Tapping pipe and system for a converter or electric arc furnace

A method of tapping melt from a melt vessel, comprising the steps of:

• a) repeatedly tapping melt from a melt vessel that has a maximum melt bath level X.sub.m and a minimum melt bath level X.sub.u through a tapping pipe in the melt vessel until the tapping pipe becomes worn, the tapping pipe being composed of a first brick defining a discharge zone, a second brick defining a feed zone and a third brick defining a transition zone between the feed zone and the discharge zone, and the first brick having the discharge zone thereof having flow cross-sections approximately the same as the cross-sections of the flow-profile of a free flowing stream of the melt from a melt bath level X.sub.o between 30% and 70% of the maximum melt bath level X.sub.m ;
• and
• b) replacing the tapping pipe in the melt vessel by replacing the first brick with a new first brick substantially identical to the first brick, replacing the second brick with a new second brick substantially identical to the second brick and replacing the third brick with a new third brick having a shorter length than the third brick being replaced so as to compensate for wear of the lining of the melt vessel.