Posted on March 31, 2020
Driven by feedback from contractors on the front lines, the fire protection industry has responded to challenges in both installing hard pipe and ensuring effectiveness for the life of the system. In this series, we will investigate three main benefits of flex drops and how they solve challenges presented with hard pipe installations. In our second installment, we’ll look at materials management and how flex drops can provide optimal conditions for fast installation.
Challenges in Hard Pipe Installations: Jobsite Clutter
As any fitter knows, hard pipe sprinkler installations include a multitude of parts and pieces that need to be transferred to a given work area. Prior to starting the day’s work, installers must first complete extensive prep on the first floor, basement, or an outside area to prepare a variety of pipe pieces that are used throughout the installation process. These pipes are cut, threaded, then sorted before the fitter can start transporting the prepped materials to the job site. The process of doing so is a long one, including many trips back and forth between the prep and install areas before the fitter can get on the ladder and start measuring and installing. Once measurements are taken, installers are required to walk back to the prep area, remember the take-outs, translate that into pipe pieces and travel back up to the installation area. Not only is this a cumbersome and lengthy process, but with new technology, it is also proven unnecessary.
Benefit of Flex Drops Installations: Simplified Materials Management
Flex drops streamline materials management, requiring minimal transportation of components to the job site. With Installation-Ready™ technology built into the VicFlex™ Series AH2-CC braided hose with captured coupling, the hoses and brackets are ready to install out-of-the-box and arrive onsite in boxes of ten that are easily transported directly to the place of installation. The back and forth trips from the installation site to the threader and prep area are completely eliminated.
As shown below, a critical benefit of flex drops is that they eliminate job site material management and transportation, allowing the fitter more time on the ladder to complete the installation up to ten times faster than they would with a hard pipe system.
Discover More Benefits of Flex Drops
How else can flex drops improve performance on the job site?
Click here to learn how using a flexible sprinkler system helped Horizon Fire Protection save time and resources on a recent install. Click here for a deep dive into Victaulic’s flex drop system solutions and to discover how everyone wins with flexible technology.
