After any heating system installation, insulation of outdoor or unheated pipework is crucial. It's not enough to just provide heat to a building. It's essential to do so without heat loss. Furthermore, the better the pipe is insulated, the more cost-effective the subsequent use of the heating system will be.
There are many methods and materials used for insulation. Here are some of them:
Heating Pipe Insulation – What You Need to Know
- Mineral wool. This is mostly used on an industrial scale for insulating large-diameter pipes, but this material has also proven effective in smaller households. There are rolled mats of various thicknesses and lengths, but the width is always the same – 120 cm. Mineral wool is good because all layers are stitched together lengthwise and do not fall apart. Its resistance to moisture is also considered an advantage, as the wool is impregnated with an oil solution. There are two types of this insulation: basalt fibre and glass fibre.
- Foamed polyurethane. An excellent insulating material with a rigid plastic exterior casing and an equally rigid foam filling inside. This type of insulation cannot be purchased separately from the pipe, as it is not sold in rolls or sheets. The casing is manufactured in a factory, where pipes are covered with the insulation, all on an industrial scale. The design of this material allows for the pipeline to be installed directly into the ground without any additional ducting.
- In domestic conditions, basements, and rooms without aggressive environments, foamed polyethylene is used to insulate pipes. It's an excellent substitute for glass wool, with similar properties. It is cylindrical with a lengthwise cut and comes in various diameters. Installation is simple; they are simply placed onto the pipes and secured with tape.
So, in summary, when choosing pipe insulation material, you should consider a few factors:
- Where the work will be carried out;
- What the pipe diameter is;
- What level of work efficiency is required, specifically: the cost-benefit ratio.
Clearly, a foamed polyurethane pipe is significantly more expensive than mineral wool, but its condition/durability during use covers all costs. On the other hand, if only a small section needs insulating, there's no point in buying expensive materials.