A contractor working on an extension to a luxury hotel in Edinburgh – part of a well-known national chain – has benefited from fast, accurate, timely deliveries from leading supplier Brymec of building services and plumbing components. These included insulation, refrigeration copper tube, Conex Bänninger MaxiPro press fittings and Valsir Pexal multilayer pipework. 

As well as offering an excellent supply service, Brymec was also able to help the contractor – Belfast-based Sharpe Air Conditioning – to work on products with which it was unfamiliar. Nathan Gardiner, key account manager at Brymec, explained: “We had been talking to our customer about this new type of pipe jointing system – MaxiPro – that they had only installed once before. 

“They had this second project come up, and that is when I got involved and advised on what type of fittings they would need. We helped with technical support as well as advising Sharpe on the type and quantity of fittings they would require. Once the order was secured and we made the delivery, a colleague and I attended the site and conducted training for the engineers on the MaxiPro and Pexal press fitting systems.” 

Brymec was also able to save Sharpe a considerable amount of money by working closely with the press fitting tool manufacturer – Rothenberger – to ensure its tool could work with both MaxiPro and Pexal fittings. 

Nathan Gardiner again: “Rothenberger’s Romax Compact tool is supplied for the MaxiPro system. We worked with the tool manufacturer to develop a jaw accessory for the tool which fits the Pexal system. This saved the contractor having to buy two separate tools, one for each system, which would have been very expensive.” 

Another advantage of using Brymec was that Sharpe was able to order both air conditioning and plumbing materials from a single supplier, simplifying the ordering process and offering peace of mind to the contractor. 

The MaxiPro press fitting system provides secure, permanent leak-proof joints suitable for air conditioning and refrigeration applications. It offers a number of advantages over conventional ‘hot work’ pipe connections. For example, press fitting is flame-free so there is no risk of fire and no need to obtain a hot works permit. And, no brazing or oxygen-free nitrogen purging are required, which accelerates installation and enables installers to be more productive. 

One of the biggest advantages of press fittings, however, is that they offer the installer an added layer of security because he or she can be assured that the joint is sealed correctly. Traditional pipe fitting methods leave open the possibility that the connection could be flawed if, say, the installer is unable to ensure solder flows properly around the joint.