Push-fit fittings have been around for decades in plumbing and heating. However, what appears on the surface as a simple component is actually innovative technology with endless possibilities. Mike Riseley, Sales Director at RWC explains more.
It’s no secret that push-fit is a big business. In the UK alone, as an estimate push-fit accounts for around £225m of sales, and its strongest end segment is in the plumbing and heating systems of new builds, with 95 per cent of new homes adopting push-fit technology.
Dominated by a few big players, with RWC’s John Guest Speedfit being one of them, this market continues to grow. And as we are marking 60 years of our John Guest brand, celebrating the legacy of the original plastic push-fit inventors also means it is time to reflect on how the application of this technology has evolved, bringing innovation and simplicity to multiple industries for decades.
While we are reaching saturation in new builds that is not to mean that push-fit technology has no more room to grow. Far from it, in fact, with the coronavirus pandemic having highlighted just how important it is for the repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) end segment. With holiday plans having been cancelled, the attention from consumers has turned to home improvements. Bathroom renovations, kitchen replacements, extensions and more are all on the rise.
The coronavirus has also led to a greater emphasis on speed, efficiency, and safety. To protect themselves and their customers, installers need to get in and out faster than ever, yet without compromising their work.
Push-fit meets this need perfectly. It is by far the easiest of the four main fitting types to work with – the other three being compression, soldering and press-fit – as it requires no tools to install or demount, and pipework can be put in-situ before swiveling to make the connection. From our own testing, push-fit has proven itself to be up to 40 per cent faster to install when compared to most traditional connection methods.
That being said, understandably with some traditional installers there can still be an underlying issue of trust. Even though 45 per cent of the market is now plastic push-fit, and every year there is a small percentage that transitions from copper soldering (the most commonly used joining technique), many installers are still on their journey through this change.
As world leaders and pioneers in push-fit technology, it is our belief that this method is the ‘go-to’ solution that will help shape a better future. We want to help installers understand that they can fully trust in push-fit, and move from using them sparingly just for convenience, through to using them as complete systems.
To that end, it’s important we look at how push-fit technology works, and the other areas we’ve adapted push-fit in.
Demanding applications
Push-fit is most widely associated with plumbing and heating, but as already mentioned it is used in many more industries too, most of which require exacting performance and reliability. Such trust has stemmed from 60 years of research and development, along with world class engineering and manufacturing, to create durable, leak proof fittings, using innovative materials.
This innovation has been around for decades, with John Guest inventing the first plastic push-fit solution back in 1974, which was initially developed for highly engineered compressed air applications. Translating this expertise into the development of plumbing and heating push-fit fittings was an opportunity to bring game-changing technology to this vital industry, making the lives of installers easier. But this was only the beginning, as we have come a long way of innovating ever since we introduced the Superseal in the early 2000s – a technology implementing two extra O-Rings, providing enhanced sealing and guarding against potential leak paths in the pipework.
Such innovation didn’t come by chance either. It was the by-product of the collaboration between our engineers and the plumbing and heating installers who would be applying this technology in their daily work. We listened, so we could create a product with users at its centre.
For us, we see push-fit as the future. That’s why we’ve developed new ranges in conjunction with Reliance Valves, another RWC brand. The Easifit TMV is just one example of how you can now get a class-leading thermostatic mixing valve with push-fit ends, which will help speed up many installations.
The people behind push-fit
Not only is push-fit on an endless journey of development, but so too are the people behind it. At RWC UK, we have a team of technical engineers who are constantly collaborating with installers to understand pain points, give guidance on best practice, help select the right products and assist with projects. This is backed up by having one of the largest technical and sales team in the UK, plus the global support of RWC.
With sustainability as one of the driving forces behind change, our engineering and new product development teams are always looking at how we can create efficiencies in our value chain and be more sustainable, while making lives easier for installers, developers and end customers.
Only by investing in people, and our own processes and infrastructure, can we help make this happen. There must be continuous improvement, whether that be in BIM, modular building, offsite construction and more.
Final Thoughts
From our incorporation in 1961 through to now, push-fit technology has grown exponentially. We’re now at the tipping point where push-fit could soon be adopted first, as opposed to traditional jointing methods.
To continue on this journey will require even more innovation, to help bring better products, easier to fit, easier to maintain, easier to handle. With 60 years of expertise and knowledge behind us, there is no better time than now to create a step-change in the industry, and by doing so, we can help shape a better world.
For more about JG Speedfit visit https://www.johnguest.com/speedfit/
