SurePress® is an innovative line of press fittings that visually confirms a pressed connection. Green indication fills windows once pressed, confirming a successful seal. This allows installers and inspectors to quickly identify if a fitting has been pressed prior to pressure testing. Simply press the fitting, see green and go!
• Fluids/Water
• Hot and cold potable water
• Rainwater/Gray water
• Chilled water
• Residential steam (5 psi maximum)
Copper Press Reducer Fittings 
Copper Press Fitting Couplings
Brass 90 Degree Drop Ear Elbow
Copper Press 45 degree elbowA press union is a two-piece fitting that joins two pipes together while allowing future disassembly. It consists of two press ends (one on each pipe) and a central union nut that can be unscrewed to separate the pipes. Essentially, a SurePress union gives you a disconnect point in a copper line, but with press connections instead of solder or threaded ends. Plumbers use unions in spots where maintenance or component replacement may be needed – for example, on each side of a water heater, pump, or valve. By installing a union, you can break open the line later without cutting pipe, simply by unthreading the nut and separating the joint.
Installation has a couple of steps: First, unscrew the union nut and separate the union into its two halves (there will be a sealing face or gasket between them – keep that clean). Press each half onto the respective pipes: insert the pipe into the press end of one half and crimp it, then do the same for the other half on the other pipe. Now you have two pipe ends each with half a union attached. Next, bring the two halves together – align the union faces and hand-tighten the nut onto the threaded portion. Make sure the union’s sealing surfaces mate evenly (some unions have a flat gasket or a cone-and-cup metal seal). Finally, use a wrench to snug the union nut firmly. Do not over-tighten, just ensure it’s tight enough to prevent leaks. The press portions on each side provide permanent seals to the pipes, and the union nut creates a water-tight seal between the two halves when tightened.
Yes, when properly installed, a SurePress union will be leak-free. The seal at the union is either metal-to-metal or incorporates a rubber gasket designed for multiple make-and-break cycles. This means you can unscrew and re-tighten the union a number of times (for example, during servicing of equipment) and it will reseal, provided the sealing surfaces are kept clean and undamaged. The press connections on either side are permanent and leak-proof (rated to 300 psi like other SurePress fittings). In practice, unions are very reliable – the main thing is to tighten the nut sufficiently. If a union ever does develop a slight drip, often just a bit more tightening or a new gasket (if it uses one) will resolve it. They are absolutely intended for reusability: that’s the whole purpose of a union. So you can confidently use a SurePress union at points you may open in the future, knowing it can be taken apart and put back together without compromising the seal.
Use a union whenever you might need to disassemble that connection later. For instance, when installing a water heater, using unions on the hot and cold lines is wise – it allows the heater to be disconnected and removed easily down the line. For pump installations, unions let you pull the pump for service. In contrast, a coupling is permanent – once pressed, you’d have to cut it out to disconnect the pipes. So for any critical component (filters, softeners, backflow preventers, etc.), unions at the inlets/outlets make maintenance straightforward. The trade-off is that unions are larger and slightly more expensive than couplings, but the convenience they provide is often worth it. SurePress unions give you that convenience with the same quick press installation, so you don’t sacrifice time – you get a future-proof connection without soldering or threading. In summary, choose a union whenever accessibility and future serviceability trump the need for a simple permanent joint.
