Press fitting is still considered a relatively new development in plumbing, despite it having been around for more than 40 years.
Perhaps this is because it is perceived as innovative because, unlike its rivals, it involves no hot works or hazardous substances.
The technique involves making joints by inserting the pipe and fitting together and pressing the fitting socket and the pipe using either a hand-operated or an electrical press-fitting tool.
The key advantage of press fitting is the reduction of installation time which, in turn, leads to other benefits. Mapress, Geberit's metallic pipework press-fitting system, typically takes less than half the time of traditional threaded steel jointing systems.
Installation times are reduced in several areas. Jointing is a simple process - cut the pipe to size, debur the inside and outside, mark the socket insertion depth on the pipe, push the pipe into the socket of the fitting, then press the joint and connecting pipe using the pressing tool. Immediately, the most time-consuming process of traditional methods is removed, whether it be threading, soldering or welding.