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Multipurpose PEX plumbing/sprinkler systems help contractors expand revenue base
BY JAYSON DRAKE
In today’s depressed economy, when the overall number of jobs has shrunk, how is a plumbing contractor supposed to grow the business or at least stay busy enough to keep the current crews? For many professional plumbing, heating and cooling (PHC) contractors, installing residential fire sprinklers can help close the income gap and even grow the bottom line.
In advance of the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC) mandate, which requires sprinklers in one- and two-family homes and townhomes built on or after January 1, 2011, developers and builders are searching for cost-effective methods to meet what most consider an expensive new requirement. The builder’s dilemma could turn out to be the PHC contractor’s opportunity.
“You’d be surprised how easy it can be to move from setting sinks to installing residential fire safety systems,” said Kelly Fahey, co-owner of Washington-based PacWest Sales, Inc. “Plumbers already have the knowledge, tools and, more importantly, the solid working relationships with home builders, to prosper in a market downturn.”
Fahey noted that because plumbers are already a pivotal trade for builders, the market is ripe for PHC contractors to step up and claim this profitable line of work. The beauty of multipurpose fire safety systems, explains Fahey, is that they combine the potable cold-water lines with the sprinkler system. As a consequence, they are a natural extension for the plumbing trade. A fire sprinkler connects to the plumbing-supply line just like any other fixture or fitting.
Multipurpose benefits
Unlike traditional standalone residential fire sprinkler systems that use rigid cpvc pipe, multipurpose systems use flexible PEX (crosslinked polyethylene) tubing to combine the cold-water plumbing and fire sprinklers into a single piping network. As a result, one redundant piping system is eliminated, reducing material and labor costs as well as potential jobsite-scheduling hassles.
In addition to lower installation costs, PEX-based multipurpose systems offer these important benefits for home builders and their buyers:
“Our existing plumber was able to install both systems at once, eliminating the need and the cost of a separate sprinkler contractor,” said Emil Wanatka, president of Durango, Colorado-based Timberline Builders, which specializes in residential infill developments. “Any time you can eliminate a trade, it helps the bottom line. There are always conflicts over scheduling, training contractors to your floor plans and general worksite harmony. In our case, when it comes to subs, less is definitely more.”
Making it pay
Plumbing contractor Steve Svedarsky investigated the opportunity in multipurpose sprinkler systems when the market showed signs of slowing in 2006. “Like in any business, plumbers protect their turf,” explained the second-generation PHC contractor from Puyallup, Wash., and owner of Monarch Plumbing. “When we realized there was a shrinking pool of jobs, we had to figure out a way to expand our revenue base. Since we were already using PEX exclusively for our plumbing and radiant floor heating work, the fundamentals of sprinkler installation were very straightforward.”
For product training and design support, Svedarsky turned to Fahey, who represents Uponor Fire Safety Systems. Fahey not only had the industry knowledge, but also helped Svedarsky convince the local fire marshal that PEX multipurpose fire sprinkler systems performed as well as traditional stand-alone systems.
Three steps to increased revenue
Since the tubing and fittings used in many residential fire safety systems are the same as those used in plumbing supply lines, contractors already know most of the basics of sprinkler installation. To begin making money from sprinkler installations, plumbing and heating contractors simply need the following:
1) “Level 1” classroom training: This product knowledge training is usually conducted by the system manufacturer or its local sales representative and provides a solid overview of design, installation and testing procedures. The contractor must also become familiar with a few key, sprinkler-specific tools.
2) Project design: Sprinkler equipment manufacturers use construction data provided by the installing contractor to generate the project-specific sprinkler designs. Uponor’s certified fire sprinkler designers charge below-market hourly prices for this service, which is then included in the formal project bid.
3) Installation and “Level 2” on-the-job training: Experts from sprinkler equipment manufacturers accompany plumbing contractors on first jobs to ensure proper installation.
Note: The above three steps apply to Uponor only and are not common across the industry; this training method and the “Level 1” and “Level 2” terms are specific to Uponor.
“Once plumbers have the required training and/or certification, the residential fire sprinkler business becomes a great opportunity,” said Svedarsky. Estimating that fire sprinkler installation now accounts for nearly 10 percent of his company’s sales, Svedarsky expects that demand will grow dramatically in the near future and that contractors trained in advance of the code mandate will prosper.
Jayson Drake serves as senior product manager, Plumbing and Fire Safety, at Uponor Inc. He may be reached at jayson.drake@uponor.com.
The PEX Quotient
By Bill Allen, PE.
PEX tubing has proven to be a good system for radiant floor heating, ice melting and residential water piping. There are several processing methods to provide the cross-linking of the polyethylene material. Make sure you verify which performs best in your situation.
Caution: When used properly, every piping material or system can provide good service. Placing galvanized material in corrosive soil will cause it the turn into a sprinkler system. Place copper in contact with concrete or directly connected to steel and it will turn green and disappear. Plastic pipes, if not properly treated, will deteriorate when exposed to direct sunlight. Some plastics can handle high temperatures. Some plastics are approved for use in drinking water and domestic water systems. Some should not be exposed to chlorine. Read the instructions!
There have been fitting failures of some PEX systems in the past when the metal alloys reacted with the water chemistry and failed. When invited to analyze a home, which the night before, had 18 inches of water covering the first floor, it was discovered that the incoming water line had failed at a fitting resulting in a 3/4" diameter tube, pouring hundreds of gallons of water into the home. I must report that the builder did a great job on the seals for the doors as they contained the water in the home. Further inspections uncovered leaking fittings that were caused by inexperienced operators not crimping the fitting to specs or using the wrong ring material.
Every product goes through growing pains after they are released. As Pogo, the comic character, stated, “There are no problems, only unsurmounted opportunities.”
When I started in this business back in the Dark Ages, water hammer was a problem. We had faucets that were not stingy with the flow and had valves that could be closed rapidly. The fast velocity of the large flow combined with the sudden stop resulted in noisy piping systems. On more than one occasion I have seen pipes peeled open like a banana from those forces. With improvements in valve design, water-saving design and the application of water hammer arrestors, this has generally become a thing of the past.
Have you compared the inside diameter of the various piping products available? PEX has a smaller inside diameter than the other materials of the same trade size. This affects the velocity and pressure drop.
In some areas of the country plumbers have used 3/8" diameter PEX to reduce costs and to deliver hot water to the faucet faster. Care must be taken to avoid a low-flow condition due to low pressure and water hammer from the increased flow velocity.
During the last 20 years, I have had requests to inspect and correct PEX systems because the newly installed systems were having water hammer problems and other difficulties. The PEX design manual points out that the flexibility of the PEX allows it to absorb the forces of the pressure surge. This is true, but if the installer does not properly secure the tubing to the structure, the tubes will slap the wall surfaces and create a loud pop.
PEX cannot be stretched tight when secured to the structure. PEX can extend as much as 0.01 inch per foot for a 10°F rise (manufacturer’s published specification). A hot water pipe can easily see variations from 60° F to 120° F. In an 8-foot high wall, the pipe can move 3/4". This creates an installation problem as to how to provide expansion and contraction while preventing water hammer noise. The design guide shows examples of ways to solve this and prevent the offensive water hammer. To secure the tubing as it passes through the drywall use a prefabricated pipe support bracket that spans the studs to limit movement.
As the PEX is routed through the structure, the tubing must be located in the center of the stud. If located too close to the drywall an errant trim nail or drywall screw can penetrate it. Use metal plates where nails or screws may penetrate the tube — especially at the top and base plates of wood construction. A homeowner purchased some new solid oak flooring to dress up their new home. The installer removed the baseboard to install the wood and replaced it using 2-inch wire brads fired from a pneumatic gun. Need I say more? They had an interesting contoured flooring system. A small piece of metal where the tube came out of the floor for a water closet would have saved $25,000.
My personal residence has PEX and it gives great service — now that a couple extra clamps have been added.
William Allen, P.E., is the mechanical engineering manager, Geo-Marine Inc., Knoxville, Tenn. He has held titles such as facility and environmental engineer with General Motors; corporate energy manager with Litton Industries; and an engineering consultant with several engineering firms.
PEX in the modern world
BY RONNIE JACKSON
The plumbing industry has changed more in the last five years than it has in the last 30. Materials and methods are introduced at a pace that assimilation in some arenas will take decades to fully understand. Speaking of decades, in my 35 years of working in the plumbing industry I’ve seen many changes concerning materials and methods. Transitions like…
The roll out of PEX in California has been both comical and sad. While a representative of CSST, I was in attendance at the May 2001 California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) in Sacramento. Impressive testimony by the California Building Officials (CALBO) on behalf of PEX expressing support of the Housing & Community Development (HCD) was presented. Unceremonial dismissal of PEX products and methods ensued.
PEX manufacturers were reaching their apex in product offering in many states.
Six years earlier I watched as an Arizona wholesale purchasing director struggled to maintain ample PEX inventory. Immersed in a robust residential building economy, plumbing-piping-progress in California was leaking reality while Phoenix Metro area found endless product application.
The CBSC acted during its meeting in Sacramento, January 22, 2009 for adoption on August 1, 2009 in a unanimous vote, approving the addition of PEX pipe and tubing to the California Plumbing Code (CPC). The adoption allows its use in hospitals, clinics, residential and commercial construction throughout the state. California is a generation behind the Europeans in the application of PEX products. As a third-generation plumber, speaking on behalf of the two industry leaders that came before me, no other non-plastic building or plumbing material has ever been subjected to/or passed such scrutiny.
There is a perception among some that PEX piping systems are inferior as a building product, generally based on knowledge of past failures of polybutylene (PB) piping systems. Because of the misunderstanding between PB, PEX and other polymers, hurdles exist. Even so there are numerous non-technical benefits of PEX. These include:
Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) materials are rated for long-term service at 180°F, as well as for cold water applications. Hot and cold water distribution system piping made from these materials has a working pressure rating of 100 psi at 180°F. Thus, such materials are suitable for hot water distribution where water heaters are installed with relief valves set at 150 psi, 210°F.
With 300' lengths of 1" & 2" now available, versatility abounds. Two simple examples would be the ability to transverse an existing commercial building ceiling space with only terminal points of connection and installing below grade water service with no joints between meter and building.
There are five basic joining processes to choose from: copper crimp ring, stainless steel (ss) press sleeve, clamp style, expansion and axial pressing. Each of these methods requires specific tools recommended by the PEX manufacturer. For joints up to 1", simple hand tools which are intended for the various joining methods are affordable and easy to use.
For joints 1-1/4" and larger mechanical tools should be utilized. Hand held battery operated pressing machines can make a 2" crimp joint or a SS press sleeve joint in as little as 4 seconds. There are several manufacturers offering battery-operated and corded pressing tools. Jobsite and shop demonstrations can be arranged by contacting the manufacturers’ representative.
Currently many home and business owners are choosing to remodel or spruce up their buildings rather than move or relocate. PEX makes sense in this economy and can minimize impact in the rough-in phase.
The versatility of PEX tubing makes it perfect for numerous residential, commercial, institutional and industrial applications... Welcome to California, who could possibly want to stop the celebration.
Learn more by visiting the Plastic Pipe and Fitting Association website, http://www.ppfahome.org.
Ronnie D. Jackson is a regional sales manager for Stanley-Virax.
