Hot Tap Location and Design Considerations | Carmagen Engineering

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Home > News > Engineering Articles > Hot Tap Location And Design Considerations | Carmagen Engineering

Hot Tap Location and Design Considerations

By Vincent A. Carucci
An earlier article introduced what a hot tap is, when it should not be done, and when it may be done with special precautions. This
article discusses hot tap location and design considerations.

Selecting the Hot Tap Site

The hot tap site should be chosen considering both mechanical reliability and personnel safety. It is normally possible to adjust the
exact position of the hot tap as needed to avoid potential problem areas in the pipe being tapped. Consider the following items:
Safe personnel access, egress, and working conditions.
Clearance required for the hot tap nozzle, valve, and machine. Also remember that the required clearance increases with pipe
diameter.
Thermal displacement effects. Remember that the hot tap is being done with the pipe (or equipment) in service. Therefore,
consider the direction and amount of thermal movement when the system shuts down.
Drainage of liquid from the lines.
Hot tap angle. The hot tap should ideally be perpendicular to the pipe and on the top.
Distance between the hot tap and any flange, threaded connection, or welded seam (including the longitudinal seam of welded
piping). Hot tapping too close to such joints could increase the possibility of leakage.
Rotating equipment or control valves located downstream of the hot tap location. Cuttings from the hot tap operation will go
into the pipe and could damage downstream equipment. The hot tap coupon could even be lost and proceed into the flow
stream.
Pipe surface cleanliness, soundness, and curvature. Surface roughness or excessive pipe out-of-roundness could affect nozzle
and hot tap machine installation.

Hot Tap Design Considerations

The hot tap design must meet the applicable Code, local engineering practices, and local governmental requirements. The following
highlights several design considerations.
Inspect the area to be hot tapped before starting the design to confirm the material of construction, wall thickness, and freedom
from laminations.
Ensure that there is adequate flow through the pipe during the hot tap welding and cutting operations. Both minimum and
maximum permitted flow rates must be established, and these depend on whether the fluid is a gas or liquid. A minimum flow is
needed to help dissipate the welding heat. Maximum flow limits must also be observed in order not to quench the weld and to
not spin the coupon (which could cause it to disengage from the cutter).
Most non-air hardenable materials that are normally fabricated by welding can be hot tapped provided the correct conditions of
temperature and pressure exist.
Nozzle and reinforcement materials should be the same nominal chemistry and strength as the pipe or equipment being hot
tapped.
PWHT is normally not possible during hot tapping. However, specific cases may be evaluated to determine if the pressure can be
reduced enough to permit online PWHT, or if special welding procedures may be used instead of PWHT.
All new valve and piping components should be in accordance with the local Piping Material Specifications applicable for the
piping system.
Lined piping or equipment. If a hot tap is made into lined pipe or equipment, the immediate vicinity of the hot tap will become
unprotected. This might be tolerable for short periods of operation in particular circumstances.
Hot taps into stainless steel lines or equipment typically require using special cutters and procedures.
A maximum metal temperature [typically about 700F (370C)] must be set considering the design temperature of the hot tap
machine and personnel protection requirements.
The minimum acceptable temperature while performing a hot tap is governed by the material to be welded, the hot tap
equipment, and welding conditions. Temperatures below the dew point can cause welding problems due to the formation of
moisture or frost on the metal surfaces.
The wall thickness of the header pipe or equipment must be confirmed to be acceptable. This must consider the design
conditions, potential burning through the wall when welding, and pressure test of the nozzle assembly before cutting (which
imposes an external pressure on the pipe).
Weld details and procedures must be specified and be qualified for the specific installation.

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Hot Tap Location and Design Considerations | Carmagen Engineering

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Test pressure. Per API RP-2201, a hydrostatic test should be done at a test pressure that is at least equal to the operating
pressure of the line or vessel to be tapped. Local code requirements and the possibility of local buckling of the pipe wall must
also be considered. Calculations may be required to ensure that buckling does not occur.
Hot tap fitting. This may be a welded-on pipe stub, an integrally reinforced set-on type connection, or a prefabricated hot tap
fitting. A bolted fitting may also be considered in special cases (e.g., when welding cannot be done with the system in
operation).
Hot tap valve. This must have a full-round opening that is at least 1/8 in. (3 mm) larger than the specified drill or cutter OD. A
regular, API-600 gate valve may be used. Special hot tap valves (commonly called sandwich valves) are available. Their
face-to-face dimension is smaller than conventional gate valves, and may be required if the hot tap is done in a confined
location.
Orientation. Hot tap connections should be oriented at a 90 angle to the pipe, in the vertically up direction, and be from the
top of the pipe. This reduces the probability of valve seat damage due to chips from the cutting operation entering the valve.
Any variations from this position must be carefully evaluated.
Size-on-size connections. Size-on-size connections should be avoided. Additional design and procedural items (e.g., full
encirclement reinforcement) must be considered when a size-on-size connection must be used.
Piping system stresses. Design the connections to prevent overstressing the pipe being tapped due to the weight of the hot tap
machine, application of test pressure to the hot tap nozzle, or thermal displacement of the added piping. Also consider the pipe
flexibility stresses for the case when the system is shut down. Remember, the new line is initially at ambient temperature when
it is added to a system that is in operation.
Supports. Use adequate bracing and support to minimize vibration or impact on the line during cutting.

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