Wheeler Rex 8100 and 8200 Hot Tap Machines - FAQ

What kinds of pipe can I tap with the Wheeler Rex 8100/8200 Hot Tap machines?

Copper, Steel, PVC, C900, Ductile Iron, Cast Iron, Abestos Cement and other types of pipe. Each type of pipe may take different hot taps cutters depending on its softness or hardness.

Can I use a hand drill on this unit?

No, the nylon bushing in the unit will warp or melt if spun to fast. This is a an easy to use manual ratcheting hot tap machine.

Can you use the wheeler rex system with corp stops?

Yes, Wheeler Rex has a few Mueller 110 corp stop adapters in 1.50” and 2.00”.

What is Hot Tapping?

Hot tapping is also known as wet tapping. It is a way to tap into a water line while it is under pressure and add a line, drain the system or add a Thermowell or sensor. You place a hot tap service saddle or sleeve onto the line. You add a valve and test the connection under pressure with a hydrostatic pump. Then you place the hot tap machine onto the value through a water tight packing gland, open the valve and lower the cutter and retention pilot down until it touches the pipe. You then drill into the pipe manually or with an electric or air driven unit that cuts a hole in the pipe. The retention pipe grabs the cut out coupon so it doesn’t fall down into the pipe where it could cause a problem down he line. You then retract the cutter and pilot up into the hot tap machine, close the valve and you have completed a hot tap.

How can I isolate a line for repair, to replace a valve or extend out a new line without draining the system or causing a long shutdown?

If you can’t shut off a valve and stop the flow a Line Stop will allow you to accomplish the same task. It requires Hot Tapping the pipe and then doing a Line Stop. This requires a Hot Tap Machine, Valve, Hydrostatic pump, Line Stop Machine and Saddle.

Which hot tap machine would meet my needs?

It depends largely on what size tap you need to perform and how you plan on using your machine. For commercial use, and for taps up to 6.00", the TM-1 Pro Series is the model that will hold up to daily use. If you need to perform taps 2.00" or smaller and will only use the machine on occasion, the Wheeler Rex 8100 and the Wheeler Rex 8200 are great manual tapping machines. The APAC 901 DrillMaster is a great manual machine as well, and is capable of taps up to 2-1/2”. Both the Wheeler Rex and the DrillMaster have additional available for matching up with unique thread patterns where the TM-1 and Wheeler Rex are designed with NPT threads only.

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