The quicker way to house connection in Duisburg – with Geopress
When it comes to new house connections the all-important question is whether to weld or press. The municipal utilities in Duisburg, Germany, have come up with a resolute answer. This can be found in the extensive documentation on the refurbishment of around 200 gas/water house connections in the Hamborn district.
Quicker for repairs ...
But first things first: Back in 2009 the municipal utilities Stadtwerke Duisburg Netzgesellschaft mbH used the approved press connection technology Geopress for the first time as an alternative to heating coil welding of PE house connections due to the fact that installation is quicker and not dependent on weather conditions. This paid off in particular in the case of quick repairs where time-consuming draining of the site in advance was not possible.
The staff at the municipal utilities immediately warmed to the new system, especially the PE welders. They now had to spend far less time in tight pipe trenches. In addition, pipe connection was also completed far more quickly. A forgotten pressing was identified at the latest during the leakage test thanks to SC-Contur – this ensured additional safety. Viega supported the introduction of the new connection technology with training sessions conducted directly on site.
... and new installations
A year later, the municipal utilities decided to install several hundred new house connections in Hamborn using the Geopress system. The documentation confirms the numerous advantages of press technology: In addition to more flexible labour assignment as well as the increased safety and time savings, with Geopress the associated costs of PE welding are also a thing of the past as are the qualification of staff and the storage and maintenance of the necessary devices.
According to the municipal utilities, a further advantage of Geopress is the exceptional versatility of the components. Just one tapping valve for gas and water and always the same limited number of tools – PE scissors, press tool, hammer and square socket wrench, that's all the equipment you need. And: The number of house connections which can be completed per day has also increased.