No Welder. No Hot Work. More Opportunity.
Ontario Now Allows Pressing Gas Pipe Up to 4 Inches.
Ontario’s Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) adopted the Natural Gas and Propane Installation Code (CSA B149.1-25), effective June 1, 2026. The code permits LC 4-listed press-connect fittings on natural gas and propane piping up to 4 inches.
A safer, faster, cleaner way to connect gas piping up to 4 inches in diameter: Trained gas fitters can complete 2.5- to 4-inch press connections without a welder or a hot-work permit.
More capacity to complete more jobs: Press connections empower your crew to take on larger gas jobs and finish them faster with easier installation and broad application compatibility.
Lower total installation cost: Labor savings can offset higher fitting costs when you count labor hours, welding subcontractors, fire watch and project duration.
Viega support services: MegaPress® G fittings come with Smart Connect® technology, Viega Engineering Services and on-site field support. A 15-year-limited warranty backs the fittings.
A rooftop unit needs 4-inch gas pipe. Until recently, that meant hiring a welder, pulling a hot-work permit and coordinating extra setup alongside your gas-fitting crew. Those requirements didn't just add work. They added cost and often pushed installation schedules further out.
Today, Ontario’s adoption of code CSA B149.1-25 removes those steps. Your own gas fitters can now make these connections with press technology. This expands your job opportunities, improves installation efficiency and reduces total installation cost.
What this code adoption means for contractors
Ontario’s adoption of CSA B149.1-25 expands the connection methods gas fitters can use on larger gas piping.
Before: Installers generally threaded gas piping up to 2 inches and welded larger sizes. Pressing larger pipes needed job-by-job approval from the TSSA. Each request added cost, paperwork and a lot of time.
Now: The code permits LC 4-listed, press-connect fittings on natural gas and propane piping up to 4 inches in diameter. This blanket permission replaces job-by-job approval.
More opportunities are now within reach
Contractors without a welder can now bring this work in-house instead of hiring a subcontractor for larger gas work. Gas fitters can bid and complete 2.5- to 4-inch connections themselves, putting rooftop units and plant lines within reach. Viega Engineering Services can review your drawings and provide a material takeoff, so you can plan and procure the job.
No hot work, no fire watch, zero emissions
Press connecting creates no flame or welding arc. This means:
No sparks, flame or molten metal:
Pressed joints do not need hot-work permits or related controls. This matters most in plants and on rooftops.
Less setup:
Workers skip welding equipment setup and the site coordination that comes with a welding schedule.No fire watch:
Welding requires a dedicated person who watches the work with a fire extinguisher and stays after the welding work is finished to confirm nothing is smoldering. Pressing removes that role, which cuts labor hours, labor costs and installation time.Zero emissions:
Welding-rod coatings give off smoke that can require ventilation, especially in confined spaces. Pressing produces no welding smoke.Gas fitters can do the work faster
A gas fitter, who already threads pipe, can learn how to use a press connection tool. Pressed work can generally be handled by the gas fitter plus one person to seat the pipe. In contrast, a welded job may need a welder, a helper, a mechanic, a gas fitter and extra support. I call this a “force multiplier” for crews because fewer people complete the same job.
Shorter jobs let you move crews to the next project sooner. You take on more work without adding welding resources. Here are two field examples. They are not a time study, and results vary by crew and job conditions:
A repair that took 3 or 4 people a full 8-hour day could take 2 people about 20 minutes.
A 100-foot gas-piping job that could take a welder 2 to 3 weeks could take about 1 day with press connections.
Lower total installation cost
Press fittings cost more per piece than threaded or welded connections. However, compare total installation cost, not fitting price. Labor, setup, welders, fire watch and project duration all count. A contractor who previously subcontracted welding work may recover the press tool cost on a single job. The same press-connect tool also handles plumbing and gas work with a change of jaw set, saving contractors the expense of buying multiple tools.
Operational benefits
Larger-diameter pipe at lower pressure also becomes practical. This replaces smaller pipe and the additional regulators needed to manage pressure. Fewer regulators can mean fewer potential leak points and less ongoing maintenance.
Compared with threading, pressing does not create a reduced or weakened section in the pipe. It also avoids cutting oil, metal shavings and the cleanup that follows, including the risk of oil stains at the jobsite.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
About Pressing Gas Pipe in Ontario
-
How does Viega support its 4-inch press?
The code change creates the opportunity. We help you act on it with technical expertise; Smart Connect technology and Viega Engineering Services.
Listed and tested to the standard: MegaPressG press-connect metallic fittings carry IAPMO Listing 5318, which confirms compliance with ANSI LC 4 / CSA 6.32. LC 4 testing includes an elevated-temperature test held for 1 hour at 1,000°F (538°C). The test is performed at the specified operating pressure rating.
Reliability you can verify: The installer seats the pipe, runs the tool and lets the cycle finish. The joint does not depend on one welder’s speed or skill. Smart Connect technology helps your crew catch unpressed connections during a preliminary pressure check.
One, complete system: Your crews keep one connection method as pipe size grows with MegaPressG fittings and valves from 0.5 to 4 inches. They press the 2.5- to 4-inch sizes with a long-throw tool or booster.
Viega Engineering Services at no additional cost: Our engineers review your drawings and provide material takeoffs. That saves estimating time and helps engineers specify press from the start.
Field support: Our dedicated personnel assist on site, and we train your installation teams.
-
Do gas fitters need welding skills to press a 2.5- to 4-inch pipe?
No. Pressing is not welding. A gas fitter, who threads pipe, can learn the press tool and we offer customer training for installation teams at no additional cost.
-
Does natural gas degrade the sealing element?
No. The Hydrogenated Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (HNBR) sealing element sits behind the gas path, not in the gas stream. The placement reduces its exposure to the gas. HNBR is also compatible with natural gas and propane.
-
How do I know every joint was pressed?
Smart Connect technology and a visual check for fitting deformation help you catch unpressed connections during a preliminary pressure check with leak-detection solution. This matters for gas, where a small leak is harder to spot than on a water test. Neither check replaces required system pressure testing.
Ready to Build What's Next?
Contact Viega Engineering Services at +1 888-484-7029 or email engineeringservices@viega.us. Send drawings for a takeoff on your next larger gas project.
ABOUT THE EXPERT
