Approaching 10 years of field use, RLS fittings are the most proven and most trusted press-to-connect fittings for HVAC and refrigeration applications.
By eliminating the need to manually braze c
opper tube joints, RLS fittings allow contractors to get more work done, and to do it safer, while increasing profitability. In addition, making the change from brazing to pressing with RLS is easy, since RLS-compatible jaws are available for most press tools, and technicians can learn to press with minimal training.
Faster
Using the battery-powered tool, press connections are made in about 10 seconds each, which is significantly faster than brazing, even for experienced contractors. This ongoing time savings – on every joint, on every job – can quickly offset the initial, one-time investment in a press tool and/or jaws. Completing their work in less time allows contractors to lower their bids and win more projects, and to get more jobs done. Plus, there’s no need to nitrogen purge when using press fittings, which saves additional time.
Safer
Eliminating the use of an open flame on the jobsite creates a much safer work environment – especially as the industry transitions to flammable refrigerants. With no flames, there are no fire hazards, which means no need for hot work permits, fire spotters or fire safety equipment.
Flame-free installation can also help win more bids, particularly on projects where an open flame is discouraged or forbidden, such as in historical buildings, in healthcare facilities where stored oxygen is present, and in situations where hot work would disrupt a building’s normal operations.
More Profitable
While the time savings of RLS press fittings offer the most significant cost reductions for HVAC/R contractors, there are other cost benefits. Minimizing the use of brazing reduces costs for brazing materials, such as acetylene gas and solder, as well as the costs for nitrogen and hot work permits. In addition, because learning to install press fittings is much faster and easier than the years of training and experience required for brazing, less experienced (and less costly) installers can be used.
The Future of HVACR
While brazing will always be a necessary skill in the HVA/R trade, the use of press fittings has continued to grow since RLS introduced the technology to the industry back in 2015, and there is no sign of that growth slowing down. While some were skeptical in the beginning, RLS press fittings are now in widespread use throughout the world, and their long-term durability and reliability are well proven.
Future growth will not only be driven by the many benefits mentioned above, but also by the increased use of flammable refrigerants. There is simply no need to risk using a torch near these refrigerants when a proven, easy-to-use solution is available. With their 10-year successful track record – with more than 20 million fittings installed – RLS press fittings are positioned to become the preferred method of joining copper tube in all HVAC and refrigeration applications.
To learn more about RLS press fittings, visit rapidlockingsystem.com.au or contact Ian Robertson, director of sales for Australia and New Zealand, at irobertson@rapidlockingsystem.com.