More on steam pipe insulation

PEvans

HeatingHelp just email blasted the "Importance of Insulation in Steam Heating Systems" excerpt from Dan's steam seminar again, which reminded me:

I insulated one of my steam mains with white sheathed fiberglass insulation from Home Depot. The outcome was wholly unsatisfactory. The self-sealing adhesive came loose in days and the sheathing fell off in weeks. So now I have naked fiberglass on the pipes and the sheathing lying all over the basement floor.

Is the Owens-Corning insulation from, say, buyinsulationproducts.com, any different? Should I have used some sort of special tape to close the sections around the pipe? Did I commit some other user error?

Waher

Yes the US made insulation from that website is substantially better. The vinyl coated service jacket, thickness of insulation, and quality of the glue is night and day compared to the HD stuff. You didn’t do anything wrong. The HD insulation is just not a good product.

Big Ed_4

You want to insulate your steam mains and risers .In the original design ….

Waher

if you want to keep the HD stuff you could staple the paper service jackets back into the fiber at the paper jacket lap. When fiberglass insulation started being used in the 1940s that’s how it was done before double stick tape came into use.

You could also use ASJ All Service Jacket tape to stick it back together or cover it with Zeston pvc jackets. That last option (Zeston) will cost more than buying proper new US made insulation.

Zeston is usually used over nasty paper jacketed pipe insulation to encapsulate if it is not being replaced or in exterior/wet/food service areas to contain fiberglass fibers in a jacket that is cleanable and waterproof.

pecmsg

Everything Home Cheapo and Blows is bottom of the line!

PC7060

aluminum duct tape is a good way to reseal insulation jacket that loosened up. Wrap strips around every 2’ and then apply strip to seal seam across entire length.

And yes, the quality of the buy insulationonline site is quiet good

clammy

Mim 1 inch wall thickness anything less for steam heating is a waste of money and your kidding yourself that you did something and the result are usually unsatisfactory as you see. I will say the stuff at the depo is a complete waste of money and is 3/8 wall totally useless and not cheap and a rip off. I,ve seen every garbage attempt of insulating w all type of stuff aside from the proper material ( which in reality is not expensive ) and all always fall short of getting it right and getting proper results . As stated done properly w 1 inch wall thickness fiberglass pipe insulation and installed properly which may be easier or harder then you think will give the results that are expected . As another should have done is before hand is checking that all mains and run outs are properly supported and pitch correctly , Also a extra roll of white reinforced scrim tape and remember to wipe w a slightly damp paper towel before trying to tape other wise the self adhesive tape generally unpeels and will never seal due to all the fiber glass particles. Or better yet find a insulating company who specialize in such work . That being said most guys just hate fiber glass insulation weather its on piping or your wrapping ducts all complain about being itchy and such but unfortunately ladies that what it takes for it to be done correctly ,even though some generally think steam mains don t need insulation ?

peace and good luck clammy

PEvans

All, this is very helpful. It sounds like the buyinsulationproducts.com stuff is not just the same crap as HD, and if I want to retain what I have put in already there are some ways.

Intplm.

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1833850#Comment_1833850

Any insulation that has a sticking/taping adhesive on it will fail after a short time. Especially when it has been sitting on a shelf at one of the big box stores. Those items , shall I say, are fondled constantly and can loose there integrity much faster then a more reputable brand mentioned above.

I would purchase a roll of the insulations white tape when installing this type of insulation to help re-enforce the joints when you install the next batch.

RTW

Dear Poster:

Quote:

"I insulated one of my steam mains with white sheathed fiberglass insulation from Home Depot. The outcome was wholly unsatisfactory. The self-sealing adhesive came loose in days and the sheathing fell off in weeks. So now I have naked fiberglass on the pipes and the sheathing lying all over the basement floor."

Suggestion: Have you tried to return this seemingly garbage or failed insulation to HD for credit or money back? I mean it "came loose in days" within the return policy time limit, but you did nothing to get money back?

I dont shop at Home Despot ,but seems you are not the only casualty of poor-quality products at that place and should try to return the product or at least ask. Maybe you did this and was refused, but its not in your post

All the Best,

RTW

LRCCBJ

I dont shop at Home Despot ,but seems you are not the only casualty of poor-quality products at that place and should try to return the product or at least ask.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

THIS

Long Beach Ed

The Home Depot pipe insulation is more Chinese junk. I do notice that Home Depot is now limiting returns.

LRCCBJ

 I do notice that Home Depot is now limiting returns.

I guess they don't want their junk back.😁

I hate going there………..only in emergencies.

They are so **** stupid that when you call them and tell them WHEN you will pickup an online order………..they cancel it at the original date. No change to what you specifically told them.

Quote Steamhead.