Insulation ffor steam pipes

M. Watkins

Do I inulate pipes coming out of hte boiler and also the vertical pipes that go down to the basement floor and I have copper pipes that were installed when we had cast iron baseboard radiators installed. should all these pipes be insulated???????? THANKS, M. WATKINS

M. Watkins

Insulation of steam pipes

Do I inulate pipes coming out of hte boiler and also the vertical pipes that go down to the basement floor and I have copper pipes that were installed when we had cast iron baseboard radiators installed. should all these pipes be insulated???????? THANKS, M. WATKINS

M. Watkins

Insulation of steam pipes

Do I inulate pipes coming out of hte boiler and also the vertical pipes that go down to the basement floor and I have copper pipes that were installed when we had cast iron baseboard radiators installed. should all these pipes be insulated???????? THANKS, M. WATKINS

Brad White_203

Yes

Brad White_203

Yes

Brad White_203

Yes

Unknown

Where to insulate?

Hi Brad -
I'm new to single pipe steam and have a few questions on insulation. I understand the need for insulation on the steam side(headers and mains).What I'm not clear on is the return side.
Should the return line (main to boiler) be insulated?

What about the equalizer line? Should it be insulated all the way down to the connection goes back into the boiler or just to where the return line is connected?

I guess what I'm not clear`on whether or not it's beneficial to have more cooling (no insulation) on the return line to help condensing/movement of the steam.
Thanks for all your input and that of others on this board. It's really appreciated!

Brad White_202

Rod

I would insulate all of it, especially the near-boiler piping and supply mains (priority one if you are doing this on progressive weekends), followed by the returns and lastly, the fussy part, the fittings.

If the piping is between 1.5" and 4" (most small systems use 2" for mains), 2" thickness is called for in most model energy codes that I know of. For returns, at least one inch. Now, as a practical matter, energy codes in retrofits are rather self-policing, so do it right if at all possible. If you must cut back, use at least one inch thickness. Stay away from that half-inch stuff in the big box stores.

The prime benefit to insulating the returns is to keep it hot to retard CO2 reabsorption which can create carbonic acid. That said, many bare systems have lasted for years.

You may also want to leave a tell-tale section bare at the end if your main/beginning of the return, to time the flow. But in the end, insulation pays, especially that first inch.

My $0.02

Brad

Unknown

Brad

Thanks! Really appreciate your advice!