Service and repair calls are a daily part of a plumber’s work. In both residential and commercial buildings, you may have pipes that leak, gas lines that need to be replaced, or corroded pipes from decades and decades of water. Talk to anyone who lives in a house over 100 years old; chances are, they’ve called in a plumber for at least a few repairs. We talked to two of our Viega Press Masters about why they use Viega in their service and repair calls.
Evan Berns is a young professional working based in Loomis, California. He began his career in 2019 and has used Viega and press technology ever since. One of the big advantages of using Viega for service calls is how much time it saves. “It cuts the job time in half without having to solder,” said Berns.
Travis Abaire, in Waterbury, Connecticut, has been working with Viega products for about 15 years. He started his business, TAP Plumbing and Heating, 5-1/2 years ago and uses Viega exclusively. He agrees that the time savings with Viega are hard to ignore. “Using Viega lessens the downtime for the customer. I’m able to get in and make the repairs quickly, and I’m confident that they’ll last for the life of the house,” said Abaire.
Berns and Abaire agree they’ve never seen a properly installed Viega fitting fail. “I’ve worked with other systems and have had issues,” said Abaire. Berns concurs, “Even the best plumber on their best day could still have a leak with soldering.”
Abaire talked about a recent service call he completed using Viega. “I was working on a commercial project – there were six units on one riser. The ball valve handle had sheared right off when you turned it on. I was able to shut down the system, drain the line, cut out the affected pipe, replace the valve, and power the system back up in 45 minutes. There’s no way I could have done that soldering. It would have taken 2 hours or more to complete.”
So, what’s on your truck?
Berns and Abaire agree it’s important to stock your truck with whatever you need to complete a service repair. “One of everything!” Berns joked. But all joking aside, there are some things they always keep in stock and on their trucks:
- MegaPressG for gas repairs
- PureFlow for PEX repairs (with caps and plugs)
- ProPress fittings in ½", ¾" up to 1-¼" for residential projects
- Ball Valves in ½" and ¾" sizes
Both Abaire and Berns agree that the investment in Viega fittings and press tools is worth it. Abaire is the owner and operator of his own business, doing most of the jobs himself with part-time help from an apprentice. He said, “The first thing I bought was a press tool. It was an investment up front but has more than paid for itself. I’m still using the same tools 5-1/2 years later. Using press, I can get in and out of a job quickly and handle more service calls in a day.”
Berns said that by using Viega, he was able to complete two manifold jobs in one day. “If anyone was on the fence about using press, I’d put the tool in their hand and give them the fittings to a job. If you do one job with press, you’d jump over the fence and make the investment.”
Why Press With Viega? Speed. Reliability.
Abaire has colleagues who still say press technology is too new and question why they should use press when people have been welding and soldering for generations. His answer is simple. “People probably said the same thing about having to crank your car’s engine. Technology moves forward. If you can do something better and faster that still lasts the tests of time, why wouldn’t you make the switch?”
Follow Evan Berns on Instagram: @re.plumb
Follow Travis Abaire with TAP Plumbing and Heating on Instagram: @t.a.p.plumbingandheating
View this profile on InstagramT.A.P. Plumbing And Heating (@t.a.p.plumbingandheating) • Instagram photos and videos
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