Insulate pipes?!

adambuild

I am servicing a residential steam system that has no pipe insulation anywhere. I'd like to install fiberglass insulation on the steam main but don't know from what point to start: Immediately on the vertical steam main pipe(s) that exit the boiler? Higher up where they become horizontal? And why?!

Jason

why aren't the boiler risers ever insulated?

I always wonder where and why people start to insulate the pipes. Of all the photos I've seen on the wall, I can't recall any that have the piping immediately above the boiler insulated. My system seems to radiate alot fo heat into the basement from these pipes. So I insulated them as well as any other pipes I found uninsulated. Don't know if this was the right thing to do or not though. I'm only on chapter 4 of lost art. Maybe I'll know the answer when I'm done.

Dave_23

Insulate pipes

I recently installed a new boiler. Initially, I didn't insulate the near boiler piping. Man, did my boiler room and basement get hot. I subsequently insulated my near boiler piping with fiberglass pipe wrap and things cooled down to the point that I can now work in the boiler room while it's firing.

In fact, my basement got so hot that it upset the overall heat balance in the house (basement/first floor too hot, second floor too cool). After insulating the pipe, the heat balance in the house returned to normal.

Besides, why waste all the heat from the near boiler piping? I recommend insulating your pipe.

-Dave

butch

Re-insulating steam pipes!!!!

When we remove remove asbestos pipe covering--we urge the customer to re-insulate the pipes so the hot steam won't condense back to water before reaching the upstairs radiators--makes a BIG DIFFERENCE!!!!