pipe insulation

John_141

I went to HD today to get a few lengths to see how the process goes and they dindt have the sizes i needed. Now, either they arent well stocked or i didnt measure my pipes right. I measured the mains at 3.5" across, does this sound right? HD had 4", but no 3.5...the riser pipes on my system vary from 1.25 to 1.5" across...

John_141

pipe insulation and vents - WTB

where's the best, least expensive, place to get the fibergalss pipe insulation. my home depot was chargin like 10.00 per piece, i need quite a lot...

also, what about vents for the mains and radiators. on some of mine i have vari-vents by heat timer, others have the maid-o-mist circular ones. I have fixed vents on the mains, but was wondering is there a "best" brand and type of vent for the radiators and the mains that can be purchased online?

Rik

Best I could find

I had a section of steam main replaced this summer and needed to insulate portions of our steam system. I looked around for quite a while, both online and at supply shops (none of which actually carry any fiberglass pipe insulation around me, said it had been 5 years since they last sold some.) I found a couple sites online that do sell it:
www.expressinsulation.com
www.statesupply.com

You can probably find other sites. I ended up going with expressinsulation. They had the best prices I could find (their prices listed are for 3' long sections), they offer 1/2", 1", 1-1'2", and 2" thicknesses (I went with 2" for the header, 1.5" for the mains, 1" for the beginning of the returns.) Also pick up rolls of the ASJ tape from them for linking sections and wrapping connections. They shipped the order fairly quickly and didn't seem to have any issue selling to a homeowner in small quantities. I found searching online for "ASJ tape" was the most successful way to find other sites... some only sold by the case, which might be OK in your situation, I only needed a couple pieces each of several sizes.

John_141

thanks...

i checked those sites, its still quite expensive, now i know why the previous owners never insulated the pipes. theres about 80 feet of main pipes and about 40 feet of riser tubes that are worth insulating. I guess i could cut back onthe 80 feet so that the playroom area of thge basemnt gets soem of the residual heat...this is an expensive endeavor

Timco

It's worth it. This is a thermal pic of a 3" insulated main comming off a 3" uninsulated header. You can barely see the main going up. It is insulated with 1" thick fiberglass material.

Tim

David Nadle

buyinsulationproducts.com

I had a good experience with them. Best prices I could find. You might want to search locally because the insulation ships in large boxes and shipping is a significant fraction of the total cost.

Al Corelli_2

Expense.

I'd say it would be more expensive NOT to insulate.

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

Eric Tardif

Regular wall insulation is fine.

I've wrapped my steam pipes with leftover fiberglass wall insulation and the difference was night and day in savings. Good price, too.

Couderay

Insulation

I purchase pipe insulation from an insulating contractor here in the Chicago land area. Cheaper than the supply houses. Try the yellow pages and ask for sales.

Al Roethlisberger

Which kind, fiberglass or closed-cell?


So, most of the vendors have both the fiberglass insulation with a vinyl or coated paper vapor barrier, or the rubber/EPDM closed cell insulation.

Which works better or is preferred, the fiberglass or "rubber" pipe insulation for a hot water heating system?

Thanks
Al

Couderay

Depends on the temp

Personally I like fiberglass on my hot water heat and foam on my potable water,both hot and cold as I have a well and the lines sweat bad in the summer. If you are using a mod /con with 140* water Im sure the foam would work.

Unknown

Joe, which insulation contractor?

Joe, which insulation contractor from chicagoland? I find some supply houses don't carry them and one well known supply one always screwed up the orders and prices. So I resorted to Mc Master and Carr company. They take small orders and shipped in same day..

Couderay

pipe insulation

The two contractors I use is Early insulation and M&O insulation. There prices are excellent and usually in stock.

Mark_97

pipe insulation

I went w/ 1" insulation for the 2" main in the basment, but the 2" main which extends into the unheated crawl space I used 2" thick fiberglass insulation. For a price comparison, HomeDepot had 1/2" thick fiberglass insulation for ~$7 for a 3' section for the 2" main, I bought 2" thick insulation for the same length, 3 feet, for the 2" main from ExpressInsulation.com for ~$5 a length and that was a delivered price. Best prices I could find. Good luck.

mark

David Nadle

insulation arcana

John, 3.5" outside diameter is 3" pipe. Insulation labeled 3" will fit. Your risers are probably 1 1/4" (1.66" o.d.) or 1 1/2" (1.9" o.d.). 1" pipe has a 1.315" o.d.

I recommend you find a source for thicker insulation, at least 1". The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers "requires" 2" insulation on 3" pipe. In my (non-professional) opinion, 1" is the best bang for the buck.

John_141

Insulating in sections

all the mains and risers in my system are exposed in the basement. Is it OK to leave some sections of the mains un-insulated to get some residual heat to keep the rooms down there warm? there is a playroom, workshop and laundry room down there that are used frequently. I was thinking that the 1st 10-15 feet of the main in the playroom which is right off the boiler room, would be enough to warm the playroom. The main splits into to sections, one in the front of the house and one along the rear. The one in the front i will insulate entirely, but i wanted to leave soem sections of the other open to get some of the heat...is this a bad idea?

Couderay

Bare pipe

No not all