Smith-Blair Tapping Sleeves

Smith-Blair tapping sleeves enable a new branch connection to be made on a live, pressurized main without taking the system offline. The sleeve clamps around the existing main pipe and provides a pressure-rated flange or mechanical joint (MJ) outlet through which a tapping valve and wet tap drill can create the new connection — all while the system stays in full service.

This is one of the most complex product categories in the waterworks industry to specify correctly. Pipe material, actual OD, outlet size, outlet type (flanged or MJ), system pressure, soil conditions, and whether the sleeve will remain buried permanently all affect which sleeve is correct. Getting it wrong means a failed pressure test, a leaking connection, or a wet tap drill dropped into the main — and the pipe is already cut.

Watermain Supply stocks a core range of Smith-Blair tapping sleeves and sources the full catalog. We strongly recommend sending us the complete job details before ordering — we'll confirm the catalog number, pressure rating, and lead time. Email us or call 281.664.8000.

Stainless Steel Tapping Sleeves — Styles 662 & 663

Styles 662 and 663 are Smith-Blair's fabricated full-body stainless steel tapping sleeves — the premium specification product for new water main branch connections on cast iron, ductile iron, steel, and PVC pipe. The all-stainless construction eliminates the corrosion failure mode that makes carbon steel sleeves a liability in aggressive soils and direct-bury applications.

Style 662 uses a carbon steel epoxy-coated Flexi-Coat flange; Style 663 uses a full 304 stainless steel flange for maximum corrosion resistance throughout the assembly. Both styles are available with either a Flanged outlet or a Mechanical Joint (MJ) outlet:

• Style 663 – All Stainless Steel, MJ Outlet — full stainless body and stainless flange, MJ outlet for tapping valve connection; preferred specification for new DI main branch connections in corrosion-susceptible environments
• Style 663 – All Stainless Steel, Flanged Outlet — full stainless body and stainless flange, ANSI 150 lb flanged outlet for direct tapping valve connection; for above-grade or exposed installations
• Style 662 – Stainless Steel Body, Epoxy-Coated Carbon Steel Flange, MJ Outlet — stainless steel sleeve body with Flexi-Coat epoxy carbon steel flange; cost-effective stainless option where full all-stainless specification is not required
• Style 662 – Stainless Steel Body, Epoxy-Coated Carbon Steel Flange, Flanged Outlet — as above with flanged outlet; suitable for most municipal direct-bury applications in typical soil conditions

Carbon Steel Tapping Sleeves — Style 622

Style 622 is Smith-Blair's carbon steel full-body tapping sleeve — a workhorse product for standard underground water main connections where soil conditions allow carbon steel construction. Available in both Alloy and Stainless Steel bolt configurations, and with Flanged or MJ outlet types, offering four distinct catalog configurations:

• Style 622 – Carbon Steel Alloy — full carbon steel body, alloy bolt hardware, flanged outlet; standard municipal specification for typical buried service
• Style 622 – Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel Bolts — carbon steel body with stainless fasteners for improved corrosion resistance at bolt locations; flanged outlet
• Style 622 – Carbon Steel, MJ Outlet, Alloy — MJ outlet version for direct mechanical joint tapping valve connection; alloy bolt hardware
• Style 622 – Carbon Steel, MJ Outlet, Stainless Steel Bolts — MJ outlet with stainless fasteners; the most common general-purpose specification for new DI main taps in standard soil conditions

Style 622 is available in sizes 4" × 4" through 30" × 12" (main size × outlet size). Larger sizes are available on request. The sleeve is priced by main size and outlet size combination — contact us for pricing on specific size combinations.

Wide-Body Stainless Tapping Sleeves — Styles 664 & 665

Styles 664 and 665 are fabricated wide-body tapping sleeves for larger main pipe sizes and large outlet configurations. Style 664 is carbon steel construction; Style 665 is all stainless steel. Available with both standard flanged outlets and MJ outlets:

• Style 664 – Tapping Sleeve, Carbon Steel — wide-body carbon steel sleeve; flanged outlet; for 12" through 36" mains
• Style 664 – Tapping Sleeve, Carbon Steel, MJ Outlet — as above with MJ outlet
• Style 665 – Tapping Sleeve, Stainless Steel — wide-body all stainless sleeve; flanged outlet; for maximum corrosion resistance on large-diameter transmission main connections
• Style 665 – Tapping Sleeve, Stainless Steel, MJ Outlet — as above with MJ outlet; the highest-specification general tapping sleeve in the Smith-Blair catalog

Fabricated & Specialty Tapping Sleeves — Styles 623, 624, 625, 626, 627

For non-standard pipe diameters, concrete cylinder pipe, weld-on applications, and custom fabricated configurations — Smith-Blair offers a full range of specialty tapping sleeves. These are typically made-to-order, non-returnable products that require complete job specifications at time of order.

• Style 623 & 624 – Fabricated MJ Joint Tapping Sleeves — for applications where standard neck-seal designs cannot accommodate the pipe condition at the tap location; both styles use gland gasket end seals; Style 624 has true MJ end seals; fabricated to specification in carbon or stainless steel
• Style 625 – Tapping Sleeve for Concrete Cylinder or Concrete-Coated Pipe — engineered gasket and strap geometry for the irregular outside surface of prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) and concrete-coated steel pipe; available to order
• Style 626 – Weld-On Tapping Sleeve — four configurations (flange and neck only; flange, neck, and weld plate; top-half body; split-body three-piece) for tap connections on above-grade or in-plant steel pipe where a welded connection is preferred; carbon or stainless steel; sizes 3" and up; non-returnable special order
• Style 627 – Fabricated Weld-On Outlet Tapping Sleeve — full-body weld-on sleeve in two-piece or three-piece configurations; for industrial steel pipe applications requiring a permanent, welded branch connection; non-returnable special order

What We Need to Quote a Tapping Sleeve

To get you the right sleeve and avoid a costly re-order, provide the following: existing main pipe material (DI, CI, steel, PVC, PCCP), actual outside diameter of the main pipe in inches, nominal pipe size of the main, nominal size and type of the new branch outlet (flanged or MJ), system working pressure and test pressure, and soil conditions (standard, aggressive, or coastal/marine).

Many tapping sleeve configurations have lead times of 3–6 weeks. Contact us before the job is scheduled — not after.
Call: 281.664.8000  |  Email: sales@watermainsupply.com