HVAC contractor Kyle Holzhauer kicked off his career in the industry more than 11 years ago, working with his dad at CHW Mechanical Services in Dayton, Ohio. Since then, he has worked his way up to become a lead project manager at the company, which specializes in commercial and industrial HVAC and plumbing services.

Now, with more than a decade of experience under his belt, Holzhauer spends most of his days installing or repairing variant refrigerant flow systems.

Most recently, Holzhauer and his team worked with CHW Mechanical’s wholesale distributor, Allied Supply Co., to replace a failed boiler system at one of its branch locations. Rather than installing a new boiler system, Allied Supply and the CHW Mechanical team agreed that a VRF system would better suit the supply house’s needs, which could also double as a showpiece for customers.

Holzhauer had in-depth VRF experience and knew that press-fitting the unit would make it quick and easy to install while making it a more aesthetically pleasing showpiece for the supply house. A year prior, he had added Rapid Locking System press fittings into the company’s install options after years of searching for a quicker, more reliable way to create pipe connections. 

RLS is a patented press-to-connect fitting specifically developed for the high-pressure application of the HVAC and refrigeration industries. They are fully registered and listed to UL 207 for pressures up to 700 pounds/square inch and can create connections up to 60 percent faster than brazing.

The CHW Mechanical team used 62 press fittings to install Mitsubishi units that replaced the old boiler. Each unit had 16 heads; all required one fitting per head connection and one fitting on the connecting side. This task would have taken significantly more time, supplies and labor had it been brazed. Press fittings allowed the CHW Mechanical team to fulfill Allied Supply’s practical and display needs while maximizing its own overall efficiency and profitability. 

“Press fittings have been a game-changer for our VRF projects, mainly due to the speed of installation,” Holzhauer explains. “VRF systems often involve various branch connectors, condensers and strainers, which can get clogged if not brazed correctly. Press helps create healthier systems right off the bat.”

On the management side, press fittings have given Holzhauer more peace of mind when sending out newer techs to complete projects independently by vastly reducing the chance of human error. Press fittings are installed with a tool and jaw that handles most of the work, meaning connections are consistent between contractors and easily repeatable. 

With a low risk of failure, project managers can allow young techs to be more independent on jobsites, allowing their businesses to run more efficiently.

“Sometimes you have to let the tool do the work for you when dealing with large volumes of fittings that need to be installed or don’t have enough experienced technicians to get the job done,” Holzhauer says. “It’s all about working smarter, not harder.” 

Jessica Slaughter is the Marketing Manager at Rapid Locking System where she creates and implements impactful marketing strategies from social media to trade shows to mobile training vehicles while also focusing on raising awareness for the HVAC press fittings category.