Solvent cement helps contractor

from costly plumbing leaks

 

“If a product can help us avoid even one leak, it is worth the investment,” said Rudy Camarillo, project manager for TDIndustries for his experience with innovative FlowGuard Glow fluorescent solvent cement. The product glows blue under ultraviolet light, easily facilitating solvent cement joint inspections on the job site.

 

As an employee-owned company, Dallas-based mechanical contractor TDIndustries — No. 9 on the Top 100 Contractors listing — has successfully communicated to its employees the value of identifying cost-effective products, technologies and procedures. So when new FlowGuard Glow solvent cement came on the market, it wasn’t long before TDIndustries senior design coordinator Mark Gerstner decided to put it to the test in the field.

 

The timing was perfect. TDIndustries was just starting the plumbing work at 1900 McKinney, a 26-story, upscale apartment complex located in downtown Dallas. The all-concrete, 230-unit project with spectacular views of downtown Dallas and the affluent Victory area featured units with monthly rents upwards of $3,000. That meant a significant potential liability in property damage should any type of water leak occur.

 

“Most of our work is very vertical in nature and is seldom a garden style design,” said Camarillo. “We do a lot of multi-family projects, apartments and hotels, all of which have numerous levels. So if there is a leak, the problem is magnified, because several floors could be damaged. We heard that FlowGuard Glow solvent cement was a valuable inspection tool to help identify both dry fits and inadequately solvent cemented joints, and that definitely caught our attention.”

 

Dry fits or joints with insufficient solvent cement represent one of the leading challenges to a successful cpvc piping installation. Especially on large projects where there are hundreds of joints, it is more likely that a fitting could be overlooked and not properly fitted with solvent cement. The one-step FlowGuard Glow solvent cement glows fluorescent blue under ultraviolet light, making it easier for installers to easily and quickly inspect joints with a UV-A light kit and confirm that a joint has sufficient solvent cement.

 

“We’ve been using FlowGuard Gold cpvc pipe and fittings since the mid 1990s and know the system is high-quality and reliable,” said Camarillo. “But even the best system can be subject to problems if it’s not installed properly. With FlowGuard Glow solvent cement, it’s easier to spot problems before they occur. We previously had situations where construction was nearly finished before we realized there was an improperly joined fitting. By that time, it’s a very expensive problem to fix, because you’re ripping out sheet rock and getting in the way of the other trades. With FlowGuard Glow solvent cement, it’s easy to see the issue immediately.”

 

“When we first tested the new solvent cement, we didn’t tell the installers that we were using the new product on the 1900 McKinney project,” said Camarillo. “It looks and works the same as traditional one-step cpvc solvent cement, so they didn’t know. After they had completed one entire floor, we went back with the black light and checked their work. At first the installers were confused and wondered what we were doing. But once we discovered the first dry fitting on that floor, they realized what was happening. On that same floor we also found two joints that were not completely solvent cemented. From that point on, there seemed to be a greater level of accountability. Everyone was more alert and focused on doing the job right the first time because they knew they were being double checked.”

 

“We found the product to be very easy to use,” said Camarillo. “As soon as you hit the fitting with the black light, you can immediately see the solvent cement, even if there are windows nearby or plenty of natural light. It really stood out easily to minimize the amount of time necessary to recheck the entire site.”

 

As a result of its success at 1900 McKinney, FlowGuard Glow solvent cement is now being written into all of TDIndustries’ submittals, and all team members have been directed to utilize the new technology in the future.

 

“This product performed to the same high standards that we have come to expect from all FlowGuard Gold products,” said Gerstner. “We were not disappointed.”

 

Gerstner noted that TDIndustries, which was founded in 1946 and has since grown to become one of America’s premier facilities service and specialty construction companies, had previously been a loyal supporter of copper until the 1990s when there was an increased incidence of copper pipe theft from the job site. In addition, Gerstner noted the fire risk associated with soldering.

 

The company has been a loyal FlowGuard Gold pipe and fittings supporter since the 1990s. Although other cpvc piping systems have since been introduced to the market, TDIndustries prefers FlowGuard Gold cpvc pipe and fittings because of the tremendous technical support they receive.

 

“When we find a product we like and trust, we run with it,” said Camarillo. “We have received tremendous technical support from the local FlowGuard representative in combination with a proven, high-quality product.”

 

As a result of the company’s satisfaction with FlowGuard Gold pipe and fittings, the company also started using larger-diameter Corzan pipe and fittings in recent years on its larger commercial projects. Corzan pipe and fittings are made utilizing the same patented cpvc technology as FlowGuard Gold systems.

 

“It was during a training session at FlowGuard Gold University in Cleveland when we first got our hands on the FlowGuard Glow product and had a chance to see how it worked,” said Camarillo. “We quickly gravitated to the product because it solved a real problem.”

 

Gerstner added, “I no longer have to guess about the quality of our end product. As an employee-owned company, the money we save by identifying installation issues before they manifest themselves as water leaks translates into more working capital for the company and a greater return for me. So the advantages this product delivers are very personal.”