Insulating your pipes may seem unnecessary, but it’s one of the best ways to protect your home against costly plumbing repairs. Without insulation, hot water pipes lose heat while cold air absorbs it instead.
Insulation helps control condensation that could otherwise corrode and fail the pipes, regulate temperatures more evenly, and lessen noise pollution.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass pipe insulation provides thermal protection for hot and cold piping from temperatures ranging from -20 to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, offering thermal comfort between copper and iron pipe applications. Made of heavy density resin-bonded inorganic glass fiberglas and featuring one-piece 36″ (914mm), hinged sections tailored for fit for copper and iron applications; additionally wrapped with an all service jacket featuring self-sealing lap closure strips to allow quick installation and ease of maintenance.
The R-Value for any given type of pipe insulation differs with regard to sizes due to surface area variations; as more curved pipes have larger surfaces compared to their actual thickness, thus leading to different R-Value estimates based on mean temperature rather than pipe diameter.
Manson’s Alley-K preformed pipe insulation is composed of noncombustible fiberglass inorganic fibres bonded together using thermosetting resin, and available in 3″ IPS (Intermediate Pressure System). This lightweight insulation solution is intended to withstand chilled water, low temperature hot water, steam service lines in commercial projects as well as residential installations – and comes complete with its own lightweight white all service jacket for convenience.
Rubber
If your home features copper or PVC pipes, this form of insulation may be an economical and practical choice. Easy to install, it works with both cold and hot pipes; however, its performance doesn’t match that of fiberglass insulation.
Closed-cell pipe insulation helps prevent sweating and condensation on cold lines while simultaneously decreasing frost formation in chilled water and refrigeration lines. Furthermore, its use slows freezing of warm water systems used in commercial and industrial settings.
K-flex and Armaflex Nitrile Rubber Foam Lagging comes in 2-meter lengths for use insulating tanks, large pipes, vessels in plumbing projects as well as air conditioning/refrigeration projects. Cuttable to size, it is used for insulation of tanks/vessels in plumbing/AC/refrigeration projects with flexibility provided by its nitrile rubber construction as well as resistance against harsh site conditions – as well as being CFC free, asbestos/ozone free and fire proof/ non toxic qualities making it safe with most metal pipes for outdoor/indoor applications alike.
Tubular Sleeves
Pipe insulation comes in the form of tubular sleeves, making installation quick and simple for long runs of pipe. They’re made of either foam or rubber with an easily taped-over self-sealing seam – ideal for protecting both hot and cold water pipes or refrigeration systems from the cold climate.
Install a sleeve by attaching the end with duct-tape (if it’s not already self-adhesive) and wrapping generously around the pipe with each layer overlapping generously. For fiberglass insulation sleeves, also tape butt seams between sleeves so moisture cannot seep into them and cause mold or rot growth.
This hinged sleeve is constructed of TechLite melamine foam that is friendly to the environment and comes equipped with ship lap joints and relief cuts for bending and curves. Additionally, this hinged sleeve offers resistance against radiant heat, abrasion, chemicals vibration electricity – making it suitable for copper PVC iron piping of 1/2″, 3/4″, or 1-inch pipe diameters. Available in 6-foot lengths.
Installation
Insulation offers many distinct advantages: it reduces the likelihood that your pipes will burst during freezing weather, helps regulate their temperature so energy doesn’t go to heating or cooling them, and reduces noise transmission as water travels through them.
Most types of pipe insulation are easy to install. Foam insulation often comes pre-cut with pre-cut slits that enable it to fit easily around pipes, while tubular sleeves only require minimal effort from installers – simply cut to length and fit around your pipes. Furthermore, some types of fiberglass wrap and foam insulation even feature self-sealing features which eliminate additional sealing or adhesive applications.
If your pipes run through walls, it is crucial that they are adequately insulated to prevent heat loss and protect your plumbing pipes from exposure to warmer indoor air. Furthermore, special vapor barrier-wrapped pipe insulation can help control condensation that would otherwise build up on their surfaces and cause them to corrode.