The 5 Benefits of a Bleed Valve When Hot Tapping

In the past we have found there has been several misunderstandings about the benefits of a bleed valve on a hot tap adapter from those just starting their hot tap service component of their business. There are five important benefits to always having a bleed valve otherwise known as a debris flusher on the hot tap adapter.

1. Allows for easy purge of chips created by the bit or cutter during the hot tap process.
The main purpose is of course to be able to open the bleed valve to remove the chips created by cutting into the pipe with the cutter or bit so they don’t go down into the system.

2. Allows for Hydrostatic testing a hot tap saddle or sleeve on a line under pressure before tapping
When installing a hot tap sleeve or saddle, it is always recommended to do a hydrostatic test to make sure the fitting is on correctly and will not leak. Several companies make manual or electric Hydrostatic pumps that allow you to open the bleed valve, attach a hose and pump in water under pressure to test for any leaks before making the hot tap. They are great for pressure testing small, pressure tanks, sprinkler, boiler and solar systems too. We carry Wheeler Rex manual and electric hydrostatic test pumps. There are 3 different versions of the Wheeler Rex manual hydrostatic test pump depending on the pressure rating. The Wheeler Rex electric hydrostatic test pump is also available in one version.

3. Allows for purging oxygen out of the line with nitrogen when working on a natural gas line
Highly trained hot tap professionals that work on natural gas lines have used nitrogen to pump through a bleed valve to remove all oxygen when doing a hot tap through metal pipe. Always get training before attempting to do this type service.

4. Allows technician to see if the line has been penetrated by the bit and/or cutter.
Sometimes a technician is not sure they have gone into the pipe when the tapping procedure has taken more time that they had anticipated. Opening the bleed valve gives good assurance the hot tap is being done.

5. Allows for the release of pressure when removing the Hot Tap adapter
When a hot tap is completed, there is usually a great amount of pressure pushing up from the line through the ball valve. Once the hot tap assembly is retracted back into the hot tap machine you can close the ball valve and open the bleed valve to remove any extra pressure.

We did not discuss any of the benefits for line stopping in this article. Please call us with any questions at 1-877-PIPEMAN (747-3626). If you can think of any other benefits of a bleed valve on adapters for hot tapping, Email us at bleedvalve@pipemanproducts.com.