Pressing is faster and safer than soldering, and with the right preparation it works even if you have never done it before. These are the 8 steps to a tight joint.
The 8 steps
Cut the pipe squareUse a pipe cutter or a fine-tooth saw with a mitre box. Never an angle grinder: it leaves burrs, deforms the pipe, and on multilayer pipe the heat damages the plastic.
Deburr inside and outThe most important step that gets skipped. A burr acts like a small blade along the O-ring. Read why and how here.
Calibrate multilayer pipeAfter cutting, multilayer pipe is never fully round again. A calibration tool makes it round and adds an entry chamfer so the pipe slides smoothly past the O-ring. Copper and stainless steel do not need calibrating, but they do need proper deburring.
Check the fittingIs the O-ring sitting neatly in its groove, undamaged? And read the profile: on almost every fitting it is embossed or printed, for example TH 16 or V 15.
Mark the insertion depthHold the pipe next to the fitting and draw a line with a marker, or use the manufacturer's depth gauge. That way you can see after pressing whether the pipe is still at full depth.
Push the fitting onto the pipeStraight and with a slight twist up to your mark. Does it feel tight? Then the calibration or deburring is not right. Do not force it.
Choose the right insertSame profile and same size as on the fitting. Click the inserts into the master jaw and check that they are secure.
Press and checkPlace the jaw square over the bead of the fitting and hold the tool still until the cycle is completely finished. Then: is the mark still at the edge? Then the joint is good and can be loaded straight away.
See a small ridge on the fitting after pressing? That is normal with two-part universal jaws and purely cosmetic: the seal is inside, on the O-ring, not on the outside.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, a press joint can be loaded immediately. No cooling time as with soldering.
If you are unsure whether the cycle was completed, you can press again at exactly the same position. Moving or reusing a fitting that has already been pressed is not possible: once deformed, it is single use.
Little: the tool supplies the force and stops by itself. The quality is in the preparation: cutting square, deburring, calibrating and marking the insertion depth.
It is on the fitting itself, for example TH 16. The manufacturer specifies the profile. See also which press profile do I need.