Hot tapping, or pressure tapping, is the method of making a connection to existing piping or vessels without the interruption of emptying that section of pipe or vessel. Hot tapping is also the first procedure in line stopping, where a hole saw is used to make an opening in the pipe, so a line plugging head can be inserted.
Hot tapping can be performed on pipes carrying natural gas, water, sewage, steam, petroleum products, and chemicals, and on any type of pipe.