July 11, 2024

How Uponor PEX-a Helps Decrease Installation Time to Meet Tight Construction Deadlines

by Justin Van Noort

Opus Mechanical is a full-service mechanical contractor offering new build, retrofit, emergency, and preventative maintenance services for commercial projects in the Greater Toronto Area. They mainly focus on tenant retrofits for office towers, but also construct projects from the ground up.

Opus Mechanical installed Uponor PEX-a piping systems for the domestic water and hydronics systems for the Osprey Valley Clubhouse at the TPC Toronto golf course.

One of the reasons Opus continues to use Uponor products is because of the unmatched support. “We’ve had Uponor reps out here training our guys on how to properly install the product,” says Jonathan Carter, field operations manager of Plumbing and Piping at Opus Mechanical. “Any time we’ve had an issue, it is rectified very quickly.”

This level of support gives Opus confidence that their team is properly trained to complete a quality install. Any issue in the construction process is addressed quickly to help ensure on-time, on-budget project delivery. “All in all, it’s a quality product that we’re happy to use,” says Carter.

When they took on the Osprey Valley Clubhouse project, Opus knew Uponor was the best solution for the project due to the cost savings and ease of installation. Compared to other materials, such as copper, Uponor PEX offers more stable pricing and faster, easier installations to help meet budgetary requirements and tight construction schedules.

“The guys love it,” says Carter. “They don’t have to solder fittings, and it definitely cuts down on the install time.”

A major roadblock Opus deals with when using alternative solutions is getting hot-work permits, which is a timely and tedious process that slows down their installation time. Even after getting the hot-work permits, preparing and installing that pipe takes longer than the Uponor ProPEX® F1960 expansion connection system. Additionally, because Uponor PEX is a flexible pipe, it’s much faster to install compared to rigid copper pipe that requires a fitting with each change in direction.

Opus also wanted to leverage Uponor to help them meet the aggressive construction schedule. The speed and efficiency of Uponor PEX pipe and ProPEX fittings helps them meet and exceed their construction schedule to deliver exceptional results.

“The guys are doing three-inch water mains, and down the hall they are doing horizontal piping, and everything is just flying,” he says. “There’s no way we could have done that with copper.”

Carter also appreciates the peace of mind that Uponor ProPEX expansion connections provide. “We’re not really worried about leaks, but we are testing the connections,” he says. “Typically, we have had 10 to 15 percent leakage on copper soldered joints. Here, if our guys are putting the Uponor ProPEX fitting inside the joint properly, we have no issues. We’ve had absolutely no leaks on this project.”

Upon completion of the Osprey Valley Clubhouse, the Opus Mechanical team can transfer the project to the owners quicker, with greater confidence, knowing the Uponor PEX piping system will offer peak performance throughout the life of the structure.