Plumbing Foreman, Chico Flores of Metropolitan Mechanical Contractors (MMC), has been installing plumbing systems for more than 20 years and, while he was initially skeptical of the PEX system, he is a firm believer in the product now.
“At first I didn’t like it,” he says. “I thought it was taking the skill out of the trades. But now I love it because of all the time it saves on installation and testing.”
Flores estimates he saves about half the time installing and testing a PEX system compared to a copper or CPVC system. And when you’re installing 53,000 feet of pipe on a project of this size, that’s a lot of time savings.
“Because you can’t dry fit the ProPEX® expansion fittings, there’s no concern about blow offs,” he says. “That makes the system testing go really quick.”
Flores also likes the installation efficiencies provided by the Uponor Engineered Polymer (EP) Multiport Tees. “The multiports are great,” he says. “You just put in your tee and send the whips wherever you need them.”
The Loring Park Tower project is using 1½" to 2" Uponor AquaPEX® pipe for the risers and mains with ½" to 1" Uponor AquaPEX for the in-suite lines.
