Asbestos on pipes?

elfie

saw some stuff on some old steam pipes that might be asbestos



might this be asbestos and if it is, is it a big deal?



thanks

ChrisJ

Maybe

As far as it being a big deal, in my opinion no.  I would just throw fiberglass insulation over it and call it a day. 



Perhaps some pros have a better way to deal with it, vacuum it up with a vacuum equipped with a hepa filter?

elfie

asbestos?

does it look like asbestos?



what about dust in area when stuff was removed? 



so leaving it as is may not be the best course of action  - its in an areas that people can walk around and rub there hands on the stuff

ChrisJ

Don't know

I'm a homeowner, not a pro and not a doctor.



But I can tell you my OPINION is asbestos is not some kind of radioactive biohazard. I believe people typically became ill after inhaling large quantities of it over a long period of time.



Not sure if it looks like it or not, hard to tell from the picture.

rcrit

only one fibre

It only takes one fiber to lodge in your lungs to cause cancer. Big exposure just increases the chances. Then again as long as you leave it alone it may be fine. It is often only a hazard when disturbed.



I would not recommend messing with this yourself. I got a small amount removed by a professional for just a few hundred dollars. They may not need to do a full encapsulation, it wasn't needed in my case.

BobC

i agree

We are not talking about removing fuel from a damaged reactor, if you know what you are doing and you take the proper precautions this does not call for men in hepa equipped white decontamination suits. Many years ago they discovered a three foot cube of asbestos on an old naval air station (closed for 30+ years) about a mile from where i live. They spent untold thousands of dollars on that when all they had to do was to dig a large hole and bury it so no idiot could play with it.



This is only my opinion and i would recommend it not be done by a young person but by someone old enough to use due caution.



A single fiber can cause untold damage just like a single aircraft falling out of the sky on your house can.



Bob

JohnL_2

Be Careful

I agree with rcrit.  It only takes one fiber, and it also takes 10-20 years for the symptoms to start showing, so you can be exposed today and findout you are sick 10 years from now.  If the pipes are pre 1970s, they were most likely insulated with asbestos at one time or another.  Whatever you do, be careful, wear a respirator if you are going to disturb the material.