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Owens Corning fiberglass pipe insulation vs others?

Frank_the_Tank
Frank_the_Tank Member Posts: 20
in THE MAIN WALL
Hello Wall,

Does anyone have experience with 3' length fiberglass pipe insulation with ASJ from Owens Corning, Johns Manville, or Knauf (Manson Insulation)? I'm getting ready to buy about 80 feet for my steam mains and have priced it out on:

buyinsulationproducts.com - supplies Owens Corning - Cost is 13% more than expressinsulation.com

expressinsulation.com - supplies Knauf

Wondering if the Owens Corning product is vastly superior or easier to install than the Knauf product and therefore worth the extra 13% cost. Owens Corning supposedly has this new ASJ called ASJ-Max which is more water resistant than the old one.

I'm in Cleveland, OH, so if anyone knows any local suppliers where I could perhaps just pick this stuff up and save shipping, that would be helpful.

Thanks!

Comments

  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 16,231
    edited January 2016
    Buyinsulationproducts.com seems to switch from time to time.
    My first batch from them was 100% Knauf Earthwool (brown in color, not typical yellow) and I liked it fine. I think the second buy later on was Owens Corning and honestly, besides being a different color I didn't really notice a difference.

    The Knauf Earthwool's outer jacket may be more durable, I can't remember.

    Either way, if I was to choose, i'd probably go Knauf but both are good products.


    One thing I'd recommend that I wish I had done.
    I used 1" on everything because I couldn't fit 2" in some places. If I could do it over, I'd do 2" wherever I could fit it in colder places like my crawlspaces and I'd stick to 1" in the basement area. Many argue whether or not it's worth it, but this is the route I'd likely go if I had to do mine over.

    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • Frank_the_Tank
    Frank_the_Tank Member Posts: 20
    edited January 2016
    @ChrisJ, thanks for the info. This is mostly going in my boiler room in the basement, which I had professionally stripped of asbestos in preparation for a future (hopefully not soon) boiler replacement. The basement is fairly tight aside from the air vents to the outside I installed for make-up air. I can definitely see where 2'' makes sense in a crawlspace. As the delta-T between the pipe and the ambient air increases, so does the heat loss.

    There was also a 1'' asbestos jacket on the old coal steamer that every plumber said needed to be removed prior to working on / removing the 4'' piping and massive valves above it.
    ChrisJ
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 16,231
    Are you still using the old coal boiler?
    If so I'd do something to insulate it. If the area is fairly tight and the ceiling above is below a conditioned space 1" is plenty.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • Frank_the_Tank
    Frank_the_Tank Member Posts: 20
    No, the coal boiler was decommissioned some time ago. Perhaps in the 80's when the current WM gas boiler was installed. Whenever it's time to replace the WM, I'll disconnect the coal boiler completely. The wet return is already disconnected from it, but the steam riser is only isolated from active steam by an ancient valve. The flue is still tied into the chimney but is closed.

    Figure I'll leave it down there as as museum-type piece. Not doing any harm and I'm not hurting for space down there.

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