Blue Flame Associates Training Facility

Five commercial gas boilers have been installed in a Staffordshire training centre using Geberit Mapress press fit pipes and fittings, showcasing the potential of press fit technology for gas, heating and plumbing engineers.

The complex system was installed at Blue Flame Associates in Newcastle under-Lyme, which offers worldwide consultancy and training services for building services including gas and plumbing.

Five commercial boilers of varying inputs and configurations were installed onto a manifold using Geberit stainless steel pipes and fittings between 76mm and 22mm. The boilers were open flued, room sealed and condensing, each with inputs ranging from 80kW to 270kW.

The installation enables Blue Flame to showcase the practicality and aesthetics of the press fit system, which is quicker and cheaper to install than traditional jointing methods because it requires no hot works, no soldering and no threading.

Selected due to its recognised quality within the gas industry, Geberit supported the project with the leading Mapress press fit system. More and more engineers are turning to this installation method which is cheaper and easier because installers simply need to cut the pipe to size, debur the inside and outside, mark the socket insertion depth on the pipe, push the pipe into the socket of the fitting, then press the joint and connecting pipe using the pressing tool.

With Mapress, coloured pressing indicators are fitted in the seal rings, which offer easy identification of both the material and any unpressed joints during the installation process. It is available in a range of materials including carbon steel, copper, stainless steel, and CuNiFe, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.

Nick Evans, director of Blue Flame Associates, said: “We knew the quality of the Mapress system from Geberit and we knew this would be the solution we wanted to showcase the potential of press fit technology.

“With this installation, engineers can see both the practical and aesthetic benefits of press fit in a real-world situation. It improves the quality of training provision and supports the continued adoption of press fit to deliver benefits for installers and their customers.“