# propress question



## lpayne1234 (Sep 20, 2008)

I have taken a job at a small college, about 6,000 students. I do the repair and general upkeep of the plumbing and PM. The Question I have is they have an existing building where they keep band equipment, the are adding an addition on to it for just the band practice, on a slab. No bathrooms, or water inside the slab what so ever. The meter on curb has 2" PVC suppling the building, or existing building. They have contracted the job out. I have found the line at the building entrance, which is 2 1/2" copper under the slab. Also the meter has to be moved because it is just to the inside of the new building foundation. At any rate the plumbing co was there yesterday and were trying to silver solder the 2 1/2" to reduce down to 2" roll copper to get outside the new foundation, and get back around to the meter. They could not get the water out of the 2 1/2" copper. Packed up and left and said would be back Monday with a 2 1/2" propress.
Finally can you put that under a slab.
I know this is long and probally no one can understand but if you can shed some light on this. All my work has been service and some new rough in years back. Nothing commerical or 2" stuff.
thanks probally need some pictures.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

In Illinois NO.


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## lpayne1234 (Sep 20, 2008)

thanks for the input ILPlumber


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

I guess a better question is why they couldn't get the water out. A compressor or shop vac usually does the trick.


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## uaplumber (Jun 16, 2008)

Do they make 2 1/2" sharkbites yet?






:jester::laughing:


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## SPH (Nov 4, 2008)

maybe use a fernco, just RREAALLY tighten it up


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## Plumber Jim (Jun 19, 2008)

SPH said:


> maybe use a fernco, just RREAALLY tighten it up


I went to a late night emergency call from an appartment complex where they did just that hehe. they dug up the leaking line and tried to fix the 2" copper with a fernco. hahaha and too cheap to pay me to fix it right. that was like 5 years ago or so. I went home to get some sleep. I wonder what they finally did.. duct tape? haha


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## sikxsevn (Jun 23, 2009)

jjbex said:


> I guess a better question is why they couldn't get the water out. A compressor or shop vac usually does the trick.



that's what I was wondering as well. it isnt exactly hard to unbolt the meter from it's flanges, stick a rubber hose into the end you intend to braze up, and siphon all the water out.


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## satony (Jul 5, 2009)

No in my neck of the woods which is in San Antonio TX . We have the UPC.Any copper joints under slab shal be brazed.
It does not sound like these guys have it altogether.


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## tooslow (Jul 17, 2009)

*pro press*

In Calif. under slab joints are silver brazed , as for the water they cold have used a freeze pack!


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## That One Guy (Sep 14, 2008)

Brazed here in Washington too, no matter the size.


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## rickmccarthy (Jul 20, 2009)

Hell No...... O-rings under the slab is just a bad idea. I will say this though the last company i worked for used propress entirely keep in mind this was commercial new construction. I added on to the vet school at the local university and all of the 4" mains down to 1/2" supply was all pro-press it was bid that way. The university has its own code and the city/county inspectors werent aloud on premises. I hate pro-press looks like absolute sh&$ cant get a straight trunk line for anything. The PM was a real prick and swore the extra cost of material was made up for in labor.....Not when I am cutting out $300 worth of fittings to fix a leak I think on our first test there were 22 leaks that stuff is garbage I am sure it has its place in service however never under a slab....And to do the whole building just ludacris


Rick


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

I don't know how PP will hold up in the long term, But we've made over 50 repairs(sevice) in the last year. We've had one leak so far, and that was when the pipe was only made up halfway. Time will tell, but ours has already paid for itself. We do only use them in exposed locations.


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## rickmccarthy (Jul 20, 2009)

They are definitley a great yet resource for repairs especially at the bottom of a high rise with no shutoffs and you cant get the water to stop well enough to solder propress will save you every time I like it but to do a whole building in it is ridiculous


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

4" propress? I didn't know they went that big......



rickmccarthy said:


> Hell No...... O-rings under the slab is just a bad idea. I will say this though the last company i worked for used propress entirely keep in mind this was commercial new construction. I added on to the vet school at the local university and all of the 4" mains down to 1/2" supply was all pro-press it was bid that way. The university has its own code and the city/county inspectors werent aloud on premises. I hate pro-press looks like absolute sh&$ cant get a straight trunk line for anything. The PM was a real prick and swore the extra cost of material was made up for in labor.....Not when I am cutting out $300 worth of fittings to fix a leak I think on our first test there were 22 leaks that stuff is garbage I am sure it has its place in service however never under a slab....And to do the whole building just ludacris
> 
> 
> Rick


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## A Good Plumber (Jun 18, 2008)

4" is the largest they go.

I just bid a job for a 6" domestic meter valve station. We submitted on 6" copper, but I found out I can do the job with 6" 304 stainless steel pipe with heli-arc weld fittings for a cost savings to me of 1/3rd, including labor and materials.

Silver brazing 6" copper costs more labor than welding SS. The copper fittings are 4x the cost of 304 SS fittings.

I got the job. Were doing it in stainless.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

TAKE PICTURES! We wan't some stainless to look at.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

A Good Plumber said:


> 4" is the largest they go.
> 
> I just bid a job for a 6" domestic meter valve station. We submitted on 6" copper, but I found out I can do the job with 6" 304 stainless steel pipe with heli-arc weld fittings for a cost savings to me of 1/3rd, including labor and materials.
> 
> ...


Copper Victaulic would have been less expensive in material and labor.


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## A Good Plumber (Jun 18, 2008)

Killertoiletspider said:


> Copper Victaulic would have been less expensive in material and labor.


 
True Killer, I suggested Vic but they don't allow Victaulic on their domestic water system. 

Oh well. That would have been the easiest way.


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## rickmccarthy (Jul 20, 2009)

They wouldnt allow Victaulic here either Florida ran a ton of it though I like that stuff its quick


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## gladerunner (Jan 24, 2009)

Here we would use flare fittings underground


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