Viega ProPress for stainless looks good at UNH

One of the oldest buildings on the University of New Hampshire (UNH) campus, Huddleston Hall is a multipurpose facility, which includes dormitories, classrooms and an event center.

When Huddleston Hall needed some renovation work done, UNH brought on the Armand E. Lemire Company in Hooksett, N.H. Armand E. Lemire Company would be working on multiple different installations in Huddleston Hall, including domestic water, drainage, HVAC and ventilation system and exhaust for bathrooms. For the domestic water lines, the contractor chose to install Viega ProPress systems for both copper and 316 stainless in sizes ½" to 1½".

“We’ve been using Viega products for years,” said Jim Dooley, Project Manager for Armand E. Lemire Company. “We use copper Viega ProPress a lot, so we have all the tools from ½" to 4" but the stainless steel was relatively new to us.”

Viega is the only manufacturer to offer press fitting solutions in multiple materials like copper, stainless steel, carbon steel and high-performance polymer. Viega offers press fittings in two grades of stainless steel, 304 and 316.

Viega ProPress for 316 stainless. Photo: Viega

“Viega ProPress was in the spec,” Dooley said, “and we had to use stainless. So we put it in the exposed piping and everything else in the domestic water system was copper.”

The old chrome-plated brass piping in Huddleston Hall had begun to deteriorate and peel. The Armand E. Lemire Company removed them and replaced the lines with Viega ProPress for 316 stainless, which retains the look of the original piping and also carries an NSF approval for potable water systems.

Founded in 1990 by three siblings, The Armand E. Lemire Company, Inc. specializes in multiple types of plumbing and heating, working in commercial and industrial projects, as well as private schools and other facilities.

Huddleston Hall isn’t the only facility on the UNH campus that has Viega ProPress systems installed in it.

“We’ve used some Viega ProPress for copper on a 4" vacuum system there,” Dooley said. “We just finished a testing facility and we’re in the process of doing a chemistry lab too. And that will be compressed air and gas lines.”

Dooley was impressed, too, with the local Viega sales representative who was involved with the project.

“He’s a master plumber by trade,” Dooley said of his Viega rep, “so it’s very easy to talk to him. He’s very knowledgeable about his product and his tools, and he’s easy to contact.”

Installing Viega ProPress systems at Huddleston Hall allowed The Armand E. Lemire Company to complete the project on time and provide the University of New Hampshire with an installation that was both safe and efficient.

“The most effective part of using Viega ProPress is the time that it saves,” Dooley said. “Installing it just saves so much time.”

Dooley, who’s been in the trades for 42 years, was more than satisfied with the results of the Viega ProPress for stainless installation.

“It came out nice and neat and the school was very pleased with it,” he said. “Exposed piping is something you’re going to see forever and the stainless looks good.”

For more information, visit www.viega.us.