Tapping sleeve & tapping tee

[Alpheus411]

This may sound asinine but on a set of utility construction & relocation plans I've come across the terms tapping sleeve and tapping tee used interchangably. Is it just a terminology difference or is there some real difference?

 

[JStephen]

Tapping tee to me implies one of the ductile-iron units, as opposed to the stainless steel type. But I notice Tyler Pipe refers to the DI type as a tapping sleeve still. So I would think it's just interchangeable words for the same thing.

 

[rconner]

I agree that in most contemporary locales these terms would probably now be referring to the same basic type of devices, that could be used in various fashions to tap branch lines into a main line (of course many types of “tapping sleeves” in plan view regardless of materials look very much like a “tee”, and in profile view look like a tee cut in two halves at the horizontal pattern “parting line”). I feel however this unfortunately might not conclusively nail down exactly what you have in the ground from at least old project(s), as I believe there have been many different devices, with at least slightly different names but that could easily be confused, used over the decades in some areas. There was e.g. a “tapped tee”, which I believe was basically a short bell by bell pipe casting with one or more bosses (maybe on each side?) that could be installed either initially or later cut-in to a mainline later with a sleeve (used e.g. often to connect generally smaller threaded steel pipe to the main line). There at one time were also “cutting-in tees”, that basically looked like a tee, but with one socket end of the run instead oriented at an angle to the axis of the run (that allowed for “buck-in” assembly/without a sleeve of the new branching tee, after a precise length spacer/gap was cut in the existing mainline). Unlike most tapping sleeves (or pre-installed tapped tee bosses?) cutting-in tees could not be used to make wet or live taps (e.g. without shutting down the main line). Finally, there were/are of course also tapping “saddles”, that are used very much like tapping sleeves but I think most folks would identify normally employ some sort of brass/bronze or alloy steel etc. “straps” (instead of enclosing halves) to fasten/seal the new branching outlet to the mainline (after assembly, however, these assemblies of course would also look much like a “tee” sort of intersection).

 

[hydrae]

Tapping Tee: A ductile Iron tee that is split along the center line of all three pipes with extensive bolt patterns to assemble the unit around an existing pipe. Sealing is by ringing the pipe on each leg of the tee with an MJ style split and lapped gasket, Once assembled, the tee can be drilled hot using a wet tap machine
Tapping Sleeve: a Flexible steel (stainless or epoxy coated carbon) assembly that is bolted around the pipe, similar in shape to a repair sleeve but a tapping boss is added, with a single or double row of bolts to tighten the sleeve on the pipe. Sealing is by a gasket ring around the proposed hole and/or a rubber layer under the sleeve wrapping the pipe. Again once installed the pipe can be drilled using a wet tap machine.

Tee's require the pipe to be round to obtain a seal, sleeves are more forgiving

I have found the names are used interchangeably

Hydrae

 

[rconner]

Hi hydrae,
While there is certainly nothing wrong with varying local vernacular or descriptions as long as they are otherwise further properly defined in specifications etc., for many decades multiple very large vendors at least in the USA have been formally referring to the ductile iron casting sort of devices (you describe as a "tapping tee") instead as "tapping sleeves". e.g. see current web offerings at

http://www.acipco.com/afc/sleeves/features.cfm,

http://www.uspipe.com/Files/200637851370.2235 MJ Tapping Sleeve.pdf,

and

http://www.clowvalve.com/products/downloadfile.php?id=79

etc. You are correct that some vendors of similar function/advertised devices made out of steel or stainless steel etc. also call their devices "tapping sleeves".

 

[11echo]

Hmmm ... I know what you have descibed as a "Split tee" T.D.Williams sells them, and we use alot of them in the oil fields here in Central Calif. This is quick way of providing a connection point to do a hot tap into an existing pipeline.