Hot Tapping
Hot Tapping (or under pressure tapping) enables you to cut live tees and connections to existing pipelines without the requirement for isolation of existing infrastructure.
Our Solution Overview
Hot Tapping is the ability to safely tie into a pressurised system while it is on stream and under pressure. It enables us to cut live tees and connections to existing water mains without the requirement for isolation of existing infrastructure. A typical Hot Tap installation consists of a tapping saddle or welded flange offtake fixed to a gate valve, and Hot Tapping Machine.
Saltire Infrastructure utilises high pressure rated Hot Tapping Equipment for the fast and safe installation of new branch connections and bypass mains, with the current capability to install DN25-DN400 off-takes. Our equipment has been used successfully in regional and metropolitan locations across Australia on varying utilities and processing facilities.
Our Equipment
We have engineered our hot tapping equipment to enhance the diameter and pressure capacity for unique applications around Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hot Tapping is an essential part of maintenance and repair solutions on potable water lines. Learn more about our solution below:
What is hot-tapping?
Hot tapping, also known as pressure tapping or live tapping, is a technique used in pipeline maintenance and repair that involves drilling into a pressurized pipeline while it is still in operation.
What are the benefits of hot-tapping?
Hot tapping is used when shutting down a pipeline is not a feasible option or is undesirable due to various reasons. Here are a few reasons why hot tapping may be preferred over pipeline shutdown:
- Minimise Downtime: Shutting down the water network for prolonged periods can cause serious disruption to stakeholders, requiring business to temporarily close or require the supply of water trucks and bottles to supply homes during the work at great inconvenience. Hot-tapping removes the need to shutdown the water network at any stage.
- Cost-effective: Shutting down a pipeline can be costly due to the time and resources required to shut down and restart the pipeline. Hot tapping eliminates these costs, as it allows for the repair or modification to be performed while the pipeline is still operational.
- Reduces environmental impact: Shutting down pipelines requires removing water from within the pipelines, which is typically disposed to the environment. Given water scarcity in today’s climate, hot-tapping offers significant reduction in water loss when undertaking these works.
What are the common applications for hot tapping?
Hot-tapping is most commonly used to install a new branch pipeline off an existing pipeline to feed into a new/existing distribution point i.e. new home on / street upgrade / commercial area / subdivision.
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