Ohio-based Contractor Kyle Holzhauer Envisions Press Fittings as the Future of VRF
HVAC contractor Kyle Holzhauer kicked off his career in the industry more than 11 years ago working with his dad at CHW Mechanical Services in Dayton, Ohio. Since then, he has worked his way up to become a lead project manager at the company, which specializes in commercial and industrial HVAC and plumbing services. Now, with over a decade of experience under his belt, Holzhauer spends most of his days installing or repairing variant refrigerant flow (VRF) systems.
Most recently, Holzhauer and his team worked with CHW Mechanical’s wholesale distributor, Allied Supply Company, to replace a boiler system that failed at one of its branch locations. Rather than installing a new boiler system, Allied Supply and the CHW Mechanical team both agreed that a VRF system would better suit the supply house’s needs, which could also double as a show piece for customers.
Holzhauer had in-depth VRF experience and knew that press fitting the unit would make it quick and easy to install, while making it a more aesthetically pleasing showpiece for the supply house. A year prior, he had added Rapid Locking System (RLS) press fittings into the company’s install options after years of searching for a quicker, more reliable way to create pipe connections.
RLS is a patented press-to-connect fitting specifically developed for the high-pressure application of the HVAC and refrigeration industries. In fact, RLS press fittings are fully registered and listed to UL207 for pressures up to 700 PSI and can create connections up to 60 percent faster than brazing, making them another great option to use during install in addition to the traditional method of brazing for VRF applications.
The CHW Mechanical team used 62 RLS fittings to install Mitsubishi units that replaced the old boiler. Each of the units had 16 heads, all of which required one fitting per head connection in addition to one fitting on per connecting side – a task that would have taken significantly more time, supplies and labor had it been brazed. With press, the team was able to fulfill Allied Supply’s practical and display needs while maximizing their own overall efficiency and profitability.
“RLS has been a gamechanger for our VRF projects, mainly due to the speed of installation,” explained Holzhauer. “VRF systems often involve various branch connectors, condensers and strainers, which can get clogged if not brazed correctly. Press helps create healthier systems right off the bat.”
On the management side, press fittings have given Holzhauer more peace of mind when sending out newer techs to complete projects on their own by vastly reducing the chance of human error. RLS fittings are installed with a tool and jaw that handles most of the work, which means connections are consistent between contractors and easily repeatable. With a low risk of failure, project managers can allow young techs to be more independent on jobsites, which subsequently allows their business to run more efficiently.
“Sometimes you have to let the tool do the work for you when you’re dealing with large volumes of fittings that need to be installed or don’t have enough experienced technicians to get the job done,” said Holzhauer. “It’s all about working smarter, not harder.”
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