Postma Heating & Cooling is a leading HVAC residential and commercial service contractor in the Chatham-Kent region of Ontario.
Often tasked with boiler replacements, Postma has long used threading as their preferred joining method for carbon steel piping connections. Installation of a threaded system takes around three days to complete and is done onsite with a threading machine.
In November 2018, Postma was tasked with upgrading the boilers at Thamesview Apartments in Chatham. Expecting to install a threaded system once again, the company learned about a simpler, faster way to join small diameter carbon steel pipe – the new Victaulic QuickVic SD Installation-Ready system. Without needing to thread or press, Victaulic’s plain end system promised greater ease and speed of installation.
Postma decided to try out QuickVic SD at Thamesview Apartments. Installation was fast and easy, without the mess and space needed to thread. Pipe was cut, prepared and marked, and then inserted into the QuickVic SD coupling or fitting. Using a standard impact wrench, the bolts were tightened until visual pad-to-pad contact was achieved. The Victaulic system featured a full line of couplings, fittings and valves, which allowed for a complete system install.
Caleb Postma, a technician at Postma Heating & Cooling, commented, “Using the Victaulic SD system enabled us to save one and a half days compared with threading, with less labour, elbow grease and equipment. Significantly fewer joints were needed, and we really liked how easy it was to make changes. We forgot a valve on one section and adding it in took minimal time with no wasted material.”
Postma expects the Victaulic QuickVic SD system will be a go-to solution moving forward. “We will definitely be using it on future projects and carrying it in our truck. It will be great for system builds as well as repairs. The fast installation and easy system access for maintenance makes it a winner.”