Heat Shrink Sleeves: Does Size Matter?

 Heat Shrink Sleeves

It is a question that every pipeliner has probably asked himself at one time or another:  

Does size matter?

It may pain you to hear this...but YES.  Size matters a great deal.  I can't tell you how many times I've heard a frustrated sigh on the other end of the telephone when I've asked how big something is.  They are annoyed at being asked....I get it.  But, unfortunately, I don't have an option.  I have to ask how big it is; otherwise I won't be able to help you.

Of course what I'm referring to here is one of several things:

- What is the actual OD (outside diameter) of your Flange? 

(this one is almost always met with a frustrated sigh)

- What is the OD of your Casing Pipe - and what is the OD of the Carrier Pipe?

- What is the OD of your pipeline?

- What is the size of your cable?

- What is the size of the anode you're working with?

- What is the size of your connector?

- What is the size of the coupling?

- What is the size of your duct work?

- What is the size of the 'bell' end of your pipe?

- What is the size of the bell on your Zap-Lock pipe?

- What is the size of the biggest end on your ductile iron pipe?

Heat shrinkable sleeves are designed to either WRAP AROUND a substrate; or they are designed to SLIP ON to a substrate.  In any case, we always need to know the largest dimension that the heat shrink sleeve needs to fit around.  If I sell you a shrink sleeve designed to work with an 8.625" pipe; but you actually have a 12.75" pipe; those sleeves are not going to work and you're going to have a big field problem.

If I sell you a Flangeseal designed to wrap around a flange with an OD of 18" and your flange actually has a 30" OD; you are going to have a big problem (it won't work!). 

When dealing with coatings in my world; I absolutely need to know everything that I can about the pipeline to insure that I'm quoting you a product that will do what we expect it to do on your pipeline.  Please be sure you have sizing information available.  If not, yours will likely be the next exasperated sigh that I hear.