Propresser - [better]

While soldering will never die (it is an art form and necessary for tight quarters), the industry has voted with its wallets. Major code bodies (IPC, UPC) fully recognize ProPress. Major specifiers (hospitals, schools) demand it for fire safety.

If you do a lot of remodels, owning a ProPress allows you to have your laborers do basic water line moves without needing a licensed plumber for every tiny joint. However, check local code first. propresser

Flux is acidic. If you don’t wipe it off after soldering, it can corrode the pipe over time. ProPress uses no flux, meaning cleaner lines and less risk of pinhole leaks years down the road. While soldering will never die (it is an

Unless you find a screaming deal on a used tool (and you verify the jaws are calibrated), stick to soldering or use push fittings (SharkBite) for your one-off repairs. You will never recoup the cost of a ProPress rig. If you do a lot of remodels, owning

ProPress doesn't make you a better plumber than the old-timer with the torch. But it does make you a faster , safer , and often more profitable one. In a trade where margins are razor-thin, that clicking sound is the sound of money being saved.

But if you walk onto a new construction site today, you are just as likely to hear the ratcheting click of a ProPress tool. Manufactured by Viega, ProPress is a mechanical press fitting system that has fundamentally changed how we join copper tubing. It is faster, colder, and statistically more reliable than traditional solder.

For a DIY homeowner, a $3,000 tool is insanity. Even for a journeyman, the ROI only makes sense if you are pressing 100+ fittings a week. The fittings themselves cost 3x to 5x more than a standard copper fitting. A ½” copper elbow is $0.80; a ProPress elbow is $4.00.