Heating element geometry for use in a tapping saddle

A heating element for use in a tapping saddle, the heating element comprising:

• a winding having an outer winding region and an inner winding region,
• wherein in the inner winding region, the winding extends in meandering loops along a circle concentric with a central axis of a stub of the tapping saddle,
• wherein the meandering loops include:
• a plurality of inner arcs, each of the inner arcs disposed within a first region extending between a first circle at a first radial distance from the central axis of the stub and a second circle at a second radial distance from the central axis of the stub, the second radial distance being greater than the first radial distance,
• a plurality of outer arcs, each of the outer arcs disposed within a second region extending between a third circle at a third radial distance from the central axis of the stub and a fourth circle at a fourth radial distance from the central axis of the stub, the third radial distance being greater than the second radial distance and the fourth radial distance being greater than the third radial distance, and
• a plurality of radially extending winding sections, each respective radially extending winding section connecting a respective inner arc to a respective outer arc, wherein each respective radially extending winding section extends linearly from the second circle to the third circle in a radial direction parallel to a diameter of the third circle,
• wherein each of the first circle, the second circle, the third circle, and the fourth circle are arranged concentrically with the central axis of the stub.

A method for tapping a plastic main pipe carrying a medium, the method comprising:

• positioning a tapping saddle on an outer circumference of the main pipe, the tapping saddle having a saddle piece and a stub, the stub having a central axis;
• welding the tapping saddle to the outer circumference of the main pipe through the use of a heating element arranged in the saddle piece;
• and
• tapping the main pipe by drilling through a saddle piece of the tapping saddle with a drill,
• wherein drilling through the saddle piece of the tapping saddle includes drilling through an inner winding region of a winding of the heating element arranged in the saddle piece,
• wherein, when drilling through the inner winding region of the winding of the heating element, a cutting edge of the drill severs meandering loops of the winding that are formed in the inner winding region, and
• wherein the meandering loops are embedded in the saddle piece and project into a cross section formed by a projection of an inner wall of the stub onto a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the stub.