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Sewer, storm and drain

Below Ground Connections

Shielded and flexible couplings, lateral connections and access for buried sewer, storm and drain pipe. Join different materials, repair a line or tap a main.

Shielded couplings Sewer pipe and accessories Laterals and access
Find your coupling See the HULK ›
 

Shielded couplings

A stainless steel shield or shear ring for buried joints under earth load.

Fernco Strong Back RC coupling installed joining two pipe materialsShielded underground couplingStrong Back RCFernco flexible sealing with a stainless steel shear ring, built for buried pipe transitions that face heavy earth loads and pipe movement.Clay, cast iron, plastic, concrete, ductile iron and steel1000 SeriesMade in USAAIS/BABA (15″ and under)Explore Strong Back RC › Fernco Strong Back RC 5000 Series shielded coupling with nut-and-bolt clampsStrong Back RC 5000 SeriesHeavy-duty Strong Back sealing with a 316 stainless steel nut-and-bolt clamp, for larger underground transitions.Nut-and-bolt clampMade in USAView product › Fernco HULK couplings joining clay, PVC, cast iron and other pipe materialsHULKOne universal coupling per nominal size connects most common underground pipe materials, with stainless steel shear rods inside.4″ to 12″Made in USAView product › Fernco Strong Back HTRC coupling joining corrugated pipe to PVCStrong Back HTRCJoin corrugated polyethylene pipe to PVC and other plastic pipe, or corrugated to corrugated, with a stainless steel shear ring.10″ to 60″View product › Fernco 4 inch XL Strong Back RC coupling joining cast iron to PVC on gravel beddingXL CouplingsBuilt longer than our standard couplings to grip more pipe. With the Strong Back RC shield for unstable ground, heavy earth loads and alignment problems.1½″ to 12″, up to 11.63″ longAIS/BABAView product › Fernco Large Diameter Strong Back RC coupling joining PVC to concrete pipe in a trenchLarge DiameterEngineered around the measured outside diameter of each pipe, for large sewer connections standard sizes don’t cover. Available with the Strong Back RC shield.Built to your pipe O.D.sView product ›

Sewer pipe and accessories

Couplings for ribbed sewer pipe, shear rings for the couplings you have, and caps for large open pipe.

Fernco stainless steel shear rings in three sizesShear RingsAdd a stainless steel shield to a Fernco coupling to resist shear and keep the pipe ends aligned.1½″ to 15″ couplingsView product › Fernco Ultra-Rib sewer pipe couplingUltra-Rib CouplingsFor Ultra-Rib and ETI-sized PVC sewer pipe. Repair or extend a line, or transition it to SDR 35.12″ to 24″View product › Fernco custom large diameter debris capCustom Debris CapsMade to your pipe’s outside diameter. A soil-tight cap built for burial that keeps dirt and debris out of open pipe ends.6.50″ O.D. and largerView product ›

Laterals and access

Tie a service line into a main, or open a line where there’s no cleanout.

Fernco QwikSeal gasket clamped into a cored opening in a PVC sewer mainQwikSealIf you can core through it, QwikSeal can connect to it. One molded gasket and one 316 stainless clamp, tested to ASTM C923.4″ to 8″ lateralsMade in USAView product › Fernco Flexible Tap Saddle wye clamped to a sewer main with a PVC branchFlexible Tap SaddlesWrap an existing sewer main and add a 4″ or 6″ tee or wye branch, without replacing the main.4″ and 6″ branchMade in USAAIS/BABAView product › Fernco Access Point plug installed in a pipe, with a second plug shownAccess PointA watertight, reusable access point for plastic and cast iron pipe when there’s no cleanout. Core one hole and insert the plug.3″ to 6″ pipeView product ›
Shielded or not

Built to hold under load

Below ground, backfill, compaction and settling can put shear on a buried joint. A stainless steel shield helps carry that load and helps keep the pipe ends in line.

A non-shielded coupling is the right fit for many jobs, and many local codes accept it below ground. Where burial depth, soil conditions, a material transition or the project spec call for added support, we recommend a shielded coupling.

  • Heavy earth loads and deep burial
  • Unstable or shifting soil
  • Transitions between different pipe materials

Conditions vary by region and job. Follow the project specifications and your local codes.

Diagram: under load, a non-shielded coupling flexes and the pipe drops out of line (top), while a Strong Back RC shielded coupling holds the pipe ends in line (bottom)
Under load: non-shielded (top) and Strong Back RC shielded (bottom)

Made in USA

Many of these products are built in the USA by the Fernco team.

Manufacturing

Built here

Strong Back RC 1000 Series 15″ and under and the 5000 Series, HULK, QwikSeal and Flexible Tap Saddles are made in the USA.

American made ›
AIS and BABA

Ready for funded projects

Strong Back RC 1000 Series couplings 15″ and under, XL Couplings and Flexible Tap Saddles are on our AIS and BABA compliant list. The tap saddle pressure kit is excluded.

See the scope list › AIS and BABA ›
Submittals

Need a letter?

Request an AIS and BABA compliance letter for your project.

Request a letter ›
Fernco Proflex shielded couplings in several sizes
Working above grade?

Above Ground Connections

Standard and Proflex couplings, Qwik Tees and Ells, Qwik Caps and more for drain, waste and vent pipe above ground.

Explore Above Ground

Where to next

Stock it, find it or ask us about it.

Distributors and retailers

Carry Fernco underground couplings

Shielded and flexible couplings and lateral connections for sewer and drain contractors, municipalities and site work.

  • Parts for plumbers, site contractors and municipal crews
  • Sell sheets, drawings and install instructions ready to share
  • Fernco reps in the field to support your counter and your customers
Become a distributor See the catalog ›
Plumbers and homeowners

Buy it

Find Fernco underground couplings at plumbing and waterworks supply houses near you.

Where to buy ›
Questions

Ask us

Not sure which coupling fits? Our team can help, or a local rep can.

Contact Fernco › Find a rep › Install instructions ›