Pre-Plumbed Products Can Help Optimize Fueling-System Cost and Installation
By Ed Kammerer
If you’re a parent, there’s an excellent chance that you have fond memories of the unbridled joy that appeared on your child’s face when he or she received their first bicycle as a Christmas or birthday gift. “Joy,” however, may not be the first emotion that comes to mind when you reflect on assembling said bicycle; rather, emotions like “frustration” and “confusion” may have been more prevalent as you reflect back on reading those fateful words: “Some assembly required.”
You may have even thought, “why can’t they sell these confounded contraptions pre-assembled?” Well, today many stores do sell pre-assembled bikes, meaning the parent’s toughest task is now finding a way to make it fit into the back of the family’s sedan for the ride home. But how much fun is that when you used to have to get out the toolbox, pore over oftentimes indecipherable instructions and wonder why there were four extra bolts and five extra nuts left over after the bike was ostensibly “assembled?”
Now imagine you’re the owner or operator of a retail-fueling location. There’s joy in your heart and a smile on your face as the components that will outfit your forecourt are delivered to the site and the contractor arrives to assemble and install them. Typically, that process would require intimidating amounts of measuring, sawing, drilling, threading, inserting, bending, shaping, twisting, gluing, bolting and, yes, time.
You may even think, much like your bicycle-assembling counterpart, “why can’t all of this stuff come pre-assembled?” Well, fear not, the answer to that question is becoming more and more attainable than you might have thought.
A Predetermined Solution
Recognizing the time and cost that can be associated with in-the-field fabrication, installation and testing of the various forecourt systems and components that make up a successful retail-fueling operation, OPW Retail Fueling, Smithfield, NC, USA, has worked to identify ways that can streamline the process. This has led to the development of a series of products that the company has termed “pre-plumbed” solutions. Or, simply put, “plug and play.”
The latest addition in this realm is the Pre-Plumbed DSE Dispenser Sump. As the newest member of the OPW E-Series Containment Sump family, the Pre-Plumbed DSE fiberglass sump boasts all the features of the standard DSE model – quality manufacturing processes, consistent wall thickness, smooth sides for watertight seals, easy access to all piping connections and at a value price – but with factory-assembled and tested fittings. The fittings are installed in a controlled environment at the factory by a trained installer, which helps eliminate field-installation errors and ensure that all entry points are located in the correct configuration, allowing for quick and easy connection to the dispenser. That helps make the Pre-Plumbed DSE sump ideal for use by fuel-site operators who are looking to minimize construction time, reduce installation variability and reduce installation costs.
Compatible with the popular Wayne Ovation and Gilbarco Encore dispenser models, the Pre-Plumbed DSE sump is shipped to the retail-fueling site with 10 Plus Emergency Shut-Off Valve, dual-sided Rigid (REF) or Hybrid (HEF) Entry Fittings, flex connectors or NPT rapid-riser pipe nipples, and secondary test kits and test jumpers, making for a streamlined and cost-effective installation process that helps reduce the risk of installation errors occurring.
In actuality, the creation of the Pre-Plumed DSE Dispenser Sump is just the latest example in what has been a steady stream of pre-fabricated and tested systems and components that OPW has developed in recent years. Other notable examples include:
FlexWorks Loop System: Believe it or not, it has been 15 years since OPW introduced the revolutionary FlexWorks Loop System to the retail-fueling market. The Loop System made headlines because it was the first to fully realize the vision of the “station in a box” concept that enabled all of the retail site’s piping and containment components to be manufactured and shipped by one supplier. Specifically, all of the Loop System’s dispenser sumps are shipped complete with factory-installed pipe-entry fittings, OPW 10 Plus Shear Valves and Stabilizer Bars. Each sump is assigned a custom Sump Configuration Number based on the site’s piping layout, as well as the number and position of the pipe entry fittings. This allows distributors to order one part number for multiple components while eliminating missing parts and fewer loose fittings for the contractor to keep track of on the job site. In addition to saving installation time, this pre-fabrication helps ensure that the sump is essentially watertight, which reduces the chances that leaks will develop.
ElectroTite No-Drill Dry Sump: The ElectroTite sump requires no on-site drilling or the cutting of holes into the sump’s exterior for conduit entries because the UL-listed and explosion-proof Kwik Wire junction box is factory-installed, which eliminates the need for field-installed conduit penetrations. The junction box allows both high-voltage and communication wires to run in the same box. The junction box also doubles as the location to pour seal-off kits to block vapor from entering the conduit. This puts all electrical work needed into one box. As a result, the ElectroTite sump is the most watertight system currently available to the retail-fueling market. Other time-saving benefits of the ElectroTite’s design include the positioning of the conduit threads on the outside of the sump and above the water table, the ability to inspect and repair conduit lines high up in the sump and the ability to reach into the box for inspection without having to enter the confined sump area.
Conclusion
Sure, there is a sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with taking a box of parts and turning them into a fully functional bicycle, but the ability to completely revel in that accomplishment can often be dampened by the time and effort it took to produce the finished product. The same can be said for the outfitting of the forecourt at a retail-fueling location. The old days would typically need the site to be shut down for four or five days while the installation process was completed. With the advent of pre-plumbed components, as OPW has demonstrated within its portfolio of industry-leading piping and containment and underground-storage systems, that installation time can be reduced to as little as one day, which means that site operators can more quickly, and with much less aggravation, get back to doing what they do best – serving the needs of their customers.
Ed Kammerer is the director of global product management for OPW, based in Cincinnati, OH, USA. He can be reached at ed.kammerer@opwglobal.com. For more information on OPW, go to opwglobal.com.
