Available in both stainless steel and carbon steel, the Europress Pressfit Piping System offers a fast, easy, and risk-free solution for your pipeline needs. Europress is a modular piping system that offers top-of-the-range European engineering and a manufacturer-backed 25-year product guarantee.
This blog will explore four important points to ensure a quality Europress installation. Incorrect installation can lead to premature failure, which results in costly repairs, time spent re-working the system, and production downtime. Read on to discover how to ensure your Europress system stands the test of time.
What is Europress?
Designed and manufactured to the highest European standards, Europress is a stainless-steel press-fit piping system. While traditional piping systems are welded together, press-fit is assembled and crimped together with a battery-powered tool. This system is faster to install, creating a more cost-effective option.
Whilst Europress doesn’t replace welded systems, it offers an efficient alternative for the following applications:
- Hot and cold water
- Potable water
- Fire sprinkler
- Compressed air
- Industrial gases
- Chemical lines
- Oil and lubricant lines
- Vacuum and glycol
Benefits of Europress
Key advantages of Europress include faster installation, reliable joins, and improved safety. With no naked flames or hot work permits, your piping system can be completed sooner and maintenance is more efficient, reducing downtime. By reducing downtime, you’ll also save on project costs.
Installing Europress correctly
In a Europress installation, the battery-powered pressing tool works by producing two deformations in the Europress press-fit pipes. The first is radial deformation which compresses the O-ring in the toroidal chamber and ensures the pipe is hermetically sealed. The second is geometric deformation which creates a mechanical joint resistant to slipping and rotation.
These joins create a primary metal-to-metal seal, are very strong and rigid, and are flexible enough to withstand potential stresses from vibration and thermal expansion.
Below, we have answered four key considerations about press-fit installation to ensure your system is reliable and long-lasting.
1. How to allow for thermal expansion and contraction with Europress
Both metal and plastic piping systems expand when heated and contract when cooled, although plastic more so than metal, you will need to allow for it in your press-fit piping system. To ensure the longevity of your Europress system, the following points should be taken into account, particularly if the system will be subject to changes in temperature. Be sure to:
Leave sufficient room for expansion
In the case of visible pipes, Europress tube can accommodate temperature fluctuations, granted that the pipes have been fixed correctly. Chased pipes must not be fully encased in concrete or soil, instead, they should be insulated or sleeved to allow for expansion and contraction.
Use expansion compensators where necessary
In certain cases, minor expansion of pipes will be compensated for by the elasticity of the pipe system itself. In other cases, expansion compensators must be used. Compensators are usually a U-shape, also known as an expansion loop, Z-shape, a simple step in the pipe run, or as an expansion bellow. The U and Z-shaped compensation can be pre-formed or constructed at the time of component assembly.
Position pipe brackets correctly
There are two types of brackets: fixed, which locks pipes rigidly and helps to direct the tube movement, and sliding, which allows for axial movement of the pipe. Each kind requires its own method of installation. To find out more about these topics, view the Europress technical manual or contact the Waterworks technical department.
While both Europress carbon steel and stainless steel are subject to thermal expansion and contraction, carbon steel fluctuates less than stainless steel. To ensure you’re making the correct allowances during installation, refer to page 71 of the Europress technical manual.
2. How to select the correct Europress seal
Choosing the right O-ring for your installation is important in ensuring a long-lasting seal in your system. Each fitting is supplied with the required O-rings and only Europress approved O-rings should be used.
Europress seals are available in three options:
EPDM – Black
EPDM seals are most often used for water piping systems such as for drinking water, heating, cooling, low-pressure steam, firefighting, glycol, and selected chemical applications.
- Available in diameters from 15 to 168.3mm.
- Suitable for operating temperatures of -20°C to 95°C, and temperature spikes of up to 120°C. In actual practice we recommend considering higher temperature seals for any installation continuously over 80-85°C.
- Sizes 15 to 54mm come with the Europress patented Leak Before Press (LBP) design. Sizes 76.1 to 168.3mm have an alternative design.
HNBR – Yellow
HNBR seals are primarily used in gas piping systems. They are suitable for all types of combustible gas, both natural and liquid, and are resistant to ageing and heat.
- Available in diameters from 15 to 108mm.
- Suitable for temperatures between -20°C and 70°C.
FKM (Viton) – Green
FKM (Viton) provides a higher level of compatibility with a range of different liquids and is therefore the preferred option for oils, lubricants, aggressive chemicals, compressed air, and hot water systems particularly where the temperature is operating over 85°C. FKM is not recommended where steam is present.
- Available in diameters from 15 to 168.3mm
- Suitable for operating temperatures between -20°C and 120°C and temperature spikes of up to 120°C.
3. How often to press a join
A pipe join should only be pressed a single time, as per the manufacturer’s recommendation. If a joint is pressed multiple times unnecessarily, there is a risk of leakage, especially if the press jaw is not oriented consistently during each press.
If a joint was not fully pressed or if a leak is discovered:
Although a second press is not recommended or guaranteed, in this situation it may be worth attempting a second press. If doing so, it is important that the press jaw or chain be located over the fitting in the same orientation as the original press position, and then re-pressed.
If a joint has been installed incorrectly:
The joint should be removed and the process redone, using new fittings, and following the correct installation procedure.
Note that all pipe sizes require a one-step press process when using Europress tooling manufactured by Klauke, aside from super-sized fittings, which require a two-step press process.
4. How to guarantee a proper press-fit joint installation
If issues with installations do occur, it is most often because either the pipe has not been witness-marked or deburred correctly. Not being familiar with the installation process may lead to leakage and other joint issues, however, like with all well-designed systems, Europress is easy to work with when you know how. Here are the basics to ensure a perfect result:
- Cut the pipe to length using burr-free approved cutters.
- Deburr the inside and outside of each pipe, using a manual or electric deburring tool.
- Examine the pipe to ensure it is free from residue, damage, and swarf.
- Use the Europress depth gauge to make a witness mark on the tube showing the tube insertion depth.
- Check the O-ring is positioned in the toroidal seat correctly and is free from any debris or damage.
- Insert the tube into the fitting with a quarter turn to help the tube roll past the O-ring. There should be some friction between the tube and the O-ring. If lubrication is needed, use water or soapy water.
- Position the pressing tool jaws or chain over the fitting locating the toroidal seat in the groove of the jaw or chain. Make certain that the jaws are positioned uniformly around the join.
- Initiate the pressing process by pulling the trigger on the pressing tool and hold until the press cycle is completed and the pressing ram is returning to its original position.
- Once pressing is complete, remove the coloured sleeve from the joint to indicate a completed join.
Europress is up to 10 times faster to install than conventional steel piping systems, which can result in savings of up to 30% on any given project. The press-fit construction of Europress is of the highest quality to ensure the durable, safe, and prolonged life of your piping system. Follow the complete installation guide or refer to pages 89 and 90 of the Europress technical manual.
For more information on the Europress piping system download our Europress brochure, view the Europress range on our website, or get in touch with our team, we're here to help make your Europress installation as easy and successful as can be.
