viega voice

Paralyzed contractor defies odds

Architect office displays Viega systems

National program helps vets find jobs

New ProMotion Truck hits the road

Get the Viega Voice on your tablet! See page 25 for details.

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viegavoicea publication of Viega LLC

November 2014

Vice President, Sales and MarketingDalyn Cantrell

Marketing ManagerTim Allbritten

Creative Marketing ManagerBob Ale-Ebrahim

Marketing CoordinatorRoberta Rickard

Graphic DesignersJason GreenNicole Mandina

Creative WriterAmy Williams

Contributing AuthorsJason Allison, Robert Boots, Jeremy Ferriter, Dave Garlow, Dennis Harvey, Jason McKinnon, David Melendy, John Mesenbrink, Jim Schneider, Amy Williams

Contributing PhotographersDarren Decker, Jim Oertle, Nicole Mandina, Marc Walters

Future articles and tips Please send in your interesting stories and tips relating to Viega products for possible publication in future issues of the Viega Voice to [email protected].

Featured on the coverKayne Shum, a former U.S. Marine and a graduate of Kansas State University, was paralyzed from the chest down in a skydiving accident in December 2012. But in spite of the challenges personally and professionally, Shum kept working as the project manager of the new airport in Wichita, KS.

20Architect office displays Viega systemsFully integrated architecture and

engineering firm CSHQA installed

and showcases Viega radiant products

in new headquarters with heating

and cooling.

28New ProMotion Truck hits the road Walk around inside the new Viega

ProMotion Truck when it comes to

your neighborhood and experience for

yourself how Viega can integrate with

existing systems.

22Paralyzed contractor defies the odds32-year-old Kayne Shum hasn’t let his

injuries from a skydiving accident dictate his

life, his work or his dreams.

3 Letter from the CEO

5 Letter from the COO

6 In your neighborhood

8 Orlando landmark trusts Viega ManaBloc systems

10 The best ViegaPEX just got better

12 Unintended consequences

16 In honor of those who have served

what’s inside

Please recycle this magazine

18 Viega ProRadiant saves time for John Deere store

26 High-rise residential specialists prefer Viega press systems

30 Word search Holiday cheer

31 What's your Viega Story?

32 How do you celebrate the holidays

34 Training helps you be prepared

35 Tech Talk

North AmericanCorporate HeadquartersViega LLCPhone: 1-800-976-9819

[email protected]

14National program helps vets find jobsVeterans in Piping, a national program,

is dedicated to helping veterans find

work in the industry. UA Local 75 in

Milwaukee trains vets using Viega

ProPress systems.

2 v i e g a v o i c e N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 w w w . v i e g a . u s

letter from the ceo Dave Garlow

This past year has been one of the more

challenging and exciting ones for Viega LLC.

A stronger economy, new markets, new products,

facility updates and a significant increase in field sales

support were key factors in fueling and supporting our

rapidly growing business.

We have entered new markets in Central and

South America and have established Viega Mexico

to support our growing opportunities south of the

border. Investments in our Canadian business, through

additional field sales support, are paying off as we

continue to enjoy success there.

We are introducing new plumbing concepts with

new products that focus on water quality. This initiative

will educate industry professionals on the importance

of minimizing stagnation and maintaining temperature

to reduce the risk of microbial growth in commercial

plumbing systems.

As busy and exciting as 2014 has been, next year

will be even more so. We will soon be breaking ground

on a new building at our McPherson, KS, factory,

which will house manufacturing and assembly of

many of our metals fittings as well as training rooms

and a showroom. At the end of December, we will be

moving our corporate headquarters to a new location

in downtown Wichita. This change represents a

significant improvement from our current home at the

Epic Center a few blocks away.

This year was also one of transitions for the

executive committee. Our longtime CEO, Dan

Schmierer and General Counsel, Bill Seiler, both retired

at the beginning of the year after long and well-planned

transitions. Dalyn Cantrell, a 30-year Viega employee,

earned a well-deserved promotion to VP Sales and

Marketing; 24-year Viega employee Robert Boots

was named COO; and Jess Arbuckle was named to

the Executive Committee as General Counsel. A lot

of changes but the new Executive Committee has

extensive industry and Viega experience! We are still

the same company with the same fundamentals and

core values.

All of these investments and organization changes

are key factors to the success of the Viega brand

and our growth plans for the coming years. More

importantly, they are investments and changes aimed

at continuous improvement of our service levels to

our customers.

Finally, as we do each year at this time, a little later

in this issue of the Viega Voice, you’ll find a section

that acknowledges the men and women of Viega LLC

who have served in the United States military. Thanks

for your sacrifices and for your service to our country.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas and

Happy Holidays!

v i e g a v o i c e N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 w w w . v i e g a . u s 3

The g loba l leaderin p lumbing, heat ing

and p ipe jo in ing systems

Superior products and service from generation to generation

www.viega.us | 1-800-976-9819

Strong products endure because of

their quality. If you can’t withstand the

technological advances of the next

generation, you’ll fade away. Viega

system solutions have surpassed the

test of time for more than 115 years

because our quality is superior, our

customer service is individual and our

products work together so installers can

do more. With trustworthy, total system

solutions for nearly any application,

Viega provides the products, the tools,

the support and the quality you need to

complete the job right the first time.

Franz-Anselm ViegenerAttendorn, Germany, 1899

I like getting good news. Tell me that we met

our goals. Tell me that we exceeded someone’s

expectations. Tell me that we helped someone or

put others before us. That’s the kind of news people

want to hear but, let’s face it, good news can be

hard to come by. And sometimes people tell you

things you don’t want to hear. It’s in those moments

you find out what you’re

made of.

When you get news

you didn’t want, you have

a choice how you respond.

Reacting to good news

is easy. You celebrate.

Reacting to bad news?

Not so easy.

True courage is

knowing when to speak

up but also knowing when

it is time to just sit back and listen. Sometimes

not saying anything takes more courage than

speaking up.

Ever heard anyone say it takes courage to sit

down? Sure, being courageous has a lot to do

with standing up for what’s right and speaking out

for others. But you need courage to keep quiet

too. Listening to things you don’t want to hear is a

challenge. Graciously listening to the problem and

searching for a solution means putting aside what

you think is best and putting others ahead of your

own interests.

I’m grateful to be able to say that at Viega

we have the courage to listen. The welfare of our

business partners means the world to us, so we

want to hear what our customers are saying. If we

can provide better service to our customers, we’ll do

it. Service matters to us.

So what can we do for you today? Industry-

leading deliveries? We do it. Offer the only press

fitting systems in multiple materials? We have them.

Provide access to a team of professionals eager

to build a relationship with you beyond your next

project? Done.

We will always do what is right for our customers.

That’s who Viega is. So talk to us. We’re listening.

As this year comes to a close, we wish all of

you a Merry Christmas and a healthy, prosperous

New Year.

letter fromthe coo Robert Boots

“I’m grateful to be able to say that at Viega we have the courage to listen.”

- Robert Boots Executive Vice President and COO, Viega LLC


Bend, OR

Project: Hampton Inn

Contractor: Elite Mechanical

Installed: Viega PEX, Viega ProPress,

Viega MegaPress and Viega ManaBloc

Applications: Potable water, heating system, natural gas

Devens, MA

Project: New England Studios

Contractor: Merrimack Valley Corporation

Installed: Viega ProPress, Viega MegaPress

Applications: Domestic water, gas piping

Hoisington, KS

Project: Clara Barton Hospital

Contractor: A & F Enterprises

Installed: Viega PEX Press,

Viega MegaPress, Viega ProPress

Applications: Water and gas

Jacksonville Beach, FL

Project: Jacksonville Beach Apartments

Contractor: Campbell Plumbing

Contractors Southeast

Installed: Viega PEX Press, Viega ManaBloc

Applications: Potable water

Robert, LA

Project: Shell Deepwater Operations Training Center

Contractor: Verges Mechanical

Installed: Viega PEX Press

Applications: Domestic water

San Diego, CA

Project: Park & G mixed-use apartment

Contractor: Mark Harris Plumbing

Installed: Viega PEX Press fittings, Viega ManaBloc

Applications: Potable water

York Springs, PA

Project: Bermudian Springs School District

Contractor: Pumping Solutions, Inc.

Installed: Viega ProPress for 316 stainless

Applications: Converted four individual domestic

water lines into one

In your neighborhood


Keep up to date with what’s happening in your neighborhood. If you have regional news you would like to share, please send your updates to [email protected]. In your neighborhood


One of the tallest buildings in downtown Orlando, 55

West stands 32 stories tall and overlooks Church Street,

considered the heart of the city. Just down the street

from the new Amway Center where the Orlando Magic

play, 55 West is one of the most recognizable buildings

in the city.

Similar to other high-rise projects, 55 West features

two floors of retail and restaurant space, while the rest

of the building boasts more than 400 units with a variety

of floor plans. What makes 55 West different is its top

three floors.

The Sky Lofts at 55 West features high-end

condominiums with two or three bedrooms, two

bathrooms and even two-story units. Modern Plumbing

Industries, Inc., in Winter Springs, FL, is installing Viega

ManaBloc systems with ViegaPEX tubing and Viega PEX

Press fittings in this unique project.

The project had been specified with Viega ManaBloc

systems but that wasn’t the only reason Modern

Plumbing Industries, Inc., chose to install it.

“Not having any fittings in the wall or ceiling is huge,”

said Anthony Bracco, Director of Sales and Marketing

for Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. “For any plumber,

leaks are always a concern. Eliminating them is always a

nice value add for an owner.”

Each unit has a Viega ManaBloc installed where

the condominium owner will have easy access to

perform maintenance.

The revolutionary Viega ManaBloc homerun water

distribution system provides individual PEX tubing

lines to each fixture, increasing consistency of

temperature and pressure and reducing the number of

fittings behind a wall. Fewer hidden

fittings mean fewer potential

leak points.

Orlando landmark trustsViega ManaBloc systems


“All two-story units were offset,” said Danny

Alvarez, Project Manager for Modern Plumbing

Industries, Inc. “The flexibility of ViegaPEX made

piping these units 10 times easier than if we had

used a more conventional system.”

“A lot of the time, true craftsmen shy away from

PEX,” Bracco said. “PEX has a reputation for looking

bad. But through our installation, we’ve shown that if

you give it a little forethought before installing it, you can

make it look great. That’s what Danny and his team

accomplished at 55 West.”

Viega ManaBloc is also designed to be the central

control for a whole plumbing system. Individual shutoff

valves make maintenance easy without disturbing the

rest of the system.

“We also appreciated the support,”

Alvarez said. “Any time I’ve had

questions about the

Viega ManaBloc system or any Viega fittings, I get a fast

response. I really appreciate that.”

The 55 West project is a beautiful renovation of an

existing building. If you’re ever in Orlando, traveling

down Interstate 4, it’s hard to miss.

“It’s a pretty impressive building,” Bracco said.

“It’s in the heart of the city and if you’ve been to a Magic

game you know the building.”

A job well done is its own reward and the team at

Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc., can say it has done

an extraordinary job on a building that helps shape the

skyline of a major city.

“Just being a part of the project itself, being a part

of the team,” Alvarez said, “that’s probably the biggest

thing to be proud of.”

“It’s always nice to drive around town with your

family,” Bracco said. “You can point out buildings you

worked on. Being able to show your family things you

helped build certainly gives one a great sense of pride.”

“Any time I’ve had questions about the Viega ManaBloc system or any Viega fittings, I get a fast response. I really appreciate that.”

- Danny Alvarez, Project Manager, Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc.


The best ViegaPEX just got better

Viega is excited to announce a new listing for our

single-layer ViegaPEX tubing.

Viega is the only manufacturer to quality-control our

PEX tubing from raw material to finished product. The

resin we use to create our ViegaPEX tubing comes from

our own factory, which means we can keep its quality

where we like it. Perfection. We produce our own resin.

We extrude our own tubing.

Thanks to this process, our single-layer ViegaPEX

tubing has achieved a six-month UV rating under ASTM

F876. This is the same rating as our double-layer

ViegaPEX Ultra tubing.

Since both PEX tubing systems now perform at the

same level, we will be discontinuing our double-layer

tubing and producing only single-layer tubing. However,

we’re renaming the single-layer tubing ViegaPEX Ultra.

“This rating means that our single-layer PEX

tubing, now called ViegaPEX Ultra, has the highest

UV and chlorine-resistance ratings in the industry,” said

Paige Riddle, Viega Product Manager for Plastics.

“Because the single-layer tubing now has this rating

and performs at the same level as the double-layer

tubing, we’re consolidating the PEX tubing

lines and removing the double-layer

offering of ViegaPEX Ultra.”

Viega will still offer our

other tubing products,

Viega FostaPEX

tubing and ViegaPEX

Barrier tubing.

Single-layer

ViegaPEX Ultra tubing

will still be available

in red, white, blue and

black, but now the tubing will

be marked with the designation

code PEX 5306 to indicate the highest

industry ratings.

1 0 v i e g a v o i c e N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 w w w . v i e g a . u s

www.ViegaRewards.us1-800-976-9819

Register online and earn points for the stuff you want

The g loba l leaderin p lumbing, heat ing

and p ipe jo in ing systems

Look for the Viega Rewards label on 5⁄16" and 1⁄2" coils of ViegaPEX™ Barrier tubing

Scan the QR code or go to

www.ViegaRewards.us and type

in the unique product number.

Keep track of your Viega Rewards

online and redeem points for a wide

variety of the latest electronics,

home and outdoor gear, and

great travel opportunities.

A N N O U N C I N G

EARN POINTS FOR THE STUFF YOU WANTREWARDSREWARDS

Peel to earn more Viega Rewards

Unintended consequencesJim Schneider, Editorial Director of Plumbing Engineer and PHC News

In the past year, an issue that has come up

frequently at industry meetings and events is the idea

of unintended consequences. The phrase itself has a

pretty simple meaning: Try to accomplish one thing and

inadvertently cause something else to happen.

Sometimes focusing too much on one area can create

ripple effects in other places where you don’t want them.

In the case of the plumbing industry, when we talk

about unintended consequences, we are typically

referring to side effects resulting from a very well-

intentioned drive toward more water-efficient products

and systems. With the rise of the sustainability

movement, there has been growing demand from

owners and architects to save water in every way

possible. Recent droughts in places like the Southwest

underline the importance of this effort.

As it should, the plumbing industry has responded

to that demand and has produced a wealth of water-

efficient products and systems. Initiatives like the

EPA’s WaterSense have been good for consumers,

the environment and our industry. Saving water

through the products our industry manufactures and

the systems we design and install was and continues

to be a noble pursuit.

However, it is important to remember that water

efficiency is not the only goal we have. The race to

efficiency has sometimes resulted in decreased flow

rates and less water going through the system in many

buildings. This can create a situation where water can

stagnate and allow the growth of waterborne pathogens

like Legionella.


In May, I attended back-to-back events where this

issue was front and center. First was a meeting of the

Plumbing Industry Leadership Council (PILC). PILC

is made up of numerous industry organizations

including the American Society of Plumbing Engineers

(ASPE), Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI),

the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National

Association (PHCC), and the International Association

of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO). Second

was the International Emerging Technology Symposium

(IETS), an event that was put together and sponsored by

some of those same organizations.

Both events featured speakers and panel discussions

that addressed this very important issue. I had the

privilege of moderating a panel discussion about

Legionella. The essence of that conversation was that

it is vital to come up with ways to keep a building’s

water delivery system as effective and efficient as

possible while keeping it inhospitable to the growth

of Legionella bacteria.

This means keeping the water warm enough to

kill off the bug but not too hot as to create scalding

issues. It also means ensuring that water keeps on

moving and doesn’t stay in one place too long. As one

panelist pointed out, in some buildings (particularly

larger facilities like hospitals), water can sit stagnant in

some areas of the system for days or even weeks before

coming out of the faucet.

As these unintended consequences have come

to light, it has served as an excellent reminder that,

while saving water is important, our industry’s primary

responsibility is delivering clean, safe water. The

challenge before us now is finding ways to save

water in ways that do not encourage the growth of

dangerous waterborne pathogens. There are ways,

of course, and it’s a safe bet that our industry will find

them. Problem solving is in the DNA of plumbing

engineers, manufacturers and installers.

I know that Viega has done a great deal of work

in this area and continues to encourage the use of

systems that keep the water moving so as to avoid

the development of nasty waterborne pathogens.

As they have demonstrated, doing this doesn’t have to

be a trade-off for water efficiency. With the right design

and operation, systems can be both efficient and safe.

There is, of course, still a great deal of work to do.

We can always find new ways to more efficiently and

safely deliver water. Constant improvement is a credo

of our industry, and there is always room for innovation

and improvement.

The dedication, ingenuity and willpower I’ve

seen in the efforts to solve these issues reminds

me of a quote from legendary Green Bay Packers

coach Vince Lombardi: “We will relentlessly chase

perfection, knowing full well we will never catch it

because nothing is perfect. But we are going to

relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will

catch excellence.”

Jim Schneider, LEED AP, is the Editorial Director of

Plumbing Engineer and PHC News magazines. Follow

him on Twitter at @_Jim_Schneider.

“We will relentlessly chase perfection...because in the process we will catch excellence.”

- Vince Lombardi Coach, Green Bay Packers

v i e g a v o i c e N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 w w w . v i e g a . u s 1 3

For U.S. veterans, getting assimilated back into the

working world can take some time, and for others, it

can be downright difficult. In fact, the unemployment

rate among veterans is two times more than that of the

average citizen of the United States.

That’s why the United Association’s (UA) national

Veterans in Piping (VIP) program offers training and

jobs in the pipe trades to active-duty military personnel

preparing to leave the service. UA General President

William P. Hite established the program as a means of

addressing two important issues: 1. A growing shortage

in the construction industry of skilled workers due to

the combined effects of an aging workforce, increased

demand, and lack of skills training for youth; and 2.

An exceedingly high unemployment rate for U.S.

veterans, despite being disciplined and highly trainable.

Established in 2008 at UA Local 26 in Lacey, WA—

and expanded to six U.S. military bases across the

country —the national program puts veterans in an

immersive 18-week accelerated training program, where

the end result sees competent participants placed

into a five-year apprenticeship program. Yet the UA

recognized the hardships for non-active-duty personnel

in an extensive 18-week training program without any

compensation. In 2013, the VIP program looked to the

State of Wisconsin to develop a model that would train

civilian military veterans, active Reservists and National

Guard members who were returning from their

deployment overseas.

Using the UA’s national program as a template, the

Wisconsin Pipe Trades Association’s VIP program has

created a hybrid modified pilot VIP program, which,

if successful, would still be funded by the UA and

could be replicated as a new benchmark

for the national program. The program

was specifically set up to train active

Reservists, National Guard and honorably

discharged veterans for careers in the

piping industry.

With the help of Wisconsin Mechanical

Contractors of America (MCA), Wisconsin

Bureau of Apprenticeship, Wisconsin Pipe

Trades Association and the UA, the new

VIP program had the resources—and

momentum—behind it to move forward.

The first class in this hybrid program started in June

2014 with six selected individuals—four males and two

females. The selection criteria include academic testing

National program helps vets find jobsJohn Mesenbrink, President of Mechanical-Hub.com


for apprenticeship placement and an interview

process with UA and MCA, among others.

Using funds provided by the state of Wisconsin

(for veteran's traveling expenses) and UA (training,

instructors and materials), this modified VIP program

entails six-week classroom training (see sidebar),

from UA training centers all across the state of

Wisconsin, whereby creating opportunities for

veterans to enter into all UA segments through

apprenticeships. On the last day, there is a

graduation ceremony for the participants.

The following week, upon graduation, the

attendees are placed into a 12-week, on-the-job

paid training program while working with an MCA-

designated contracting company.

“This gives veterans who served our country an

opportunity to enter our industry instead of going

through the standard application process,” said Terry

Hayden, Wisconsin Pipe Trades Association (WPTA)

president, UA Local 434, business manager, and the

man responsible for spearheading the Wisconsin VIP

pilot program. “The program creates pathways into

all of the UA trades.”

From there, the participants are then placed

into a five-year apprenticeship program, ultimately

leading to journeyman status. The VIP program

continuously monitors and tracks the progress of the

six participants, and Hayden is happy to report that

all six are doing great in their respective positions.

If the program is deemed successful, “The goal is

to run two to three per year, with six to 10 veterans

per class,” said Hayden and, not to mention, a model

for the rest of the country to follow.

The Wisconsin VIP program includes an

intense six-week training schedule, which

requires travel across the state at numerous

UA training centers.

Six-week VIP training program schedule

Week 1

Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 118

Location(s): Kenosha, Racine, Walworth

Topics: Pipe trades history, basic mathematics,

OSHA 10, First Aid/CPR

Week 2

Sprinkler Fitters 183

Location(s): Menomonee Falls

Topics: Use and care of tools, advanced mathematics

Week 3

Plumbers Local 75

Location(s): Milwaukee

Topics: Pipes, valves, fittings and pipe joining

Week 4

Steamfitters Local 601

Location(s): Milwaukee, Janesville, Madison

Topics: Pipe joining II, financial management

Week 5

Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 434

Location(s): Eau Claire, Mosinee, La Crosse

Topics: Crane signaling, basic rigging

Week 6

Plumbing & Steamfitters Local 400

Location(s): Kaukauna, Fond du Lac

Topics: Welding, oxy-fuel torching, cutting


In honor of those who have servedTrue courage isn’t being fearless. True

courage is being afraid and doing the right thing anyway. Our veterans have shown the world, and our industry, what it means to live courageously.

To the families who lived in fear that their loved ones might never come back, your country can never be grateful enough. To those who faced the fear of loss and death, who dared to fight the impossible fights, who won freedom for their own generation and the generations to come, thank you.

Brett AustinLead Radiant Design EngineerU.S. Marine Corps2003 to 2007

Jeff BenjaminSr. Electronics TechnicianU.S. Air Force1978-1981

Monty BettsProduct Manager – MetalsU.S. Navy Submarine Service1971 to 1975

Robert BootsVP and COO, Supply Chain OperationsU.S. Navy1988 to 1990

Rick BurrisRegional Sales ManagerU.S. Air Force1968 to 1972

Steve ButlerQA InspectorU.S. Army1971 to 1974

Matthew CheesmanSteambay CoordinatorU.S. Navy1994 to 1998

Kim CoxonProcess ControllerU.S. Army1982 to 1990

Rose CrooksExtrusions OperatorU.S. Army Reserve2004 to Current

Evan CusickProduct EngineerU.S. Navy2004 to 2010

Jason DeanOrder Fulfillment RepresentativeKansas Air National Guard2001 to 2007

David DesjardinsProduct Manager - Heating and CoolingU.S. Army1995 to 2000

Bryan DunlapSr. Water Systems TechnicianU.S. Marine Corps1972 to 1975

Thomas EdwardsOperatorU.S. Navy1980 to 1984

J.P. FayProduct Engineer - PlasticsU.S. Marine Corps1988 to 1993

Roger FiedlerFacilities Manager U.S. Army1970 to 1973

Jeremy HerrMaintenance IIU.S. Marine Corps2009 to Current

Tami HiltonStockroom CoordinatorU.S. Army1988 to 1990National Guard2001 to 2004

Tyson HouseComputer Support Specialist U.S. Navy2000 to 2005

Thomas HoytDistrict Sales ManagerU.S. Air National Guard1971 to 2011

Lazaro (Larry) OrtegaDistrict Sales ManagerU.S. Army, Corps of Engineers1966 to 1967

Tom OutlawIndustrial Accounts ManagerU.S. Navy Submarine Service1986 to 1992

David PercifulPlant & Facilities Manager U.S. Air Force1994 to 1998

David PetersBudget AnalystU.S. Air Force1997 to 2001

Terrell RainesChemical OperatorU.S. Navy1987 to 1995

Darrell RatliefSr. Electronics TechnicianU.S. Air Force, U.S Army1974 to 1980, 1989 to 1991

Lino SantoroDirector, National Radiant SalesU.S. Army1985 to 1995

Tom ShieldsIndustrial Sales DirectorU.S. Navy1979 to 1983

David SorrellsChemical OperatorU.S. Army1970-1973

James Speakman IIMolding Line OperatorKansas National Guard2000 to 2008

Nathan SpearmanChief Financial OfficerU.S. Army1988 to 1991

David SuttonDistrict Sales ManagerU.S. Army1966 to 1968

Ginger TothHR Business PartnerU.S. Air Force1995 to 1999

Jason WenkeMaterial AnalystU.S. Navy1995 to 2000

To all of you and to any we might have missed, thank you for your service.


Being comfortable in any business relationship is key

for successful partnerships. It is with this “go with what

you know” philosophy that Reynolds Farm Equipment

and TPC Mechanical Contractors, Inc., Carmel, IN, work

together as a well-oiled machine. You see, Reynolds

Farm Equipment, Design & Build Corporation (GC) and

TPC Mechanical have been working together for more

than 15 years.

The largest John Deere dealership in central Indiana,

Reynolds Farm Equipment, sells, rents and repairs

a wide variety of agricultural, lawn and garden, and

turf equipment, including tractors, farm implements,

combines, utility vehicles and mowers.

In an attempt to get closer to the farming

community, Reynolds moved its headquarters in

March from the increasingly suburban town of Fishers,

IN, to rural Atlanta, IN. When the new, sprawling

63,000-square-foot Reynolds building needed a slab-

on-grade radiant floor install to heat the 22,000-square-

foot service shop, they turned, once again, to the

expertise of Terry Wilds, owner of TPC Mechanical, and

Project Manager Mike McConnaha.

The Radiant System

The biggest point of emphasis on the hydronic

project was the installation of a Furnace Design

Technology, LLC, boiler by Supreme Heat —with

a waste oil burner—which is fueled by a variety

of petroleum products, including crankcase oil,

transmission fluid, hydraulic fluid and fuel oil. “By using

waste oil from their own equipment to fuel the in-floor

radiant heat, they can provide their own fuel source,”

said McConnaha, Project Manager for TPC Mechanical.

The shop’s increased traffic called for an efficient

heating system to help maintain a moderate and

comfortable temperature, especially in the colder

months. “The installation was up and running during

the coldest part of the winter. The temperature remains

at 60°F throughout the shop even when the large 16’

by 16’ overhead doors are opening and closing due to

high-traffic patterns,” said McConnaha.

Equally important in the entire radiant installation

was the piping design, and that same “go with what you

know” philosophy played its part again. “Since we have

had a long, successful history with Viega ProPress, we

knew the value of using Viega components on the job. It

provides continuity on a project and it gives you buying

power with the particular brand. Also, there is one point

of contact, and materials can be tracked more easily,”

said McConnaha.

Viega ProRadiant saves time for John Deere store


Also, according to McConnaha, Viega was very

hands-on in terms of the engineering and design,

especially with the layout, manifolds and loops.

Throughout the in-floor radiant install, TPC

technicians laid down 29,000 linear feet of ⅝"

ViegaPEX Barrier tubing in 22,600 square feet of

Viega’s insulated panels, the all-in-one radiant solution,

which incorporates insulation, vapor barrier and a grid

system to secure tubing. “Since the GC wanted to

pour the 20,000-square-foot shop floor in one concrete

pour, the insulated panels certainly made it easier,”

said McConnaha.

In addition, TPC relied on four 8-loop manifolds, one

6-loop manifold and one 12-loop manifold.

These Viega stainless manifold shut off/balancing/

flow meters are used in closed loop hydronic

heating, cooling and snowmelt systems, and these

preassembled 1¼" diameter stainless supply and return

manifolds come attached to two 6⅝" spacing brackets

for compact remote mounting. The stainless manifold

provides shut off and balancing valves with flow meters

for each circuit. Each flow meter/balancing valve allows

graduated flow setting up to 2 gpm, maximum 18 gpm,

per manifold.

McConnaha and his team used 2" and smaller

copper Viega ProPress fittings for plumbing

connections, 2" and smaller Viega MegaPressG fittings

for propane connections. “Over an extended period of

time, we’ve come to the overall conclusion that Viega

ProPress over sweat saves us approximately 7 to 10%

on labor. Times are changing and if you don’t move with

it, you’re going to be left behind,” said McConnaha.


Integrated architecture and engineering firm CSHQA

installed and showcases Viega radiant products in its

new headquarters featuring radiant heating and cooling.

The building, which is registered with a goal of achieving

LEED® Platinum, is a completely renovated, 1950s

railroad warehouse, totaling nearly 20,000 square feet of

space, 12,500 of which are heated and cooled using a

Viega radiant system.

CSHQA, in business for 125 years, leads by example

and adapts to changing practices and technologies in

business, architecture and engineering. The firm employs

90 individuals across offices in six states; 70 of them

work at the company’s headquarters in Boise, ID. When

renovating its new office, the firm’s vision for the new

headquarters was sustainability, creativity, collaboration,

technical expertise, design excellence and a measure

of fearlessness.

“We knew that we could use our new headquarters to

make a visual statement due to the prominent location, to

make a sustainability statement because of the features

that we used and to be a living laboratory,” said Ted

Isbell, AIA, Senior Associate and Project Architect

at CSHQA.

“It’s a place where we can demonstrate how we use what

we recommend to our clients.”

The 12,500-square-foot radiant area is broken up

into seven zones with four zone types: open office area,

single-occupant office, break area and interiors library,

and perimeter area along exterior walls with windows.

When CSHQA’s team began plans to renovate the

building, Mechanical Engineer Russ Pratt proposed using

radiant heating and cooling. The team considered six

different systems including traditional roof-top,

chilled-beam and in-floor radiant systems.

After completing energy modeling and cost

comparisons on all of the systems, the team decided on

the Viega ProRadiant system.

“Selecting an in-floor radiant system was partially

an aesthetic decision. We considered Viega as well as

another brand of in-floor systems and Viega won out

for several reasons,” said Isbell. “It was ultimately the

most economical system but it also helped that the

subcontractor who would install it was already familiar

with Viega systems.”

The radiant floor heating and cooling system required

4.6 miles of ViegaPEX Barrier tubing to be installed along

with more than 12,000 square feet of Viega insulating

panels. Isbell described the project as being “fairly

sophisticated” and explained that Viega design services

assisted them in finalizing the design, fine-tuning the

layout and zones, as well as provided support throughout

the process.

“If an issue came up that needed some brain

power, our Viega rep was there to help us figure it

out,” explained Isbell. “He gave our installers tips from

previous customer projects and recommended ways

Idaho architect office showcases Viega systems


to make the install easier. The whole project went

exceptionally well.”

CSHQA provided all designs for the headquarters

renovation, including the interiors, exterior landscape,

mechanical systems, lighting and telecom systems,

all of which are services it offers to clients. Isbell

recommended showcasing part of the radiant flooring

under a glass panel since it was one of the few building

systems that was not visible.

“We installed clear panels that reveal examples of the

Viega radiant system in the floor,” said Isbell. “Although

the models are not part of the operating radiant system

due to condensation and other potential visibility issues,

they are a visual representation. When you’re inside the

building you can feel what the system is doing and you

can also see what it looks like and understand how it is

working under your feet.”

The firm can truly demonstrate its capabilities through

all areas of the new headquarters.

CSHQA’s unique heating and cooling system is

sustainable as well as award-winning. Commissioning

results show the building’s Energy Use Intensity (EUI)

at approximately one-third the level that is standard

for commercial office buildings in Idaho. EUI is a key

metric that expresses a building’s energy use as a

function of its size and various characteristics.

“The standard EUI for Idaho is between 89 and 90.

Our building measures at 30,” explained Isbell. “Using

specialized programming, we worked out the lag times

for heating and cooling the slab and other variables.

During the winter, the primary open office zone never

dropped below 62 degrees, even over weekends when

the floor had not been heated since early Friday morning.

"We estimate it only cost six dollars a day to heat

the building.”

The CSHQA office project was completed to LEED

Platinum standards with official certification hoped to be

received in 2015. The building is the largest in the state

of Idaho to be cooled with a geothermal system and

receive merit recognition by ENR Mountain States as a

2014 Best Project.

“We feel really good that the commissioning elements

show our design is working for us,” said Isbell. “The

sustainable features attract attention. People definitely

want to see it.”


Should a project manager who is bound to a

wheelchair keep working if he can do the job? It’s not

a question you hear in the industry often. Most people

assume that a job site is too perilous for someone in

a wheelchair, but for 32-year-old Kayne Shum, Project

Manager with The Waldinger Corporation in Wichita, KS,

quitting wasn’t an option.

“Most days, I love my job,” Shum said. “I couldn’t

imagine not working. It would be hard for me to go on

disability and sit at home all day."

Shum, a former U.S. Marine and a graduate of

Kansas State University, was paralyzed from the chest

down in a skydiving accident in December 2012. But

in spite of the challenges personally and professionally,

Shum refused to give up on his responsibilities as the

project manager for the new Wichita airport project.

Even with 12 days in intensive care, multiple surgeries

and nine weeks of rehabilitation at Denver’s Craig

Hospital, Shum monitored the job site from his hospital

room and when he was finished, he got back to work.

“I went through all the rehab and couldn’t wait to get

back to work,” Shum said.

The Accident

Shum grew up in the small Kansas town of Towanda.

After high school, he entered the Marine Corps, where he

stayed for four years. With support of the GI Bill, Shum

left the Marines and went to Kansas State University

where he earned his degree in construction and

graduated in 2011.

After interning at The Waldinger Corporation in

Wichita, KS, for two years, the company hired him

following his graduation. Shortly afterward, Shum won

the new Wichita airport project. With a high-profile

project with his name on it and his fiancée expecting their

first child, Shum’s future looked bright.

In December 2012, he and group of friends

went skydiving.

“I’m unsure if I had a hard opening that caused me

to become disoriented,” Shum said, “but I came in

backwards with the wind at my back. I was going a lot

faster than I should have. I saw the tree line and thought

I could clear it.”

Shum explained that in situations like this the

method is to try to clear the obstacle or turn away. In this

case, he was at a low altitude. Turning at low altitudes

increases your speed.

“If I’d have turned,” Shum said, “I would have

smashed into the ground. At that speed, it could have

been way worse.”

Shum chose the other option.

“I thought I could clear it,” he said. “The trees ended

up hitting me right in the shins. You know, a foot or two

higher and I would have walked away from it. My feet

got tangled up in the trees but my canopy kept going.

It slingshot me to the ground and I fell on my reserve

canopy. And that’s what snapped my back in two.”

The impact shattered his T6 vertebrae and also

broke his ribs, his nose and caused quite a lot of internal

bleeding. Shum was airlifted to a local Wichita hospital

in critical condition where he spent nearly 12 days in

intensive care. He underwent emergency surgery to

Continued on Page 24

Devastating injury no match for teamwork and perseverance


“I went through all the rehab and couldn’t wait to get back to work.”

- Kayne ShumProject Manager,The Waldinger Corporation


save the use of his upper body but the accident left him

paralyzed from the chest down.

“I fractured my C6 vertebrae,” Shum said. “If I would

have broken it, I would have lost the use of my hands.

That would be a whole different deal.”

Shum knew life wouldn’t be the same after the

accident. He just didn’t expect the other parts of his life

that were changing too.

“My fiancée was four months into her pregnancy

when my accident happened,” Shum said. “So I got back

two months before we had a baby. I had to learn to live

with a newborn and learn how to handle myself. It was a

lot of work.”

The Wichita Airport Project

The new Dwight D. Eisenhower Airport in Wichita,

KS, is scheduled to open in May 2015. The new terminal

building and associated parking garage is the highest-

profile project in progress in Wichita—maybe even

in the state of Kansas. The Waldinger Corporation,

headquartered in Des Moines, IA, has been working in

the Wichita area since 1987.

With the airport project less than a year away from

completion, Shum is on the site full time.

One of the biggest contributions to Shum’s success

has been his crew and its willingness to work together

as a team. The crew built a series of ramps from trailer

to trailer so Shum can get from place to place for the

variety of meetings he is required to attend. And before

Shum was able to purchase an adapted vehicle he could

drive, members of his crew brought him to the site in the

mornings and took him home at night.

“When we were installing underground, we had a

Gator I could ride around the site in,” Shum said. “At

a minimum, I try to get out of the job trailer and wheel

around the job site at least once a week.”

Now his wheelchair has an attachment that makes

inspecting the job site easier but he still very much

appreciates the assistance his crew provided and

continues to provide, especially with help up and

down stairs.

“I really have a great crew of guys,” Shum said.

With the estimating phase and other preparations

that have gone into the airport project, Shum has been

working on it for three years. The project itself went

into the engineering phase 10 years ago and the way

approvals are set up between the project contractors and

the City of Wichita, making changes or getting answers

takes a very

long time.

But Shum

looks forward to

the day when he

can drive past

the airport and

show it to his

daughter, who

is now 16

months old.

“In 20 years, when I drive by the airport or fly out of it,

I can say, ‘I was part of that,’ ” Shum said.

Dedicated to raising his daughter and doing his best

at his job, Shum fully intends to keep moving up. He’d

love to operate his own office at Waldinger and, in spite

of all the hardship and heartache he’s experienced, Shum

believes his future is still bright.

“After my accident, the simple tasks of getting

dressed or getting in a car felt impossible,” he said. “Now

I don’t even think twice about it. You can never give up.

Just keep trying and take life one day at a time.”

“In 20 years, when I drive by the airport or fly out of it, I can say, ‘I was part of that.’”- Kayne Shum


ON YOUR TABLET

READ THE

The Viega Voice magazine has

the highest circulation of any industry

publication and now it’s the first industry

publication with its own app! You can

download the official Viega Voice app

for your tablet, iPad or Kindle Fire from

their respective storefronts. Then, when

a new Viega Voice hits the shelves, you’ll

get an automatic notification. Never miss

another issue. Stay up to date with all the

current product innovations and

industry news.

If you think the printed version is

great, you won’t want to miss the tablet

version. Interactive content, media and

many other surprises are waiting for you,

so don’t wait. Download the app today

and see what more than 60,000 other

industry professionals around North

America have discovered: Viega is truly

the innovative leader.


Everybody’s moving downtown. Across North

America, more and more high-rise residential buildings

are being constructed to accommodate the population

segments that prefer to live downtown. It’s a relatively

new trend in most areas of the continent but it has

provided new opportunities for plumbing and pipe

joining professionals.

If you want a mechanical company with a lot of

experience in high-rise residential projects, Centurion

Mechanical is the place to look. Founded in 2008

in Calgary, Centurion specializes in residential

high-rise projects.

The latest high-rise residential building in Centurion’s

Calgary, Alberta, portfolio is the Guardian Towers project.

The Guardian Towers are twin 42-story towers with 627

units. Centurion has installed Viega ProPress and Viega

MegaPress systems on the Guardian Towers project,

Viega ProPress for domestic water and Viega MegaPress

for heating and chilled water systems.

Other projects Centurion has worked on include

Waterfront Towers (453 units), University City Towers

(four towers, 725 units), CALLA Tower (169 parkside

homes) and Mark Tower (35 stories, 274 units).

“Calgary and all of Alberta is fortunate to be

experiencing a positive building cycle,” said Anthony

Kelly, President of Centurion Mechanical. “The most

construction we’ve seen in years.”

With Viega ProPress and Viega MegaPress systems

installed on every floor of the 42-story residential

high-rise, Centurion is making thousands of joints. The

company prefers to install Viega systems for their quality

and for the support it receives. It also likes Viega systems

because of the confidence it has in the connections

they make.

“A leak is bad enough in a house,” Kelly said, “but in

these towers, by the time you catch a leak on the 36th

floor, the water’s already damaged the floors beneath it.”

Centurion has a long history with Viega

press systems.

“Right from our first contract in Calgary, we started

using Viega ProPress,” Kelly said. “To my understanding,

we did the first Viega MegaPress job in Canada too.”

High-rise residential specialistsprefer Viega press systems


Centurion doesn’t only do new construction either.

It has also done high-rise retrofit work with Viega

ProPress systems.

“In a retrofit project, we were able to shut down the

water on the floor in the morning while the tenants went

to work,” Kelly said, “and by the time they came home

that night, it was done. There was no way that could

have been done with solder.”

By installing Viega ProPress and Viega MegaPress

systems in the Guardian Towers project, Centurion has

been able to stay on

schedule. But it isn’t

just the time and

labor savings that

makes Viega press

systems such a great

investment. It’s the

service and support

you get that makes

the real difference.

“We have very

small windows to

turn over these

floors,” Kelly said.

“Any time there have

been issues, they’ve

been dealt with right

away. The backup and support has been great. And

with very little problems given the amount of joints

we’re doing.”

Centurion, like other installers around North America,

is faced with the difficult issue of finding skilled labor.

“Everyone is busy here,” Kelly said. “We’re competing

for skilled workers and we don’t have the labor pool we

used to have. We definitely have to be more effective

with our labor.”

Viega ProPress and Viega MegaPress systems don’t

reduce the necessity of having skilled labor on a job, but

they do make it possible to train installers faster. Instead

of having to know how to sweat, braze, weld, groove

or thread, installers only need to know how to press.

Because connections can be made on copper, stainless

steel and black iron with the same tool, installers can get

the same connection every time regardless of location or

amount of work space available.

“There’s a lot of downtime going up and down,” Kelly

said. “We’re not allowed to cut and thread on the floors

because of the oil and the filings and the debris. With the

old way, there’s a lot of up and down, lots of downtime.

With Viega MegaPress, you can make the joint right on

the floor.”

With a project of this size and scope, Centurion

Mechanical has a lot to be proud of.

“They are the tallest residential towers in Calgary,”

Kelly said, “and we’re proud of the speed with which it is

being constructed. Viega ProPress and Viega MegaPress

are part of the reason that’s achievable.”

“We’re proud of the speed with

which it is being constructed.

Viega ProPress and Viega

MegaPress are part of the

reason that’s achievable.”

– Anthony Kelly, President, Centurion

Mechanical


The trade show that comes to you

Trade shows are one of the best ways to learn about

new products and industry innovations that you can use

to expand your business opportunities. But trade shows

are expensive. Many times, you have to pay to travel

there. You have to pay to stay there. There’s the hassle

of transportation there, transportation during your stay,

meals, logistics—the list goes on and on.

Wouldn’t it be much better if a trade show could

come to you?

Viega is excited to announce our new mobile

ProMotion Truck, which hit the road at the beginning of

August and is traveling from coast to coast across the

continental United States showcasing Viega’s innovative

system solutions.

This new, 30-foot-long mobile showroom is a

customized F-550 Super Duty truck. It will make

appearances at industry events and requested stops,

where visitors can walk through and see Viega’s range of

commercial and industrial plumbing systems as well as

radiant flooring and fire sprinkler solutions.

“Viega’s mobile showroom is spacious enough for

several people to walk around inside and comfortably

explore our products and applications,” said Jeff

Neczypor, the U.S. Director of Sales for Viega.

The truck’s showroom is tall enough and wide

enough for many people to experience it at the same

time. With a television inside as well as a television


outside, there’s plenty of space for everyone to see and

hear and learn about Viega system solutions.

“Outside of an actual project,” Neczypor said, “our

promotion truck is your best opportunity to see what

actual Viega installations look like and how they can

integrate with existing systems.”

Inside the truck, you can see genuine installation

examples utilizing Viega system solutions like Viega

ProPress for copper and stainless, Viega MegaPress for

black iron pipe, Viega PEX Press systems with the Viega

ManaBloc homerun water system and radiant heating

and cooling technology with Viega’s line of innovative

panels, manifolds and controls.

Local Viega representatives will be on site to conduct

product demonstrations, hand out information and

answer any questions you may have about how Viega

press technology can revolutionize your next project.

Keep an eye out for it and, if you see it, stop in and

check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

“...see what actual Viega installations look like and how they can integrate with existing systems."

- Jeff Neczypor, Director of National Accounts, Viega LLC


TREE

ORNAMENT

HOLLY

MISTLETOE

SNOWFLAKE

ICICLE

STAR

LIGHTS

HOLIDAY

SANTA CLAUS

SLEIGH

REINDEER

GIFTS

RIBBON

BOW

WRAPPING PAPER

CAROLS

CANDY CANE

PEPPERMINT

STOCKINGS

GINGERBREAD

EGG NOG

TOYS

CHIMNEY

JINGLE BELLS

Word search Holiday cheer

D Y U T V Q K T R P J H G X B O H Q I H P P I T C

J G A D T K R E E K A L F W O N S O V Z Y O N L Y

P F A E O S R U P G Z U M Q P X V F L D S E W M V

R E I N D E E R A I D H S B E K A H E I M W I M I

I A S Z E O A O P F C E T J P E M R E A D S E C P

H M E G G N O G G T Y R M D P E Y B N A T A I N F

D I C I Q M R N N S E K J S E H N R O L V C Y W O

V Z T H Z Y A D I E K S V R R F O A E G L G J L Z

F I I I N Y F O P D Z K F Y M V K T C E B J Y G C

H H N S L W I Q P J T U M K I I O N D Y G Y L C S

N O G W O O M F A B L O U G N E L O F G D X J Z S

R O L I C B E C R M W H W G T N U B E X D N M T G

T B K L E Y K X W W D S X U Z X F B W Z O P A B N

V D W J Y L T W S A H O A X O C P I S X F H Y C I

O F I V A T S M E Y L D W N A H J R Y L H E R I K

U J E S C E S R S L O B D K T S T H G I L V X C C

P C T N E V B L R P N T F H R A T S N P I A G H O

X P F E Y R O B B W H C I N K V C V V F O O F I T

M R U E E R T I O A K G H M A Q Y L G T N B A M S

O F E G A I U C S J Z R S F C V G B A M F S Z N Y

F Q N C V D V M G Z A C H Q C X U N R U V K Q E M

C I V E V L Y J X S T J U K A Y G R N T S D O Y N

G J I N G L E B E L L S F V K E R C Q S U Z O H X

E U R A L L P V M B V D W L H F J W K X L P U M Y

M A D G C Y K L R Z E V U U N V Z B H T R W O H L

July issue answer keyHoliday Closing Announcement

Viega will be closed at 12:00 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday,

Dec. 24, 2014, through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2014. No orders

will be processed during this time. Viega will reopen

on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015. We hope you enjoy this 2014

holiday season!


What's your Viega Story?Have you ever wanted to tell a story from your life

but were too scared to get up in front of people?

Public speaking is the No. 1 fear among adults and

that fear keeps a lot of people quiet when they could

be speaking out.

What about you? If you had the chance to share

your Viega experience with the rest of the industry,

would you?

Have you got a story to tell? Was there a time when

Viega system solutions helped you finish a project on

time or ahead of schedule? Or what about that time

Viega ProPress fittings helped you in a tight spot? Or the

time you replumbed an entire house in only a few hours?

Or the radiant heating project that would have been

cost-prohibitive without Viega ProRadiant systems?

Everybody has a story and Viega wants to hear

yours. Email it to [email protected] before June 1,

2015, and you might get the opportunity to share your

story in a Viega Voice article or even on camera.

No audience. No pressure. Just you and your story. This is your chance. Tell the world your Viega story today!


How do you celebrate the holidays?

Snowmen. Reindeer. Santa hats. Many symbols have

come to symbolize the holiday season but they all mean

different things to different people. When you think about

the holidays, what do you see?

For much of the United States, the holidays means

snow on the ground and fires in living rooms. Cold

temperatures mean hot cocoa, soups and warm pies to

coax life back into fingers frozen in snowball fights or

fights with the snow in the driveway.

For the other part of the country, the holidays don’t

really mean a change in the weather, since the weather

stays warm and balmy most of the time anyway. But just

because you celebrate with surf boards and sweet tea

doesn’t mean you don’t put up lights and trees.

The holidays are a time for families to gather and

celebrate the season, whether exchanging gifts, playing

games, enjoying a meal or all of the above. It’s a time

just about everyone eagerly anticipates.

But what about the families who won’t be gathering

together this season? What about the families broken

by illness or separated by conflict, the family members

stationed at military bases around the world or the ones

left behind when their loved ones passed on?

For so many families, the holidays may not feel like

the holidays while their loved ones are away. For other

families, the holidays may never feel the same again.

Regardless of what you celebrate, regardless of how

you celebrate, let’s not forget the reason we celebrate.

The holidays have never been a celebration of self.

They’re a time to reach out to each other, to come

together as people and help each other through the

dark times, the lonely times, the sad times.

This holiday season, may we think more of the

people around us than of ourselves. May we be willing

to share the joy we have with someone we barely know.

May we have the courage to reach out to a stranger and

do something kind.

Whether you celebrate around your kitchen table or

through a computer screen with a loved one stationed in

the sands of some far-away country, let’s all remember

that the holiday season is about more than what we get.

It’s about what we give.


Training Opportunities

LoopCAD® is a registered trademark of Avenir Software Inc.

Can you think of anything more frightening than

facing a challenge you aren’t prepared for? Maybe

you had the opportunity to get ready but didn’t do it.

What do you do when you encounter that situation?

Stumble through?

Plumbing, heating and pipe joining projects aren’t

much different. You don’t want to start working on a

job before you understand what needs to go into it.

That’s where training comes in. And when it comes to

installing plumbing, heating and pipe joining systems,

the best training you can get comes from Viega.

We don’t just train people how to install our

products. We train people on how the industry works.

We offer a wide variety of training options, and our

educators have real field experience. They didn’t just

read it out of a book, so you can trust you’re getting

insights from somebody who’s been in your shoes.

Check out the Viega Educational Facility’s catalog

of courses and see which ones will work for you.

Training helps you be prepared

December 2014December 1-2 Snow and Ice MeltingDecember 1-3 Geothermal and SolarDecember 4-5 LoopCADDecember 8-9 Manual JDecember 10-12 Radiant Design, Piping and Controls

January 2015January 19 Copper Press TechnologyJanuary 20 Carbon Steel Press TechnologyJanuary 21 Stainless Steel Press TechnologyJanuary 22-23 NFPA 13D Fire SprinklerJanuary 26-30 Radiant WeekJanuary 27-28 Radiant Design and SoftwareJanuary 29-30 Radiant Piping and Controls

February 2015February 17-18 Radiant and Hydronics TroubleshootingFebruary 19-20 Commercial Radiant Heating and CoolingFebruary 23-25 Hydronics 101 and Radiant SystemsFebruary 24-25 Radiant Systems

March 2015March 16-17 LoopCADMarch 16-17 Snow and Ice MeltingMarch 18-20 Geothermal and SolarMarch 18-19 Manual JMarch 23-25 Radiant Design, Piping and Controls


Tech TalkViega Tech Talk Experts Jeremy Ferriter, Jason Allison and David Melendy

How do I compensate for expansion

and contraction when plumbing with

ViegaPEX tubing?

All tubing, including ViegaPEX, will expand and

contract linearly as the temperature of the fluid

within the tubing changes or the temperature of the

environment in which the tubing is installed changes.

PEX tubing must be installed with this in mind or

there can be issues, not only with the appearance

of the installation but with the integrity of the system

connections. ViegaPEX Ultra tubing will expand

1.1" per 100-foot run for every 10° of temperature

change. This movement can place stress on fittings,

tubing, valves and fasteners within the system. To

limit this, you should install fasteners in a manner

that supports the tubing without restricting its free

movement. For tubing ¾" and smaller, install loops

and offsets on straight runs. Tubing 1" and larger can

be more difficult to bend into these configurations, so

use of manually constructed expansion joints may be

required for these larger sizes. The Viega PEX Water

Systems Installation Manual contains instructions

on how to properly design and install U-and-Z-type

expansion joints.

I’m installing a fire protection system using

ViegaPEX Ultra (black) tubing. Is the ViegaPEX

tubing able to be installed in exposed areas such

as garages?

ViegaPEX Ultra (black) tubing and Viega PEX Press

bronze fittings are UL listed for use in NFPA 13D

residential fire protection systems, but they are not fire

rated. In exposed areas, these components require

adequate protection as defined by NFPA. Adequate

protection includes:

• ⅜" or thicker drywall

• metal-gridded suspended ceiling grid with

tiles weighing 0.35 lbs sq/ft or more

• soffit constructed of ½" or thicker plywood

If these measures are not possible, another option

is Viega ProPress fittings for copper or Viega

MegaPress fittings for black iron pipe. Both of

these systems may be acceptable for installation in

exposed areas. Always consult with your local AHJ

for any additional requirements.

I have mixed together an assortment of Viega

fittings, and now I can’t tell which fittings are

Zero Lead compliant. How can I identify which

fittings can be used in low-lead applications?

All of Viega’s Zero Lead products are delivered with

labeling and installation instructions stating: “This

product contains Zero Lead.” Copper, by nature, is

lead free, so our copper products will comply with all

Zero Lead legislation. Viega ProPress copper fittings

will continue to bear the “NSF-61” stamp. Viega

fittings made from Zero Lead bronze are constructed

of an alloy containing no more than 0.25% of lead by

weighted average. Bronze Viega PEX Press fittings

and Eco Brass® PEX Crimp fittings will be marked

with “cNSF®us pw-G” or “NSF/ANSI 61-G.” Viega

PEX Press fittings in smaller sizes may substitute

these markings for a “Z” when space on the fitting

is limited. Viega ProPress bronze fittings are marked

with “NSF®-61-G.”


303_EN_1114_1

viegavoiceViega LLC 301 N. Main, 9th FloorWichita, KS 67202

Return address requested

[email protected]

©2014, FostaPEX®, MegaPress®, ProPress® and Viega® are registered trademarks of Viega GmbH & Co. KG. ManaBloc®, and Smart Connect® are registered trademarks of Viega LLC. Zero Lead™ is a trademark of Viega LLC; ViegaPEX™ and ProRadiant™ are trademarks of Viega GmbH & Co. KG. Amazon™, Kindle™ and Fire™ are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. Google® is a registered trademark of Google, Inc. Android™ and Google Play™ are trademarks of Google, Inc. Apple®, iPad® and iTunes® are registered trademarks of Apple. Eco Brass® is a registered trademark of Chase Brass and Ingot Metal Co.

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDWICHITA KS

PERMIT NO 485

The term Viega does not apply to a specific company within the various separate and distinct companies comprising the Viega group of companies. The term Viega as used in this publication refers to the Viega brand itself or generally to the Viega group of companies. References to activities in North America specifically refer to activities of Viega LLC.

Zero Lead identifies Viega products meeting the lead-free requirements of NSF 61-G through testing under NSF/ANSI 372 (20% or less maximum weighted average lead content).

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