Thursday, December 22, 2016

Wet Tapping Information You Need To Know

By Joyce Taylor


Essentially, hot and wet tabs are synonymous and they are used to describe the process of cutting a hole in an existing main. Normally, a tapping sleeve and valve are used to assist in cutting a hole and the under pressure provides a permanent connection branch. Basically, wet tapping may be performed on almost all pipe types and under different pressure and flow conditions without system interruption.

The process of having these wet taps allows professionals to offer supplementing modifications or tie-ins to the existing system which could either be in service or pressurized without causing interruption to the system. As a result, customers are able to save huge sums of money which usually involved cutting the mechanical tee and system shutdown.

When cutting the hole on the existing main, the size usually depends on the type of service required. The process normally uses custom-designed fitting which contain a valve which controls the new connection, system pressure, and a drilling machine which cuts the pipe. The taps can be performed on all types of pipes including steel, ductile and cast iron, asbestos cement, copper, PVC and concrete. This process not only saves time but money as well. This is because there are no shutdowns.

During installation, mounting of the tapping sleeve is usually performed on the main. The type of the sleeve used depends on the system requirement and the person overseeing the system. After mounting has been done, a permanent valve is usually installed and pressure test on the newly installed material is performed. This is usually done to ensure the integrity of the system is maintained.

After testing has been verified, the tapping machine is then attached to a valve. Based on the application chosen for the task, a hole can then be made through a pressurized vessel, tank or a main. A tapping machine goes through a tapping valve or sleeve. The cutter bit is then attached to a shaft to cut through the wall of a pipe. After cutting, the cut piece is retracted from a main and the valve closed while the machine is disconnected.

Wet taps appear in areas like water mains, sewers, residential services and commercial land services. They ensure that that the flow of products of services is not disrupted. They are different from hot tabs in that they are carried out on various products apart from sewage or water. Hot taps are carried out in industries like chemical plants, refineries or hospitals.

However, the process may not work successfully because of several reasons. Such reasons may include incompatible materials and equipment, inexperienced personnel, and pipe materials that have not been recommended or that are difficult to install the taps. To avoid the problems, use equipment, material, and services from the same manufacturer.

Nevertheless, when hiring a company to do the task, it is essential to look for a company with substantial experience in providing the service. Again, the service provider should provide safe and cost-effective ways for repairing and modifying the pipeline without shutting down the system.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment