M-Press Press Fittings, A Comparison

M-Press press fittings are the latest product range to enter the market for industrial and domestic pipework installations. It is available in carbon steel, copper and stainless steel and is rapidly becoming a serious competitor to Yorkshire Xpress, Geberit and Sanha. I suppose at present you would call these three the market leaders in the United Kingdom.

There are so many variables to consider, including quality of manufacture, possible product improvements, and competitive prices. The fact is, this is a very simple product, no matter which manufacturer you choose.

Press fittings are easily installed and, compared to traditional methods of installation, are done in a shorter time, and the basic skill required to complete an installation is greatly reduced. With relatively little experience in pipe fitting or plumbing, most intelligent individuals could complete the training required to install M-Press, Yorkshire Xpress, Geberit and Sanha press fittings. For more information on the subject of how M-Press press fittings compare to the rest, please continue reading this Blog by clicking read more or contact our sales team for more information and or prices and availability.

M-Press Press Fittings – Leak Path Comparison

All press fittings, as far as we are aware, have a leak path; the function of the leak path is an indicator of an incomplete installation. In other words, a press fitting that has not been pressed. This ensures that, under test, a leak path allows the medium to leak from the fitting before the system goes into service. Without this preventative safety margin, a fitting would not indicate any issue till the system was in full operation, at this point it usually would detach from the pipe under pressure, causing mayhem and damage or worse.

PCC M-Press has developed a leak path with a unique design, three raised areas allow the pipe to grip the ‘O’ ring seal and below each raised area is a leak path which will allow fluid such as water to pass through. When the fitting is pressed to M-Press guidelines and training procedures, the gaps are closed to make a guaranteed seal. Other manufacturers use cut-out lines on the ‘O’ ring seal that, on larger diameter pipe, can cause the leak path to close so that at low testing pressure rates the fitting does not leak.

M-Press EPDM O-ring, WRAS approved, PN16 rated and installed as standard in many of our press fittings.

Other manufacturers, such as Pegler Yorkshire Xpress, use a triangulation at the mouth of the fitting to create a leak path, ensuring the fitting will leak on test. With this and all press fittings, including M-Press, you must be certain that the calibration certification of your press tool is up-to-date. Failure to do this negates the warranty on your installation; under-pressing or over-pressing fittings will result in leaks. If you aren’t sure of where you can arrange certification of your press tools, please contact us, and we will help in any way that we can, whether we have supplied the tools or not.

M-Press Press Fittings Quality

Having looked at the leak path issue, we look at what most installers and end users alike will consider the crucial question: Is the M-Press range as good as its competitors? The simple answer to this question is yes. If you look at what Geberit, Sanha and Pegler Yorkshire Xpress offer, the products are very similar, but in the end, after the installations are complete, the result is the same.

There are differences in the recommended uses of this type of product on some installations. For instance, Geberit offer a range for low-pressure process steam in stainless steel, whereas M-Press have similar seals and materials but would never recommend that their product be used for any steam installations. In their view, there is not enough evidence that this would work in the long term, as they have no data on the subject.

Overall, all these products are very similar, and many businesses specify what they’ve used in the long term and very often miss out on the price advantage of using another quality product like M-Press. Many M-Press distributors are also new to the product, although we have been supplying installers and end users alike with pipework valves and fittings for over 26 years. The advantage of buying from ValvesTubesFittings.com is the fact that we are an experienced and competent supplier with excellent customer relationships with the vast majority of our customer base.

We can offer advice on many aspects of installations based on the abilities of our sales team, no matter what type of pipeline installation your business is undertaking working with us as your supplier offers many advantages which include greater product understanding than many of our competitors, excellent working relationships with our suppliers and manufacturers allowing us to use their knowledge base and most important of all a top end customer service ethic that ensures our customers prefer us to other businesses. Please contact us for more information on M-Press or any of our valve and pipeline products.