• Flexible couplings allow a limited amount of linear and angular movement.

• Rigid couplings do not allow movement at the joint.

There are a number of benefits to choosing grooved mechanical piping where applicable.

Benefits of Grooved Mechanical Piping

Recent product enhancements by grooved coupling manufacturers have significantly increased installation times. Unlike standard couplings, installation-ready couplings are installed without the need to disassemble the coupling. No loose bolts and nuts translate to less material handling on site.

Unlike welding, brazing, or soldering, grooved mechanical pipe joints do not require a flame or fire watch, and as a result, assembling and disassembling of a pipe joint is fast and easy. Pipe fitters install grooved mechanical pipe joints properly and accurately with minimal training and no additional safety measures.

The design of grooved systems allows for easier routine and scheduled maintenance because the grooved coupling provides a union at every joint, which permits easier access to the system.

Removing a coupling is easy; the worker loosens the nuts and bolts and removes the coupling housings and gasket. Once maintenance is complete, the coupling can be reassembled on the grooved end of a pipe, valve, fitting or accessory.

Because maintenance does not require torches, grooved systems do not have to be completely drained and dried to perform the maintenance, resulting in minimal system downtime. A grooved system not only offers a union at every joint, which simplifies system access, but a grooved system offers 360 degrees of rotational movement during installation, reducing field mate-up issues by making it easy to perform adjustments on site.

The design of grooved couplings, which are secure and leak-tight, make them very reliable. Couplings require no maintenance and are designed to last the life of the piping system. Grooved mechanical piping systems can be pressurized and depressurized repeatedly for years without ever fatiguing the elastomer gasket.

Labor time is the largest cost variable in the field, and grooved systems offer a reduction in total installed costs because they reduce labor time. The ease and speed at which grooved mechanical piping systems are installed allows contractors to positively impact the bottom line and meet stringent project schedules.

Thermal transients may impose deflection on a piping system as the pipe grows when heated and contracts when cooled, resulting in stress on the piping system and equipment. Flexible grooved couplings minimize this stress by allowing limited deflection capabilities to accommodate this movement in system offsets or for use in expansion loops. As an added benefit, flexible couplings allow angular flexibility to accommodate piping misalignment and rotational movement for use in seismic swing joints.

Mechanical room equipment frequently creates noise and vibration which needs to be isolated from the piping system. Flexible mechanical systems allow the pipe to move within the grooved coupling and the elastomeric gasket dampens vibration, thereby localizing the vibrations generated by equipment and reducing the amount of noise transmitted down the pipeline. The design of the mechanical joint performs this function without wearing out the gasket.

Grooved piping technology’s inherent qualities naturally make it environmentally friendly. It significantly reduces or eliminates waste, emissions, and noise pollution on the job site. Weld and X-ray machines are not required which reduces the draw on burdened power resources. The indoor and outdoor air quality is preserved because the joining method does not release fumes or particulate matter.

For more information, visit www.victaulic.com.

Publication date: 3/19/2012