Any pipeline located outside the premises requires insulation. An exception is the trunk, which are laid below the depth of freezing. Thermal insulation is also necessary for a pipe located in an unheated room. Warming allows you to increase the functionality of communication lines and extend their service life. Using high-quality insulation for pipes allows you to reliably protect them from freezing, reduce heat loss of heating systems and prevent the formation of condensate.
Why is pipe insulation necessary?
Properly executed thermal insulation allows you to:
- Reduce unnecessary and unplanned heat losses in heating pipes.
- Minimize the possibility of condensation on the pipe surface and inside the insulator.
- Provide a certain temperature on top of the insulator.
- To increase the operational period of pipes by slowing down the formation of rust.
- Protect polypropylene and metal-plastic pipes from mechanical damage.
- Thermal insulation for heating pipes in the open air retains heat and prevents them from freezing in the winter season.
How to choose the right material?
Typically, the selection is based on the following criteria:
- pipe diameter;
- thermal insulation price;
- under what conditions will the operation occur;
- pipeline length;
- performance requirements.
What insulation is used for pipes?
The choice of material for thermal insulation depends, as a rule, on the purpose of the line, the diameter of the pipes and the operating conditions. Material for insulation should have:
- increased heat saving;
- low thermal conductivity;
- fire resistance;
- resistance to external negative influences;
- simplicity of installation - for those who wish to conduct insulation themselves, this is an important characteristic;
- water resistant
- durability.
For proper heating in the house, it is necessary not only to purchase pipes and other elements, but also to take care of ensuring their functionality. So, in order to prevent communications from defrosting under the influence of low temperatures, it is necessary in advance to buy a high-quality insulation for heating pipes. Today, the variety of materials for thermal insulation is huge, but before deciding on the final choice, you should familiarize yourself with their quality characteristics.
Most often, the thermal insulation for the pipe is made of such materials:
- Polyethylene foam (foamed polyethylene).
- Foam rubber.
- Polyurethane foam.
- Mineral wool.
Thermal insulation is also available in the form of basalt cylinders.
Polyethylene foam (foamed polyethylene)
Currently, with a heating device, thermal insulation for a pipe made of polyethylene foam is quite widely used. In terms of quality / price ratio - this is the best choice. Thermal insulation made of foamed polyethylene is produced in 2 main types:
The material may have a protective coating of polyethylene, aluminum foil, etc.
Polyethylene foam insulation for pipes has the following characteristics:
- The coefficient of thermal conductivity (at 40 degrees. C) - 0,043 W / m * K.
- The coefficient of resistance to diffusion of steam -> 3000.
- Temperature range (working): from -80 to +95 degrees.
- Combustibility group - hardly combustible materials (G1 and G2).
- Scope - heating, ventilation and sewer systems.
- Delivery - in the form of a tube.
This thermal insulation for pipes has the following dimensions : wall thickness is from 6 to 30 mm, diameter - 6-160 mm.
The price range is very large. The cost of pipe insulation in China is 5-7 times less than in Europe, but the quality is much lower.
Such foamed pipe insulation is easy to install. You just need to cut off the necessary strip, wrap and secure with tape.
Foam rubber
In terms of its performance characteristics, the thermal insulation for a synthetic foam rubber pipe significantly exceeds all other types. But its cost is higher. Therefore, this type of insulation for the pipe is most often used in the most critical engineering systems that require resistance to very low or high temperature, ultraviolet radiation, fire, etc.
The main operational characteristics of this material:
- The coefficient of thermal conductivity at 40 degrees. is 0.038 W / m * K.
- Temperature range (working): from -80 to +95 degrees.
- Combustibility group of the material - G1.
- Scope - air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
- Delivery - in the form of a tube, the diameter of which is 6-160 mm, the wall thickness of the material is 6-32 mm.
- The material is resistant to ultraviolet rays.
Liquid (sprayed and sprayed) insulators
These are relatively new materials in the construction industry. There are two main varieties of liquid insulators:
- Sprayed . They are applied to the surface by spraying using special devices (for example, polyurethane foam).
- Painting . They are applied to the surface like regular paint with a roller or brush.
Both options have a significant advantage: insulators can be used where the use of rolled types of insulation is impossible or difficult.
Polyurethane foam
Polyurethane foam half-cylinders (PPU shell) is a rigid insulation designed for pipe insulation. It is possible to cover with different types of waterproofing - it is glassine, foil, foilized glassine FPGK, plastic film, etc. One of the main advantages of this type of insulation is ease of installation. In a working day, a team of 2 people will be able to cover 300 m. P. And more.
Material Specifications:
- The coefficient of thermal conductivity is - 0.035 W / m * K.
- Temperature range (working): from -150 to +120 degrees.
- Combustibility group of the material - G3.
- The scope of the polyurethane foam - heating system and hot water supply.
- Deliveries - half cylinders.
- The size for the diameter of 32-1020 mm is: wall thickness - 40 mm (or on request), length - 1-1.5 m.
Penoizol
This material is characterized by a fairly high thermal performance. It is used, as a rule, on an industrial scale, since a special spraying installation is necessary for its application to the pipe.
Penoizol is a multi-component liquid mixture applied by spraying. When the material hardens, an airtight shell forms around the pipe, which practically does not allow heat to pass through.
It is worth saying that such material can not be called cheap.
Mineral and fiberglass wool
This is the most affordable material produced in rolls and slabs.
It is best to use a rolled type of insulation. The material is easy to install (you should wrap the pipe in several layers and fasten the structure with knitting wire), as well as the possibility of using it for pipes of different diameters.
Thermal insulation for pipes in the open air with its help is carried out by winding and subsequent fastening with synthetic twine or stainless wire.
It is important to remember that a material of this kind should be covered with a layer of waterproofing. On the street, this will save him from getting wet and loss of properties, and indoors will save him from the presence of microparticles of material in the air.
The thermal characteristics of this material are very good.
Thermal insulation for heating pipes in the apartment
It goes without saying that there is no need to cover the batteries in the room. The sections of the heating network located in rooms where a comfortable temperature is maintained also do not require insulation.
Insulation should be used in those areas of heating that are laid in rooms where room temperature is not maintained (for example, in the basement).
Thermal insulation for heating pipes in the open air and in the apartment is presented on the building materials market by both domestic, European and Russian manufacturers.
To choose how to insulate heating pipes, there are a lot of them. First of all, consider the thermal characteristics, then the simplicity of its installation.
Only in the last turn pay attention to the cost of insulation, because this is how it will be possible to evaluate the effectiveness of each ruble invested in insulation. Cheap, but low-quality material may be unsuitable and low-functional, and instead of the expected savings will bring only disappointment and related problems.