FlexibleTap Saddles
A flexible PVC saddle that wraps an existing sewer main and gives you a 4″ or 6″ branch, in tee or wye. Soil-tight on its own, water-tight to 10 PSI with the pressure kit.
Add a branch. Don’t replace the main.
Adding a lateral to a live sewer main usually means removing a section of pipe and setting a factory wye. A tap saddle turns that into a cored hole and two clamps, without disturbing the rest of the run.
No main replacement
Core the opening, seat the saddle over it, tighten the clamps. The main stays in place and the trench stays small.
Tee or wye
Choose a 90° tee or a 45° wye. The wye gives a flow-directed connection where the specification calls for one.
AIS and BABA compliant
Tee and wye tap saddles are on Fernco’s AIS and BABA compliant list, which matters on federally funded work.
Seal to the spec
Soil-tight for gravity service as supplied. Add the TSPK-46 pressure kit when the job calls for water-tight.
Tee or wye, 4″ or 6″.
Both configurations take a 4″ or 6″ cast iron or plastic inlet pipe and mount the same way. The choice is about how the branch meets the main.
A 90° branch straight off the main. The shorter footprint of the two, useful where the trench is tight or the lateral leaves square to the run.
A 45° branch angled with the flow. Many agencies require a flow-directed connection on sanitary laterals, and the wye is what satisfies that.
Sized to the main you’re tapping.
Start with the branch size you need, then check the saddle against the main. The extra-large apron and locating ring seat the saddle in the cored hole and hold it square while you clamp.
- 4″ saddles fit 6″ to 15″ smooth wall pipe.
- 6″ saddles fit 8″ to 15″ smooth wall pipe.
- Larger than 15″? Add 312-300 extension clamps.
- Core 5″ or 7″, matching the saddle’s locating ring.
| Part No. | Branch | Configuration | Fits main | Core hole |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TST-4 | 4″ cast iron or plastic | Tee, 90° | 6″ to 15″ | 5″ |
| TSW-4 | 4″ cast iron or plastic | Wye, 45° | 6″ to 15″ | 5″ |
| TST-6 | 6″ cast iron or plastic | Tee, 90° | 8″ to 15″ | 7″ |
| TSW-6 | 6″ cast iron or plastic | Wye, 45° | 8″ to 15″ | 7″ |
Soil-tight, or water-tight.
Decide the sealing requirement first, then order accordingly. The saddle is the same either way; the pressure kit is what takes it to a water-tight joint.
Soil-tight
The saddle and its two stainless slip-lock clamps make a soil-tight connection for gravity sewer service.
- For gravity sewer branch connections
- Two 300 series stainless slip-lock clamps
- Tighten to 60 in-lb
Water-tight to 10 PSI
The pressure kit adds butyl sealing tape under the saddle and stainless reinforcing bars that spread clamping pressure evenly across the apron.
- Pressure tested to hold 10 PSI
- Butyl tape seal, stainless reinforcing bars, two extra clamps
- One size fits TST-4, TST-6, TSW-4 and TSW-6
Built to sit in the ground.
High-durometer PVC with 300 series stainless steel clamps, made in the USA.
| Saddle | High-durometer PVC |
| Clamps | 300 series stainless steel, slip-lock |
| Installation torque | 60 in-lb |
| Standard | Conforms to ASTM D5926 |
| Max operating temperature | 140°F, non-consistent |
| Water-tight rating | 10 PSI with TSPK-46 |
| Compliance | AIS and BABA (saddles) |
- Root intrusion. Root-proof and leak-resistant.
- Chemicals and sewer gases. Resists normal sewer gases and chemical attack.
- Ultraviolet and fungus. Resists UV rays and fungus growth.
- Smooth wall mains only. Not for corrugated pipe.
- Gravity service. Soil-tight as supplied; 10 PSI with the pressure kit.
- 15″ and under without extension clamps.
Cored, clamped, connected.
The whole job happens from outside the main. No bypass, no cut-out, no factory wye.
- Core the main
- Set the clamps
- Seat the saddle
- Torque to 60 in-lb
- Connect the lateral
Full installation instructions (PDF) · TSPK-46 pressure kit instructions (PDF)
Tap saddle or QwikSeal?
Both add a lateral to an existing main. They seal differently and suit different specifications, so start with what the job requires.
Flexible Tap Saddle
- Tee or wye branch, including a 45° flow-directed connection
- AIS and BABA compliant (saddles)
- 4″ and 6″ branch, smooth wall mains 6″ to 15″
- Soil-tight as supplied, 10 PSI with TSPK-46
- Saddle wraps the outside of the main
QwikSeal
- Straight tap into the cored hole, no branch hub
- Not AIS or BABA compliant
- 4″, 6″ and 8″ laterals; also fits corrugated mains
- Water-tight as supplied, no kit required
- Seal sits inside the hole, minimal protrusion
All part numbers.
The saddle, the pressure kit if you need water-tight, extension clamps for larger mains, and the cutter that matches the branch size.
| Part No. | Description | Pairs with |
|---|---|---|
| TST-4 | 4″ cast iron or plastic inlet, tee tap saddle | 6″ to 15″ main · 5″ core |
| TST-6 | 6″ cast iron or plastic inlet, tee tap saddle | 8″ to 15″ main · 7″ core |
| TSW-4 | 4″ cast iron or plastic inlet, wye tap saddle | 6″ to 15″ main · 5″ core |
| TSW-6 | 6″ cast iron or plastic inlet, wye tap saddle | 8″ to 15″ main · 7″ core |
| TSPK-46 | Pressure kit for a water-tight seal | All four saddles · one size |
| 312-300 | Extension clamps for larger sewer mains | Mains larger than 15″ |
| QS-5x4HS | 5″ OD × 4″ deep hole saw with arbor | TST-4, TSW-4 · plastic pipe |
| QS-7x4HS | 7″ OD × 4″ deep hole saw with arbor | TST-6, TSW-6 · plastic pipe |
| QS-5x14CB | 5″ OD × 14″ abrasive coring bit | TST-4, TSW-4 · concrete and clay |
| QS-7x14CB | 7″ OD × 14″ abrasive coring bit | TST-6, TSW-6 · concrete and clay |
Dimensional drawings.
One drawing per part, for submittals and spec packages.
Documents.
Sell sheet, saddle installation, pressure kit installation and the AIS and BABA scope list.
Flexible Tap Saddle Sell SheetSell sheet · Models, fit and featuresDownload PDF 
Tap Saddle InstallationInstructions · 1.7 MBDownload PDF 
TSPK-46 Pressure Kit InstallationInstructions · 2 MBDownload PDF 
AIS / BABA Scope ListCompliance · Made in USADownload PDF Fernco Waterworks CatalogCatalogDownload PDFCommon questions.
Which saddle do I need?
Start with the branch: 4″ takes TST-4 (tee) or TSW-4 (wye); 6″ takes TST-6 or TSW-6. Then check the main. The 4″ saddles fit 6″ to 15″ smooth wall pipe and the 6″ saddles fit 8″ to 15″. For anything larger than 15″, add 312-300 extension clamps.
Tee or wye?
A tee brings the branch off the main at 90°. A wye angles it at 45°, with the flow. Many agencies require a flow-directed connection on sanitary laterals, so check the specification before ordering; where either is allowed, the tee has the shorter footprint in a tight trench.
What size hole do I core?
5″ for the 4″ saddles and 7″ for the 6″ saddles, matching the saddle’s locating ring. Use a hole saw on plastic pipe and an abrasive coring bit on concrete or clay. Part numbers are in the table above.
Is the connection water-tight?
As supplied the saddle makes a soil-tight connection for gravity sewer service. Adding the TSPK-46 pressure kit, which uses butyl sealing tape and stainless reinforcing bars, gives a water-tight connection pressure tested to hold 10 PSI.
Can I use a tap saddle on corrugated pipe?
No. The saddle seats against smooth wall pipe. For a corrugated main, use a QwikSeal lateral connector instead.
Are tap saddles AIS and BABA compliant?
Yes, the tee and wye tap saddles are on Fernco’s AIS and BABA compliant product list. The TSPK-46 pressure kit is excluded, so if the project requires compliance and a water-tight joint, confirm the requirement before specifying the kit.
What is the installation torque?
60 in-lb, both for the saddle clamps and for the connection to the lateral pipe. If you are using the pressure kit, its clamps are also tightened to 60 in-lb.
What pipe can the branch connect to?
The inlet accepts 4″ or 6″ cast iron or plastic pipe, depending on the saddle you order.