🔧 How to choose an effective insulation for pipes

Thermal insulation for pipes - a material which guarantees efficient operation of the system, maintaining a comfortable temperature in the house and the smooth circulation line content. In the context of our latitude is necessary to insulate all communications. Choosing insulation - an important task, which is not easy to handle, given the wide range of products. A small digression on the possible options - in this review from HouseChief edition.

Thermal insulation: an urgent need or reinsurance

Ground freezes almost all of our latitudes. If the liquid content of the pipeline will be in promorzshey earth, it is likely to tear. Furthermore, the direct contact with cold soil or air leads to significant heat losses. Part of the thermal energy is needlessly wasted on heating the surrounding environment and do not reach the destination.

The boiler houses are often located outside of the main room, and the coolant has to overcome a certain distance before you get to the radiators. highway route may pass through the attic, basement or an unheated corridor.

sewerage system is also very dependent on temperature. Even if the trunk is laid on all the rules, with the necessary slope, formed inside pipes plaque, which can clog the freezing system and lead to rupture of the pipe. These problems are not only subject to the centralized system, but also stand-alone buildings with a septic tank.

The water pipes constantly in the water. It starts to circulate at the opening of the tap, and in the rest of the time can turn into ice in the soil freezes.

Requirements for heat insulator for pipe

Insulation to effectively carry out its task, it must meet several important requirements:

• thermal conductivity level should be as low as possible for effective conservation line temperature of the contents in the cold and warm season;
• insulation must be safe for humans;
• material should not be a fire hazard, and should not support combustion;
• insulation should not accumulate moisture, as this process reduces its ability to maintain the heat;
• mounting material should be simple, with a minimum number of joints and the possibility of the isolation of complex configuration of nodes;
• important maintainability of insulation and the possibility of repeated use;
• the material must be resistant to external impact, mechanical, chemical and weather, as well as a sharp drop in temperature.

What heaters fit these requirements? There are several options that are perfect for thermal insulation of pipes: the mineral materials, thermal insulation of the expanded materials and some bulk and liquid substances capable of performing similar tasks.

Forms of insulation for pipes and their features

Consider the basic options heat insulations which are most effective for warming sewage systems, heating and plumbing.

mineral materials

Fiberglass or rock wool perfectly retain heat. If we compare these two types of insulation, the stone wool wins insulating properties. It can withstand temperatures up to 700 ° C and perfectly keeps its shape even under mechanical stress. This insulation is stable to aggressive chemicals and is relatively inexpensive.

But he has, and its unpleasant features. Chief among them - the ability to absorb moisture. With this process stone wool gradually loses its insulating properties. Therefore, if you stop your choice on this material, you should consider another outer layer of waterproofing to protect against water.

styrofoam insulation

Foam insulation comprises more than 50% air, in its weight, making it one of the best. Its only drawback - the fragility, which does not allow him to bend the shape of the pipe. But manufacturers have solved the problem of the release of a foam shell, which has the shape of a half-cylinder and can dress up on a pipe, like a shirt.

Such a shell can withstand the temperature swings of -110ºS to + 80 ° C degrees. If your heating tube heated to a higher temperature, it is necessary to lay a membrane between cork and foam.

Such a heater does not support combustion, and can be used more than once.

An improved embodiment is penoplex shell which with a smaller thickness has better thermal insulation properties. Penoplex more elastic, so that it may bend a little if necessary.

liquid Penoizol

This material is applied by spraying and is used more often for pipe insulation in industrial premises. After this treatment, the tube lies entirely under the insulating layer, without the formation of cold bridges. In this way conveniently isolating tubes of complex configuration. Cost services for spraying cheap. In the context of the private home ownership analogue of such insulation may be ordinary foam.

polyethylene foam

Polyethylene - a rather durable material, good abrasion resistance. This type of insulation is not afraid of moisture and protects the metal pipes from corrosion damage. Operating temperature range - 90 ° C to + -60ºS. Polyethylene foam long resists fire, but if it burns, it does not emit toxins.

Price polyethylene foam is much lower, for example, polyurethane. Thermal insulation for pipes made of this material is available in the form of hollow cylinders of a length of 200 cm and a wall thickness up to 20 mm.

To put on a cylinder tube, it is cut along incision and then sealed with tape. The web material simply wrap the pipe.

foil penofol

Foil insulation - modern and popular form of insulation, easy to install and efficient in operation. Foiled penofolom possible, including insulated and pipes. Its release in rolls and hollow cylinders.

Energoflex

This type of insulation is flexible. In fact, Energoflex - a kind of high-pressure polyethylene foam. This material can be used outdoors. He is not afraid of water and can withstand temperatures of up to + 90 ° C -60ºS.

Available in rolls and hollow cylinders.

The disadvantage is considered Energoflex its susceptibility to direct UV.

Thermal insulation dyes

This is a relatively new type of insulation, which is usually applied by brush or roller. The thickness of the resulting layer is minimal, and the thermal insulation effect is quite high. The price of such paints "bite", and the secret of their manufacture vigilantly kept by manufacturers. It is only known that a heat insulating effect is present due to the presence of the microspheres with the air in the paint composition. Such a coating can replace pyatisantimetrovym layer of mineral wool.

Loose insulation

Besides the above materials, pipes in the ground traditionally insulated expanded clay. A layer of this material is capable of efficiently and retain heat for a long time. To insulation is not mixed with the ground, it is placed together with the pipes in a box of boards or concrete shell.

Insulation for pipes: how to make a choice

The choice of insulation depends on three main factors: the location of the pipeline, the installation features and cost. In principle, any of the above insulation is easy to install their own hands.

To save pipes from overheating outside use foil insulation. At a cost of the most expensive material is mineral wool, and the cheapest - polyethylene foam.

In the case where the wrap tube heat insulator does not work due to their complicated structure or arrangement - is logical to use thermal paint.

For the heating system

Heating systems use insulation materials, which can be operated in contact with high-temperature objects. These include mineral wool, polyurethane foam and penoplex.

for water

For warming water supply are two important conditions: maximum heat retention and corrosion protection. Most suitable for this purpose polyurethane foam, which is applied in a liquid state, and insulating paint. Both of these variants eliminates condensation and protect the pipe from rust.

sewer

Sewer pipes with a slope or insufficient extending less than half a meter from the ground surface is required to insulate. This will require materials, non-absorbent and resistant to mechanical stress.

As a self-install the insulation on the pipes

Installation of thermal insulation on the pipe - a fairly simple problem to solve it by force, even a novice. Here is a small video on this subject which will help to quickly understand the process:

Some nuances of installation in special conditions

For effective insulation pipes highways should follow a few simple guidelines:

• with insulation in unheated rooms it is important to eliminate cold bridges;
• in wet areas should be used on top of the insulation vapor barrier;
• greatly facilitate the work of assembling a heater with a self-adhesive layer;
• to eliminate the small flaws in the installation, use the additional winding and the reinforcing tape;
• Pick carefully rigid insulation - they must correspond exactly to the diameter of the pipe.

What do you insulated pipes in your house? Write about it in the comments!