Contractors stay ahead of the curve with Viega Zero Lead fittings. California and Vermont are at the forefront of the nation in lead-free plumbing legislation. However, Viega leads the world in zero lead systems with more than 650 products so far. And soon, we’ll be the first in the industry to offer a complete line of products that meet or exceed NSF/ANSI Standard 61 Annex G (less than 0.25% lead).
www.ZeroLeadFacts.com
ZERO LEAD identifies Viega products meeting the lead-free requirements of California and Vermont law, effective January 1, 2010, as tested and listed against NSF-61, Annex G
Out of all the plumbing manufacturers in the United States and the world, Viega stands out from the crowd by offering the widest range of fitting types and configurations. Our new Zero Lead product offering is no exception. With 650 SKU’s so far, our Zero Lead fittings are being manufactured in time to accommodate separate California and Vermont legislation(s) limiting the lead content of plumbing fixture and fitting products to a maximum weighted average of 0.25% by January 1, 2010.
When Viega learned of the upcoming 2010 lead-free requirements, our initial response was an easy one. Zero lead, zero problems. A large majority (two-thirds) of Viega’s potable water products already meet upcoming 2010 lead-free requirements. The Viega products (bronze fittings, bronze valves and brass insert fittings) that do not already comply with lead-free requirements are now being manufactured utilizing new Zero Lead alloys.
Zero Lead Fitting Facts
ProPress
Because copper is naturally lead-free, all Viega ProPress copper products inherently comply with California and Vermont lead-free legislation. ProPress Bronze 1/2" to 2" products will be produced from Viega’s new Zero Lead silicon bronze alloy (Copper Alloy UNS No. C87700). As an alternative, Viega XLC 2 1/2" to 4" fittings provide a lead-free solution for large-diameter tubing installations.
PureFlow
The PolyAlloy and Compression versions of the MANABLOC, PolyAlloy fittings and all of our PEX tubing products contain no lead, so they already comply with new lead-free legislation. Our bronze PEX Press fittings and MANABLOC Press connections will
Zero Lead,
zero problems
now be produced from Viega’s lead-free bronze. Brass PEX Crimp fittings and MANABLOC Crimp connections are being produced from EcoBrass® — a dezincification
resistant lead-free brass.
NOTE: All Zero Lead fittings are certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61 Annex G as containing less than 0.25% lead.
Your Zero Lead Resource
We want to become your first resource when searching for Zero Lead topics. That is why we created a microsite, zeroleadfacts.com, which is dedicated to any issues related to Zero Lead. Not only does the website contain product information, it includes legislation requirements, compliance information, a blogging section and a video message from our CEO.
As Viega CEO Dan Schmierer explains in the online video, “Providing clean, safe, healthy water delivery systems has always been a priorirty, and will continue to be a priority, of Viega.” Our goal is to become the first in the industry to offer a complete product line of lead-free plumbing products. We look forward to introducing our Zero Lead offering to you this December.
TM
EcoBrass is a registered trademark of Chase Brass and Ingot Metal Co.
Viega, the leader in healthy water delivery systems.
Contractors stay ahead of the curve with Viega Zero Lead fittings. California and Vermont are at the forefront of the nation in lead-free plumbing legislation. However, Viega leads the world in zero lead systems with more than 650 products so far. And soon, we’ll be the first in the industry to offer a complete line of products that meet or exceed NSF/ANSI Standard 61 Annex G (less than 0.25% lead).
www.ZeroLeadFacts.com
ZERO LEAD identifies Viega products meeting the lead-free requirements of California and Vermont law, effective January 1, 2010, as tested and listed against NSF-61, Annex G
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It was mid-December 2008, and it had been raining in Arizona for days. Work on Casino Arizona in Scottsdale, AZ, was at a halt. “When you allow heavy equipment out there it gets gooey and makes for unsafe working conditions,” said Casey Reed, Casino AZ project director for Kinetics.
Kinetics, a full-service mechanical contractor company, has set itself apart by performing to
higher-than-industry-average safety ratings. Rather than risk the potential of work-related injuries due to the rain, Kinetics took the safe route and restricted work on the jobsite.
Although there wasn’t much of an opportunity to walk the entire jobsite, there was time for a question-and-
answer session. I wanted to learn more about the project and gain a clear understanding of why Kinetics trusted to install Viega ProPress copper, stainless and PureFlow products inside Casino Arizona’s Talking Stick Resort.
I learned ProPress wasn’t originally specified in the bid. “A lot of credit goes out to Viega District Manager JR Fortenberry,” said Reed. “With JR’s help, we pursued a value engineering proposal
to the architect and engineer and showed them it was not only a labor saver but a cost saver.” The proposed savings was significant enough to convince the architect and the engineer that switching to ProPress copper and stainless for both the hotel and casino was worth it.
It wasn’t all downhill from there. Other press products on the market were creating stirs in the marketplace. Contractors were reporting failures. After hearing several concerns, Reed started doing research. He asked a lot of questions and, at the end of the day, all fingers pointed in a positive direction toward Viega. “Viega’s ProPress technology is the only press system that proved consistent and reliable. We needed that reassurance,” said Reed.
The switch from there was easy. “We have changed our methods from solder to press on the plumbing and mechanical side,” said Reed. As a matter of fact, anything copper that Kinetics installs is now done using Viega ProPress.
Kinetics Labor Manager John Niedosik has been working closely with the ProPress Stainless system and added, “We
installed probably 700 feet of ProPress Stainless in a day and a half, which went really quick… It would have taken us weeks to do that same 700-foot section with a welded system,” said Niedosik. “Not only that, welded connections take special equipment, argon, a trained welder, a lot of
preparation and tools that are expensive.” ProPress Stainless makes for a simpler and smarter choice.
Casino Arizona, a 15-story resort at Indian Bend in Scottsdale, AZ, will feature almost 500 rooms, a huge 13,000-square-foot luxury spa and the location’s own Talking Stick Golf Club. The showpiece of the new resort will be the casino with its 240,000-square-foot gaming
floor complete with eight restaurants, 10 lounges and a 750-seat entertainment showroom. Partial to Viega, I would like to think the real showpiece is the products inside the casino and resort.
When I asked for the largest challenge on the jobsite, Reed responded, “Drawings on this project seem to change constantly. With 27 different types of rooms for the almost 500-room resort, only 20 or 25 rooms will be alike.” How did Reed and his team keep up with the design changes? Reed utilized not only the
ProPress System but the flexibility of the Viega PureFlow System to make copper to PEX connections quickly.
Viega PEX tubing supplies water service inside the hotel rooms, where copper lines run down the hallways. Kinetics made copper
to PEX connections with customizable Press ProPress manifolds. The flexibility of ViegaPEX tubing, and design options of Viega press ProPress manifolds, allowed Kinetics to keep up with frequently changing design plans. In the end, Viega products simplified what could have been a very complicated construction process.
Slated to open early 2010, construction of Casino Arizona’s Talking Stick Resort has progressed rapidly since my visit last December. If you are looking for a place to stay on your next vacation, consider Casino Arizona and check out the plumbing.