temperatures from 0℉ to 250℉, it is suitable to any type of water application (hot water included), as well as compressed air and ketones.
• HNBR: Hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) is a specialty-purpose elastomer with a great deal of strength and retention in the face of heat, oil and chemical exposure. HNBR sealing elements are primarily geared toward gas applications, from natural and propane to mixed and manufactured gases, along with oils and lubricants.
• FKM: is a specialty-purpose elastomer. In combination with excellent resistance to chemicals and environmental influences, it is resistant to extreme spikes in temperatures (up to 356℉) for 24 hours or less. These qualities make it suitable for industrial environments with harsh, corrosive conditions.
Operating within our approved conditions, our sealing elements are expected to outlast the life of their respective product line, carrying the same warranty period as the product line they are installed in. For example, our standard ProPress fittings are backed by a 50-year limited warranty. We stand behind the ability of our sealing elements to meet these same demands.