Should you be Brazing or Pressing your HVACR lines?!

*Full disclosure, I was sent out the RLS press to try out. I did not purchase it but they also did not pay me. These are my honest thoughts.
Here we took a look at the press tools and fittings from Sporlan Zoomlock Max, Zoomlock Push & RLS press. Which is your favorite of the bunch?
Using Zoomlock Push fittings
• Rushed to Replace a Co...
My Zoomlock Push fail
• ZoomLock Push Failed, ...
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[@ReliableHVACR]

*Full disclosure, I was sent out the RLS press to try out. I did not purchase it but they also did not pay me. These are my honest thoughts. Here we took a look at the press tools and fittings from Sporlan Zoomlock Max, Zoomlock Push & RLS press. Which is your favorite of the bunch?

[@zachball9351]

I'm interested in the streamline ACR fittings since they have 2 gaskets, but the m18 tool and heads will put you over $4500 and I can't swallow that yet

[@Jimie68]

I’ve used that exact same kit when Parker Sporlan and RLS was known as zoom lock didn’t have any issues with it or the fittings I upgraded to the ridged press tool using there heads the max is way to much $$$ and there fittings cost more then the RLS the ridged tool is also multi use for plumbing and gas fittings as well it’s was the better choice for the $$$$

[@ReliableHVACR]

@@zachball9351 that's the Mueller one I mentioned, I haven't seen them in person but I assume they're not much bigger. Double o ring for redundancy

[@dukerivas]

review mueller or comparison video ACR vs zoomlock @@ReliableHVACR

[@jasonjohnsonHVAC]

GREAT VIDEO ADRIAN....THANKS FOR SHARING AND YOUR HONEST INPUT

[@tmanhvac2595]

I use the Milwaukee M18 press tool with the RLS jaws 1/4 to 1 1/8. We decided to go with the Milwaukee M18 press tool because we can also do the Viega press fittings for black iron gas pipe as well as the press fittings for copper water fittings. Each take different jaws but are all available for the Milwaukee press tool. Extremely good success with the gas fittings with probably several hundred fittings done. So far we have done probably about 60 of the RLS refrigerant fittings within the last 6 months with no known issues so far. So we will see but so far good success. Haven't used the copper water plumbing one yet but have heard really good feedback on those.

[@ReliableHVACR]

Good to hear

[@MrBdogg317]

We just got into the streamline press fitting process this week. Got all the jaws and tool and have a job to do this week. We also did our first gas piping job with the press fittings. The gas piping went well. We have the Milwaukee set up and the streamline fittings. So far so good but I’ll see how I like the copper this week. But yes it’s expensive to get the set up. But it was quicker on the gas piping

[@PeteGaughenbaugh1]

I’ve done a few Mitsubishi City Multi VRF systems with the Streamline press. Well, at least we did the parts of the system that fittings were available for. The 1-3/8 and up, and all of the custom twinning pipes/ Y pipes we had to braze. We had a couple of leaks on brazed joints, but not a single leak on pressed joints out of several hundred or maybe thousands of each. And those systems get tested to 800#. The cost of Plumbing press has come down a lot in recent years, and hopefully these will too, because $23 a piece for a 7/8” 90* is difficult to justify when a 7/8” LT 90 is $1.73. You can buy a lot of C2H2 and Nitrogen with the difference.

[@jk685]

Great video! Just a thought here After 40 year we have moved to different refrigerants from lower pressure now with higher I believe these are the future. I am concerned that the CO2 and much higher pressure may need more research. The other concerns are the dyi folks that will not understand the high pressure danger with this simplification. Nothing like a freon burn to make you rethink making things that don't require skills. I also think ATW Monoblock heat pumps will be a game changer and when 410 goes away and moves to higher pressure alternatives the zoomlock of today will give way to swaglock type fitting used in high pressure hydraulics.

[@sermore77]

Thanks great video

[@richjr8545]

So if you are going to stick with RLS, I love them, I use the Milwaukee m12 tool with the ridged RLS jaws. That gives me also the 3 propress plumbing jaws as a option to do water or walk-in drain lines. One tool with two functions. Love the channel.

[@Jimie68]

Exactly that’s why I purchased the RP 241 so I will be able to do plumbing as well as refrigeration best investment I ever made use rigid most of my life as a technician I do owns some Milwaukee tools which is awesome, but I prefer a rigid over Milwaukee press to very reasonable price great product, very reliable, never let me down so far

[@workingmaninavan2621]

This sounds brilliant. No more burnt inner walls or melted Schrader stems. 🤣

[@ReliableHVACR]

Burnt floors, hands, tools. Been there done that 🤣

[@SergioPena20]

I’ve always avoided that problem by using Kevlar or carbon blankets to block the flame and removing the schrader valves.

[@hvactechpr7872]

Awesome I won a ridgid tool with rls jaws at ahr it goes from 1/4 to 1 3/8!! There wasn't a 5/16 jaw included

[@Nightmare52199]

Thanks for the amazing video! I have one concern about the pressing tools. I am afraid they might show leaks in systems with sudden temperature changes. For example, a freezer with very low temps using hot gas as a defrost mechanism. Do you think the sudden thermal contraction and expansion in these lines can lead to leaks in the pressing points?

[@jorzer18]

Braze joints leak too. I haven’t used press yet but I’m looking forward to it. It all has a place. Brazing will never go away but went not make work quicker, easier and safer. Edit: I’m also a licensed plumber. I’ve been using press there but solder too. Time and place for everything

[@ReliableHVACR]

Make your job easier, just make your own judgement 👍🏽

[@globecomputers1]

Awesome video! What model is the press tool? MAP2L????????

[@JohnniePokemonNj]

I have the Milwaukee m12 ProPress with the zoomlock max jaws 1/4 to 1 1/8 and i love them since i do a lot of mini splits and the flare fittings are amazing just getting ahold of fittings is rough only one supplier near me is carrying them in stock near me I called a bunch of supply houses and only one has them always in stock my employer lets me stock fittings so I keep a lot of stock so I always have I also have mega press jaws for it and I have 1/2 3/4 and 1 inch not bad for a 12 volt ProPress

[@incredable6211]

I'm a retired electrician, so I get protecting our turf, if the industry introduces systems that open the door to "handymen" taking work away from the pros, it affects your wallet. however, I've moved to Az and was amazed that really nice professional AC service people will charge 4 and 500.00 for replacing a 15 dollar capacitor, the numbers just go crazy from there. Trying to buy like a fan motor from a supplier, you cant do it due to "liability" (bs) so you have an entire supplier system covering the hvac service industry so they can continue to extort extreme price gouging in a state where "electrical handymen" run fast and loose w/o any licensing. So I'll be replacing my condenser unit soon with RLS fittings. Looks like a really good system.

[@ReliableHVACR]

price gouging is an issue, we just have to charge accordingly and make it worth going out. something simple should be cheap but in that case do it yourself right? we charge reasonably and are usually cheaper than most companies out here but if anyone is ever turned off by our prices honestly we don't want that work. do it yourself or pay someone what they ask, I don't care either way. i just hope the ridiculous aspect of it calms down but if it works for some companies they'll keep taking advantage. customers just have to be more knowledgeable now to avoid it I have several systems out there with RLS, does not replace brazing but it's a good option and no issues so far.

[@kangaroogod]

We have literally thousands of press fittings (RLS) out there and they work great. Failure rate is not zero but low. Most of the leaks were due to the o-ring popping out or turning sideways. There is also the training factor as a few new guys pressed over the Oring (like traditional water press) instead of straddling the end. I would personally NEVER use sporlan zoomlock due to the way they departed from the designer of the original press fitting RLS

[@ReliableHVACR]

Good to know

[@usahoangsatruongsa]

You meant Zoomlock Max ?

[@kangaroogod]

@@usahoangsatruongsa yeah

[@Followmikecold]

RLS the ones that left 😂

[@roberthudanish7405]

I got the jaws for free. Zoomlock-max and Johnstone supply had a promotion. The deal was if I purchased $500 in fittings I would get a free set of jaws (I got the ones for the m12 press tool) and a $100 gift card. They had the same promotion recently but i think it went up to $1000 in fittings this time around

[@MyBallzGotShocked]

15 years is actually nice for NOD refrigerants, just need to mandate replacement cycles.

[@hvacguys]

I was telling my business partner we should start doing that

[@ReliableHVACR]

Posting us using it later today 🤘🏽 definitely nice to have

[@robertrousseau3361]

Are you nuts. Refrigerant pressures are going to change with temperature. Use nitrogen! And rls fittings are good for 700 psi and 200 degrees. Testing at 235psi. Or less ........ glad you got a free press kit out of the deal.

[@ReliableHVACR]

Yeah I explained all that, I'm not running a system at 700 psi so don't need to go that high and I used refrigerant to use the leak detector. But yeah thanks for stopping by 👋🏽

[@GillyGomez]

I've toobeen thinking about buying the zoomlock jaws but I can't justify spending the money when I can save the customer a lot more money by just brazing.

[@ReliableHVACR]

it is a tough purchase no doubt, but it's more so for you. if you have no issues brazing then I don't see you buying one. if you are like me and get more tired every year of dragging a whole torch kit in 115 degree summers, especially for the smallest repairs. or long commercial roofs/routes. hot work permits, hospital work and working around food. then it becomes more of a benefit to me as the tech. usually only using a handful of couplings anyway and that doesn't add much to the bill honestly

[@stephwaylonwells3218]

👍

[@soydelrancho]

What does the warranty covers? What? They will give you a new fitting ?🤷‍♂️😂

[@69Crimthann]

I see no point in returning a fitting that failed for another that may fail and keep losing time and refrigerant.

[@ammonsequiptment9877]

I feel like you should have used nitrogen on that leak test lol

[@philltafolla]

If you ask me BRAZING !!! 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@tweb3282]

Had Uncle was in hvac for 40 years as lead field tech. Unfortunate he died of lung cancer due to inhaling those dangerous fumes of welding over the years. I am now a tech now and would never stick weld.

[@danielzertuche9893]

What do you think about staybrite 8 ? Daniel Z

[@ReliableHVACR]

I have it here somewhere, I need to give it another try. I'm pretty rusty on soft soldering. It's supposed to be very strong

[@picklerix6162]

Stay Brite 8 is great on new installs. I used a propane torch to install my new HVAC equipment. BTW, I use to braze a lot of refrigeration pipe.

[@marjones69]

"punching bags don't punch back" to say this test is cool but equipment are alive , they move, they heat up, the vibrate, but hey....i am not saying i wouldn't own a quick tool for limited use, i still feel like HVAC has too many steps for me to muck around with a million joints to leak, but hey

[@ReliableHVACR]

And punching bags have their place and importance right? Now I am using them out in the field so time will tell. Currently over 3 weeks and no issues, they are rated and tested for all things you mentioned. But those same things are issues all the time no matter what was used. Leak repairs are a major thing I do, I find leaking brazed joints and cracked copper a lot so it's nothing is 100% leak proof. Really depends on prep and installation, which is true with pressing as well. And stuff from factory even leaks, micro channels and so many other things that cause me bigger headaches. It's just another tool at my disposal for certain situations where brazing is going to give me hell

[@marjones69]

@@ReliableHVACR i get it, and i agree for the most part but its because all those happen why I don't need to add another weak point, I don't you are saving any time really if you do it right..with the prep, making sure you are at the perfect part of the pipe, (as we all know, all copper pipes are not created equal ) and the follow up with the Guage to know you have a perfect crimp, you'd have been brazed that pipe...and if you have a leak, you can just heat up and re-flow the solder and you are money but to your last point, it can come in handy, i will admit, but we'll see with time. For now it's too expensive to make sense

[@clanharris4]

turbo torch? FFS, what are you doing?