Smith-Blair Service Saddle

Smith-Blair service saddles are the foundation of every new water service connection. Installed directly onto the distribution main, they provide a leak-free tapping boss that accepts a corporation stop or tapping valve — allowing a new service line to be tapped into a live main without shutting down the system. Correct saddle selection is non-negotiable: a saddle that doesn't match the pipe OD, pipe material, or tap size will leak, damage the tap drill, or fail at pressure.

Smith-Blair manufactures the industry's most comprehensive service saddle catalog — covering residential ¾" taps to 4" large-diameter industrial connections, on pipe from 1" to 54", in ductile iron, bronze, and all-stainless configurations. Tap outlet options include NPT thread, CC (corporation stop) thread, and large-diameter flanged configurations.

As an authorized Smith-Blair distributor, Watermain Supply stocks a working inventory of the most common saddle sizes and can source the full catalog. Contact us with your pipe OD, pipe material, and tap size for a quote.

Single Bale & Single Strap Saddles — Styles 311, 315

Single-strap and single-bale saddles are the most widely used service saddle configuration for standard residential and commercial service connections. The ductile iron body provides a rigid tapping boss that withstands the torque of the corporation stop and the pressure of repeated tapping machine passes.

• Style 311 – Service Saddle, Single Bale, DI Body, Electro-Galvanized Bale — standard galvanized carbon steel bale; cost-effective for typical soil conditions; sizes ¾" through 12" nominal pipe
• Style 315 – Service Saddle, Single Strap, DI Body, 304 Stainless Steel Strap — stainless steel strap replaces the galvanized bale for improved corrosion resistance in aggressive soils or where utility specs require stainless straps; same DI body as Style 311; sizes ¾" through 12"

Double Bale & Double Strap Saddles — Styles 313, 317

Double-bale and double-strap saddles provide greater circumferential clamping force and improved sealing on larger pipe diameters, higher-pressure systems, and pipes with irregular or deteriorated outside surfaces. Required by many utility specifications for taps on mains 8" and larger.

• Style 313 – Service Saddle, Double Bale, DI Body — available with Epoxy-Coated Carbon Steel Bales, 304 Stainless Steel Bales, or Galvanized Bales depending on application environment; sizes 4" through 54" nominal pipe
• Style 317 – Service Saddle, Double Strap, DI Body, 304 Stainless Steel Straps — dual stainless steel straps for maximum corrosion resistance and grip on larger mains; sizes 4" through 24"; preferred specification in coastal and industrial utility systems

Bronze Service Saddles — Style 325

Bronze body saddles are specified where galvanic compatibility with copper service tubing and brass corporation stops is required, or where all-metallic wetted surfaces are mandated by the utility's material standards. The Style 325 bronze body is a premium product used on high-value residential developments, copper service connection systems, and utilities that specify NSF-listed all-bronze wetted components.

• Style 325 – Bronze Saddle, Single 304 SS Strap — bronze tapping boss with single stainless steel strap; for ¾" through 2" taps on smaller mains
• Style 325 – Bronze Saddle, Double 304 SS Straps — dual stainless straps for 2" and larger mains; extra-wide body provides increased seating area for improved gasket compression

All-Stainless Saddles — Styles 371, 372

Where full corrosion immunity is required — offshore installations, desalination plants, aggressive salt-marsh soils, or utilities with long-term asset preservation programs — Smith-Blair's all-stainless saddles provide a completely non-corroding assembly from strap to boss.

• Style 371 – Service Saddle, Single Stud, All 304 Stainless Steel — full stainless construction including body, strap, studs, and nuts; for pipe sizes 2" through 16"
• Style 372 – Service Saddle, Double Stud, All 304 Stainless Steel — double-stud all-stainless configuration for larger pipe diameters or higher-pressure tapping applications; recommended specification for new installations in corrosion-susceptible environments

Specialty Service Saddles — Styles 331, 357, 362, 366, 377, 397

Smith-Blair's specialty saddle series addresses the full range of non-standard tapping conditions encountered in aging or complex distribution systems:

• Style 331 – Repair Service Saddle, Double Bale, Epoxy-Coated DI Body — combines a service tap outlet with a repair clamp function; used to establish a new service connection while simultaneously sealing a nearby pipe defect
• Style 357 – Service Saddle, DI Body, Stainless Steel Straps, Large Tap (3" and 4" NPT) — engineered specifically for large-diameter service connections and fire protection taps; the 3" and 4" NPT tapping boss handles flows that standard ¾"–2" saddles cannot accommodate
• Style 362 – Service Saddle, DI Body, Epoxy-Coated Straps, Concrete Pipe — designed for concrete cylinder pipe (CCP) where standard DI saddles cannot achieve a gasket seal against the concrete OD; epoxy-coated straps provide corrosion resistance against the alkaline concrete surface
• Style 366 – Service Saddle, Large Diameter, DI Body, Epoxy-Coated Straps — for large-diameter transmission mains 24" and above where standard saddle strap geometry is insufficient; epoxy coating provides long-term corrosion protection in buried service
• Style 377 – Service Saddle, Wide Range, All 304 Stainless Steel — wide-range OD accommodation; a single part number covers a broader span of pipe ODs than a standard saddle, simplifying inventory for utilities that maintain mixed-vintage pipe systems
• Style 397 – Service Saddle, PVC Pipe, DI Body, Double-Wide 304 SS Strap — specifically engineered for OD-specific PVC and ductile iron-sized pipe where C-900 and C-905 OD tolerances differ from standard DI pipe; the double-wide strap provides even load distribution on the softer PVC pipe wall

Tap Thread Types: NPT vs CC

Smith-Blair service saddles are available in two outlet thread types. NPT (National Pipe Thread) is a tapered thread used with standard gate valves, ball valves, and threaded fittings. CC (Corporation Cock Thread, also called AWWA CC or Mueller CC) is the thread standard used with Mueller, Ford, and A.Y. McDonald corporation stops — the most common service tap fitting in North American water distribution. Always specify the required thread type when ordering. Using the wrong thread type will either not seal (NPT fitting on CC thread) or damage the corporation stop.

Ready to Order?

Provide your pipe material, actual pipe OD, nominal pipe size, tap size, and thread type (NPT or CC) and we'll pull the catalog number and stock check in minutes.
Call: 281.664.8000  |  Email: sales@watermainsupply.com