Why grooved, and where it fits
The grooved connection is how a fire line gets joined without threading or welding every joint. Here is what the range covers and how to specify it.
How a grooved connection works
Each pipe end is milled with a groove near the tip. A coupling wraps the two ends and its internal gasket seals the joint while the bolts clamp it down. The connection is made without heat, which is why it is fast on a large branch line and why it suits retrofits where the existing pipe cannot be re-threaded at every fitting.
Couplings, fittings and branch outlets
The range covers the straight grooved couplings that join run to run, the grooved fittings that change direction or size, and the grooved welded branch outlets and profile branches in carbon steel. The branch outlet is the joint where a branch line leaves the main, and the welded profile is the shape the field welder runs against.
IF, our own grooved brand
Fluid Tech owns its own brand, IF, for grooved couplings and grooved fittings. It is the line we specify and ship for the grooved sections of a fire system, so the connection hardware and the pipe it joins come from one accountable source. State the size, the end form and whether the joint is a coupling, a fitting or a branch outlet, and the order lands with the rest of the line.
