Line Stopping

Flow stopping, also known as line stopping, is a highly effective and safe system for repairing, maintaining, and modifying gas distribution networks and sometimes water pipe networks. Line Stopping ensures the continuity of supply while keeping the entire procedure gas-free. Line stopping performs the temporary function of a valve, to isolate and neutralise a section of the pipe system, while permitting the media to normally flow through the bypass connection, into the rest of the pipe system.

Refloworx offers complete flow stopping packages that suit all pipe systems; low-pressure, medium-pressure and high-pressure piping systems. We offer the equipment and services to conduct line stopping for your piping system, including drilling machines, plug insertion equipment, completion machines and fittings for medium and high-pressure pipeline systems as well as flow-stopping gas bags for low-pressure mains twin bagging. 

For medium and high pressure piping systems, the line stopping is relatively straightforward in terms of machinery, line stop actuators can be manually, or more often hydraulically powered. Many applications that use line plugging machines require a size on size fitting, usually a welded split-tee fitting, to allow entry of a pivoting plug head. Whether employed in water lines, natural gas, oil, petrochemical, or other pipeline systems, these tools range a large span of dimensions, weights, pressure tolerances, and heat tolerances. Each line stopping machine is manufactured or fabricated for use with a range of piping or pipeline sizes (e.g. 14’’-20’’ or 36’’-48’’) and use complementary sized stopping heads.

There are well over a dozen widely used techniques for line flowstopping or line stopping – including plugging machines, freezing, triple line stops, inflatable stops which is commonly known as gas bagging, and many other stopping techniques. These techniques are regularly used for isolating a section of piping for work and REFLOWORX can advise which method is best and safest for your application. 

Though line stopping used as an emergency valve, to stop the transport of a fluid and avoid a shutdown, it is most often employed with multiple hot taps, a pair of line stopping machines, and a bypass line. Engaging in a line stop operation helps a prospective company:

• Avoid Interruptions to Service
• Avoid Shutdowns and Associated Costs
• Prevent Emissions
• Prevent Loss of Product
• Minimise Engineered Modifications
• Provide Increased Safety
• Allow Maintenance
• Reduce Maintenance and running Costs

What makes REFLOWORX stand out in the line stopping/plugging arena, is our latest isolation innovation for the gas distribution market, the PE Gas Twin Plugging system. Lightweight and easy to use, it allows pipe operators to isolate a polyethylene (PE) line twice quickly while avoiding the damage associated with squeezing. Moreover, our Twin Bagtube System for low-pressure gas pipelines is suitable for both metallic and PE pipes 3” to 12” (75mm-315mm) which is also unique in the gas utilities industry.