Pipe Insulation FAQ's | Frequently Asked Questions
Pipe Insulation FAQ's | Frequently Asked Questions
Pipe Insulation FAQ's
You can find more information on our web, so please take a look.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best insulation for pipes?
It's subjective but any good quality lagging will save energy compared to a bare pipe and the thicker the insulation you use the better although the biggest difference will be to put something on in the first place. If a product has a thermal conductivity of 0.035/w.mK or better (lower) you know it is good quality.
Is it worth insulating hot water or central heating pipes?
Yes, absolutely. If your hot water pipes are not insulated then heat will be escaping from the surface and you are wasting energy, which is wasting money. Even as little as 9mm will dramatically reduce heat loss and likely pay for itself in a matter of months. It's easy to do it yourself as well!
Will insulating pipes keep them from freezing?
Yes, providing that you use the correct thickness of insulation. Generally speaking the smaller your pipe is the higher the risk of it freezing as a smaller volume of water takes less time to freeze. Therefore, the smaller the pipe the thicker the insulation you require in order to minimize the risk of frost burst.
Water Bylaw 49 Frost Protection
Assuming "Extreme" Conditions of up to 12 hours down to -6°C without use
Outside Diameter of Pipe Thickness of Insulation
15 - 25
22 - 19
28 - 19
34 - 13
42 - 9
54 - 9
76 - 9
What is the best insulation for winter / cold weather?
As you know what thickness you need it is worth thinking about the best product ' Climaflex or Tubolit are great options. These are polyethylene pipe insulations and as such cheap and easy to install ' they are either fully split or semi split so easy to install. They are best fixed with tape or glue, NEVER cable ties.
Should copper pipes be insulated?
Yes, you want cold pipes to stay cold and hot pipes to stay hot - by insulating you are limiting heat transfer between the pipe itself and the ambient environment. A cold pipe in a warm room it will gain heat but if you insulate it then this will greatly reduce the rate of transfer.
Should plumbers insulate pipes?
Plumbers do generally insulate pipework as it is good practice but it is not necessarily compulsory. Whether a plumber or anybody else is required to insulate a pipe is dependent on there being a specification - for example some boiler manufacturers may require the condensate overflow pipe to be properly lagged to prevent freezing in winter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best insulation for pipes?
It's subjective but any good quality lagging will save energy compared to a bare pipe and the thicker the insulation you use the better although the biggest difference will be to put something on in the first place. If a product has a thermal conductivity of 0.035/w.mK or better (lower) you know it is good quality. The best pipe insulation is always the one that is right for your application but installing it properly so there aren't any gaps makes almost as much of a difference as insulating alone in many cases.
Is it worth insulating hot water or central heating pipes?
Yes, absolutely. If your hot water pipes are not insulated then heat will be escaping from the surface and you are wasting energy, which is wasting money. Even as little as 9mm will dramatically reduce heat loss and likely pay for itself in a matter of months. It's easy to do it yourself as well!
Will insulating pipes keep them from freezing?
Almost always yes, providing that you use the correct thickness of insulation. Generally speaking the smaller your pipe is the higher the risk of it freezing as a smaller volume of water takes less time to freeze. Therefore, the smaller the pipe the thicker the insulation you require in order to minimize the risk of frost burst. If a pipe is very small and you do not use enough insulation then you can still have a problem, on small bore pipes it may be worth considering a heat trace in addition to the insulation.
How do I stop pipes from sweating?
Goto Langfang Clear Chemical to know more.
Lagging for condensation control is quite straight forward once you understand the basics; a cold pipe running through a warm space is the most common culprit for this. The heat difference combined with what is usually a metal pipe means that you get water forming on the surface of the pipes that is generally known as sweating. A shiny metal has a "Low Emissivity" surface - a good example of this is when you have a shower and your mirror mists up as this is caused by the same process.
All you have to do is use a suitable nitrile rubber pipe insulation (without any kind of facing as this changes the surface coefficient) which has a "High Emissivity" surface. For most domestic applications 9mm or 13mm will suffice provided it is not a very humid environment, if it is you may which to use a little more. It is very important that you use a suitable adhesive to seal your butt joints although materials like K Flex are pre split and self adhesive pipe insulation so quicker to install.
Water Bylaw 49 Frost Protection Thicknesses
Based on "Extreme" Conditions (up to 12 hours down to -6°C without movement of water) then you will need to use the following thicknesses of insulation for each pipe size given to prevent freezing.
Outside Diameter of Pipe / Thickness of Insulation
15 - 25
22 - 19
28 - 19
34 - 13
42 - 9
54 - 9
76 - 9
What is the best insulation for winter / cold weather?
As you know what thickness you need it is worth thinking about the best product ' Climaflex or Tubolit are great options. These are polyethylene pipe insulations and as such cheap and easy to install ' they are either fully split or semi split so easy to install. They are best fixed with tape or glue, NEVER cable ties.
Should copper pipes be insulated?
Yes, you want cold pipes to stay cold and hot pipes to stay hot - by insulating you are limiting heat transfer between the pipe itself and the ambient environment. A cold pipe in a warm room it will gain heat but if you insulate it then this will greatly reduce the rate of transfer.
Should plumbers insulate pipes?
Plumbers do generally insulate pipework as it is good practice but it is not necessarily compulsory. Whether a plumber or anybody else is required to insulate a pipe is dependent on there being a specification - for example some boiler manufacturers may require the condensate overflow pipe to be properly lagged to prevent freezing in winter.
Have a question we haven't answered here? Let us know in the comments
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Phenolic Pipe Insulation.
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