Winter is here and so is water main break season. The freeze and thaw cycle of frost causes mains to shift out of position and eventually break. These breaks lead to leaks and damage in your system as well as inconvenience for your customers due to water outages while the problem is fixed. Fortunately, repair clamps do a great job of patching a broken section of pipe. It's imperative to use the correct repair clamp to match the diameter of the pipe. Just as important to the job, however, is using the right tools. Why? We're glad you asked.

Repair clamps come in a wide range of sizes and adjustments to ensure the clamp will fit different pipe types and sizes. If you've ever installed a repair clamp, you know that this wide adjustment range happens because the adjustment studs on the repair clamp are extra-long, being able to easily work with those studs dictates the quality of the completed repair. The right tool to adjust those extra-long studs is a Deep Well Socket, which allows the studs to be accepted through the barrel of the socket to be tightened.

A Deep Well Socket Set has been developed to meet the needs of water utilities when installing repair clamps and couplings. The extra-long hollow bore sockets have a wide range of features including:

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• All-steel construction for long-term durability
• Six-point socket wells to improve surface contact between the stop and the socket
• An overall length of 7" to fit even the deepest stops
• A standardized 1/2" drive to fit with your existing ratchets and handles
• A recessed hand hold to improve grip and reduce the chance of dropping the socket
• Strength to resist a minimum of 270 ft. lbs. of torque
• A black industrial finish to protect the sockets in damp environments
• Includes 7/8", 15/16", 1-1/16", 1-1/8" and 1-1/4" sizes
• Order only the sizes you need or the entire set in a convenient canvas bag, or just the bag to organize your current sockets

As you can see, having the right tool to install your repair clamps this winter can make a huge difference in your overall time and efficiency in repairs. At New Concept Tools, we've spent years developing the right tools for the water utility industry to help you get the job done quickly and effectively. Don't improvise using the tools at hand, use the right ones to keep your crew running at peak efficiency. Please feel free to contact us today with any questions or for additional information about our wide range of tools specific to waterworks.