Why NSF-Certified Couplings Are Your Best Choice

No-hub couplings are available today from a wide range of sources, from traditional plumbing supply distributors to the big box stores. Like many other plumbing products on the market, couplings have a way of all looking alike, which leads many people to believe that they are all alike. But their similarities
stop at their looks. There is a huge difference in no-hub couplings, differences that engineers,contractors, inspectors and building owners should understand before selecting a coupling for use on their project.   When no-hub couplings first came onto the scene in the 1960s, the developers spent years researching the best materials and technologies for joining cast iron pipe and fittings. Many prototypes were discarded along the way for two main reasons: 1) they didn’t seal adequately, or 2) the materials broke down over time and would not last the life the building. Finally, after much trial and error, the design we know today as the no-hub coupling came into being, made from 300-series stainless steel with genuine neoprene gaskets. The design worked so well that the Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute developed a standard around it, CISPI 310, that survives to this very day.    “Other grades of steel just didn’t cut it,” said Gary Wickham, AB&I’s senior sales manager and technical go-to guy.
“The rubber and other polymer compounds used in early coupling gasket designs deteriorated too quickly. Only neoprene would stand up to the demands of commonly-found liquids and soils. That’s why all the standard couplings we sell meet CISPI 310.”   All of our standard couplings, made by Anaco/Tyler are made from series 300 stainless and use neoprene as the primary elastomer in the gaskets. Other brands, often imported and cheaper, have been shown to be made from inferior, corrosion-prone steel with gaskets that do not stand up.   To prove to the market that Anaco/Tyler couplings meet the standard in every detail, and are different from the other look-alike couplings, Tyler and Anaco had the couplings certified by NSF International, the world’s leading certification agency for plumbing products, proving that they meet CISPI 310. Couplings carrying the NSF mark give specifiers, contractors, inspectors and owners alike the peace of mind that comes from knowing
they’re using couplings that are made to last a lifetime and that will perform as promised.
   When used in conjunction with AB&I’s or Tyler pipes's NSF-certified cast iron pipe and fittings, these couplings complete a fully-certified system that is truly set apart from the competition.   Look for the NSF mark, and insist on certified couplings for your next job