Advice on insulating 90* Elbows on 3\" steam pipes

c.t.kay

call an insulation supplier and ask for smothe-kote and light weight cheese cloth. this is similar to the old asbestos mixture. mix it up in a 5 gal. bucket , put it on the fittings, wrap it with cheese cloth ,let it dry and paint.try general insulation co.they have branches across the country.

Steve Garson

Advice on insulating 90* Elbows on 3\" steam pipes

I am at the last stage of my new steam boiler installation. Today, I starting applying 1-inch fiberglas pipe insulation. I expected to simply use a miter box to cut 45* ends to mate at the corners, but the curve of the 3-inch insulation is such that it doesn't work. So I have run the insulation to the elbow edge. How should I finish this? I was planning on getting some rolls of 1/2-inch fiberglass and putting on a 1-inch layer and then covering it with the reflective duct tape. From an appearance perspective, I would prefer white to match the pre-formed insulation on the straight runs.

How do you steam pros do this, without spending the big bucks on preformed elbows. Or is that the way?

Steamhead

There are a couple ways to do this

Many installers use preformed plastic shells with fiberglass wrap underneath. But I've found if this isn't done just right, the shells will melt.

Another way is to use oversized pipe insulation that will fit your fittings, and use your miter.

In many cases there aren't that many fittings, and the metal in fittings is much thicker than pipe, so you might be able to get away with not insulating the fittings. In this case, you could always change your mind later!

Ken_8

We use

the plastic elbow "covers" like Steamhead suggests. There's a paste-like canned product that is sort of a Paint, sealant and glue that comes in handy. It has the consistency of heavy cream and is the same color (white). If you use square cut butt ends up to the shoulders of the tees and ells, by "painting" the sealant/glue on the exposed butt ends, the open yellow fiberglass will not be be exposed, which would allow minute fiberglass fibers to continuously shed from the open end - and the white kraft wrap and yellow ends become the same color, white - making the job look and perform better.

To actually do it properly requires buying the loose fiberglass strips and plastic elbows and tees that are designed specifically for the task and usually with a small "tack" or "staple" to assure the plastic covering does not become undone over time. When you buy the plastic cover(s), they give you adequate fiberglass strips to match the size and quantity of the covers you order.

Get a small can of the white seal/glue/paint stuff for the butt ends and to "hold" the loose fiberglass "strips" used to fill and insulate the plastic elbow covers in place and you'll be amazed at how well it works and looks. It dries to a sort of plaster of paris stiffness, sealing the joint and making flaking or shifting with time unlikely.

Considering the surface area of a 2, 3, or 4 inch elbow or tee, it is a no brainer to do it right. Insulate everything!

So, doing the fittings has five benefits:
1) increase the performance of the system

2) reduced possibilities of water hammer from cold/cool points in the piping

3) Reduce acoustical output by sound deadining ALL the pipework - not just the straight runs

4) The job will look very professional - and,

5) When people run around the basement and forget to duck under an elbow, instead of banging your head on a 3" cast iron ell and getting knocked out, you'll bounce off a soft plastic and fiberglass "cushion" (;-o)

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

tls_9

Yes

what ken & steam head said.

heres a pic of what there talking about.

if you cant find it locally, try :

http://www.statesupply.com