If you need brass pipe fittings of any kind for your businesses — whether that’s brass garden hose fittings, brass compression fittings, or anything else — you’ll need to find a good brass fittings manufacturer to supply you. But how can you tell which manufacturer will really give you the pieces and customer service you need? Here are the good signs and red flags you should be looking out for.
- Good: A Wide Variety of Parts
Even if you only need a few specific parts right now, you may need a wider selection in the future. It’s best to look for that now so you won’t waste time developing a B2B relationship that won’t end up lasting — no reason to start over in the future if you don’t have to.
- Bad: Parts That Aren’t Ready to Ship
Take a look at what’s actually in stock at any company you’re considering. You’d be surprised at how many manufacturers will take a long time to get you the parts you needed yesterday.
- Good: Customized Manufacturing
What happens when you need something outside standard specifications? You’ll save yourself some headaches down the road by choosing a manufacturer who will make custom fittings for you.
- Bad: No Lead Free Brass Fittings
You’ll almost certainly need access to lead free parts at some point, since they’re required for any drinking water systems (“lead free” fittings must have less than 0.2% lead to be compliant). But since lead does help to harden the brass alloy, you probably don’t want to choose a manufacturer that offers only lead free fittings.
- Good: Personal Customer Service
Make sure you’ll have some personal line of communication with any manufacturer you consider. It’s great to be able to place an order online, but it’s also important you have someone to call when something goes wrong.
Do you have any recommendations on choosing a great brass fittings manufacturer? Join the discussion and share your tips in the comments.
