Grooved fittings ???

Steve Ebels

I'm looking at price quotes on grooved fittings from Victaulic and Central Sprinkler/Grinnell. There is a HUGE price difference. So much so that I'm wondering if they are the same thing. The supply house that I'm pricing the Central fittings from says they are but I had to go through 4 different people before I found one that knew anything about them. Makes me a little nervous. What ever question I ask, he has to call the factory or look it up. Obviously they don't know a lot about them.

Anyone have any experience with these??

Gary Fereday

Woah!

I think I'd get to the factory and ask for a local stocking wholesaler's name. Sounds like you are trying to get the fittings from an "out of the loop" business! bigugh

jim f

what area of the country are you from

Steve Ebels

Up in

Northern Lower Michigan where it's about 8* right now. If you look on a Michigan map I'm inbetween Cadillac and Houghton Lake in a little town by the name of Falmouth.

Mason

Falmouth

Don't let this guy fool ya, Falmouth is a thriving
metropolis.

jim f

not sure about central fitting but victaulic in your area
Great Lakes
23107 Commerce Drive
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
Customer Care: 800/742-5842
Customer Fax: 800/564-www.victaulic.com/servlet/RetrievePage?site=Victaulic&page=contact_usa

Paul_6

You are

going to pay a premium for victaulic, but they have a full line for heating and process piping in addition to their fire suppression line. as well as a full range of gaskets.Value engineer if you can, and go with the least expensive combination of their fittings. I used to shop around but vic has Everything, so we pretty much use them exclusively now. I'd look at what you are doing and substitute conventional fit out where it makes the most sense. For example, I don't use their suction difusers, because I think there too large, and I order anything I can with a grooved connection instead of flanged or threaded, and just connect with a coupling instead of a flange kit. I like the 07 "zero flex" couplings, as the 75's and77's tend to let things get a little too floppy for my taste. Is this your first project with this? are you working heavy wall pipe or thin wall? Post back if you have have installation questions and i'll try to help.

Steve Ebels

Thanks for the response

I've used Vic fittings on other occasions and had excellent luck with them. Their quality and product range is not the issue. The price is the thing. Over $600 difference and this isn't a huge job. Just 2 1/2" sch 40 pipe, about 800 feet of it but it all has to be hung in an existing and operating factory 25' off the floor. Threading the lengths together under those conditions is asking for an accident or other problems so I want to use grooved connections. I was just wondering if anyone had experience with the Central Sprinkler line of fittings and whether they are comparable to Vic.

Steve Ebels

Last count

410 cows and 252 people. The usual assortment of varmints, dogs and cats. Used to be more cats but the coyotes have discovered that they don't taste to bad and they disappear on a regular basis now.

MMC

WE USE CENTRAL EVERYDAY, THEY MANUFACTURE MOST OF THE MAJOR BRAND SPRINKLER HEADS. THEY ALSO MAKE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING ANY OTHER BRAND HAS .CALL THE FACTORY FOR SALES REP. IN THE PLUMBING BUSNESS ADVERTIZING COST MONEY,SO DO SALES TERRITORIES ETC., SHIPPING COSTS MONEY ,SO DOES STOCKING LOTS OF GROOVED FITTINGS.