9/1/2009
Per ASTM A865, merchant steel threaded couplings for use on steel pipe joints, and in accordance with ANSI B1.20.1, it is regular practice to furnish straight-tapped couplings on standard weight pipe for sizes 2” and below. The reason I bring this up, is the pipe is furnished with tapered threads, not straight threads. All other pipe fittings have tapered threads, so why use a straight thread fitting when coupling pipe lengths.
This was the question a customer recently asked that stumped me. So I did a little research. From a 1917 publication of National Pipe Standards by National Tube Co.; I found these different types of couplings.
Standard Pipe Coupling, Line Pipe Coupling, Drive Pipe Coupling, Standard Boston Coupling, Pacific Coupling, Rotary Coupling, Upset Rotary Coupling, Reamed & Drifted Coupling, Drill Pipe Coupling, Oil Well Pipe Coupling, Allison Vanishing Thread Coupling, California Diamond BX Coupling, South Penn Casing Coupling, and the Dry Kiln Pipe Coupling.
By 1917, the standards for 1/8” – 2” pipe had been established. It is the same standard we use today. Although the thread size is the same, the outside diameter and length of today’s merchant steel coupling lies somewhere between the Standard and Line Coupling of 1917.
I still cannot answer conclusively why straight-tapped couplings are furnished on steel pipe, other than “that’s the way it’s always been done”, more research is needed. If you can help with this, I’d love to hear from you. Meanwhile watch for further updates.
7/1/2009
For decades butt weld carbon steel pipe fittings have been the premier choice for a leak free system. Especially suited for high pressure and high temperature applications, but also commonly used in any process piping system. The welded joint actually becomes a part of the pipe and creates a solid closed loop, minimizing the chance for leakage.
Butt weld fittings are ideally suited for natural gas and other media with high seepage characteristics. Smaller sizes are also commonly used in structural applications, such as staircases and hand rails.
Carbon steel butt weld fittings should be manufactured to ASTM and ANSI dimensional specifications B16.9 and B16.28. Each fitting should be stamped with the manufactures name or logo, the country of origin, the size and wall thickness, the material grade (i.e. WPB or WPC), and the heat identification number. This information gives a level of protection to all parties involved in the manufacture, supply, engineering, installation and ownership of the piping system, by providing instant traceability of each and every fitting.
Make sure that you are buying quality when you purchase butt weld fittings by insuring this information is present on every fitting you purchase. Hayward Pipe & Supply proudly supplies only quality carbon steel butt weld fitting with full traceability.
Call us today for all your “Complete Piping Package.”
5/1/2009
The oldest Butterfly Valves I have found were made by Crane around 1910. These were all metal valves and only available with thread or flanged ends. The metal seats were not designed for a positive shut-off. With advancements in elastomeric compounds, the rubber seated valve gained much wider acceptance in the early 1940’s. The primary advantage of a rubber seat is a positive shut-off.
The more compact design of the Wafer and Lug styles came about in the 1950’s. From then until the late 1990’s, the butterfly valve was a favorite for field operators and mechanics. It had a light weight body (compared to a gate valve), had a replaceable seat cartridge and was easily repaired.
With the mass exporting of manufacturing to low cost foreign manufacturing came the “throw away” butterfly valve that is most common today. These low cost valves are often less expensive than the parts alone in the repairable models. The quality of both the high end repairable valve and the low end imports has improved tremendously over the past 10 years.
Whether you are looking for a high quality repairable Butterfly Valve or a low cost valve, Hayward Pipe & Supply can deliver. Call us today with your Pipe, Valve & Fitting requirements.
4/1/2009
The globe is still the most common valve in service today. Quarter turn valves (Ball, Butterfly & Plug Valves) are rapidly catching up, but the globe valve is still king. The most common globe valves are residential faucets and hose bibbs, but many other types of globe valves are used extensively in industrial and commercial applications.
Common globe valves include your standard globe and needle, pressure regulators and reducing valves, control valves, boiler valves and balancing valves. The globe valve started the valve industry when its simple design was first patented in 1865 by The F. Lunkenheimer Co. That was quickly followed by patents from Powell, Crane and Grinnell. Today’s globe valves are nearly identical to those original patterns and all are based on those simple designs.
You can purchase globe valves in every material or combination of materials and every pressure class to suit just about every application. Hayward Pipe has the right valve for whatever it is that you’re trying to control or regulate. With brands like Stockham, Watts, DHV, Watson McDaniel, Mueller Steam and many, many others, we have a solution for your needs. Call us today, we can help you replace that old valve or help you select a new valve for a new application.
3/1/2009
The Origin of Pipe Sizes
Robert Briggs was the superintendent of the Pascal Iron Works in 1862. He wrote a set of pipe specifications for iron pipe and distributed them to all the other local mills.
In 1862 each pipe mill made its own pipe and fittings to its own sizes and specifications. Briggs tried to standardize the sizing. The pipe standards he created became known as the “Briggs Standards.” Then eventually became the American Standards and are the standards used for modern day pipe.
The current ASTM A53, A106, A312, A333 and A335 Pipe Standard are basically the Briggs Standard for pipe sizes ½” thru 4”. Sizes 5” thru 12” are closer to the actual inside diameter and sizes 14” thru 48” are the actual OD.
The ½” thru 4” sizes came from the sizes of the dies used in Pascal Iron Works. Briggs made everyone adjust to him. Hence, the name “nominal” pipe size came about, meaning “close to” or “somewhere in the proximity of” the actual dimension.
Hayward Pipe stocks Carbon Steel Pipe from 1/8” thru 12” in Hayward, CA. However, we can supply any size pipe, and usually in just a few days. Below is a list of the many carbon steel pipes that are commonly produced.
A53 Grade A ERW & FW 
1/8” – 6”
A53 Grade B ERW 1-½” – 24”
A106 Grade B Seamless 1/8” – 24”
A333 Grade 3 & 6 ¼” – 24”
A335 Grade P1, P5, P9, P11 & P22 ¼” – 24”
Common pipe schedules are STD, XH, 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160 & XXH as well as 12g, 10g, and .188 wall.
Call us today for all your piping needs.
