Thermal insulation for heating pipes in the open air and in the apartment: characteristics, dimensions

Any pipeline located outside the premises requires warming. Exceptions are the mains, which are laid below the depth of freezing. It also requires thermal insulation for a pipe located in an unheated room. Warming allows increasing the functionality of communication lines and prolonging their service life. Using a high-quality insulation for pipes, it is possible to reliably protect them from freezing, reduce heat losses in heating systems and prevent the formation of condensation.

Why heat pipes?

Properly executed heat insulation allows:

• Reduce in the heating pipes unnecessary and unplanned heat losses.
• Minimize the possibility of condensation on the surface of the pipes and inside the insulator.
• Provide a certain temperature on top of the insulator.
• Increase the operational period of the pipes by slowing the formation of rust.
• Protect polypropylene and metal-plastic pipes and pipes from mechanical damage.
• Thermal insulation for heating pipes outdoors retains heat and prevents frost in the winter.

How to choose the right material?

As a rule, the choice is based on the following criteria:

• Diameter of the pipe;
• The price of thermal insulation;
• Under what conditions will the operation take place;
• Length of the pipeline;
• Performance requirements.

What kind of insulation is used for pipes?

The choice of material for thermal insulation depends, as a rule, on the purpose of the pipeline, the diameter of the pipes and the operating conditions. Material for insulation must possess:

• Increased heat savings;
• Low thermal conductivity;
• Fire resistance;
• Resistance to external adverse effects;
• Simplicity of installation - for those who wish to conduct insulation by themselves, this is an important characteristic;
• Water resistance;
• Durability.

For proper heating in the house you need not only to purchase pipes and other elements, but also to ensure their functionality. So, in order to ensure that communications are not thawed out under the influence of low temperatures, it is necessary in advance to buy a quality heater for heating pipes. Today the variety of materials for thermal insulation is huge, but before you decide on the final choice, you should familiarize yourself with their quality characteristics.

Most often, the insulation for the pipe is made of such materials:

• Polyethylene foam (expanded polyethylene).
• Foamed rubber.
• Polyurethane foam.
• Mineral wool.

Thermal insulation is also available in the form of basalt cylinders.

Polyethylene foam (expanded polyethylene)

At present, with the heating device, the thermal insulation for the polyethylene foam pipe is widely used. By the quality / price ratio is the best choice. Thermal insulation of foamed polyethylene is produced in 2 main types:

• Two-meter tubes;
• Canvas.

The material can have a protective coating of polyethylene, aluminum foil, etc.

Polyethylene foam insulation for pipes characteristics is as follows:

- Coefficient of thermal conductivity (at 40 degrees C) - 0.043 W / m * K.

- Coefficient of vapor diffusion resistance -> 3000.

- Temperature range (working): -80 to +95 deg.

- Group of flammability - difficult combustible materials (G1 and G2).

- Scope of application - heating, ventilation and sewage systems.

- Delivery - in the form of a tube.

This thermal insulation for pipes dimensions is as follows: the thickness of the walls is from 6 to 30 mm, the diameter is 6-160 mm.

The price range is very large. The cost of pipe insulation of Chinese production is 5-7 times less than the European one, however, the quality is much inferior.

Such foamed heat insulation for pipes is easy to install. You just need to cut off the necessary strip, wrap it and fix it with adhesive tape.

Foamed rubber

According to its performance characteristics, the thermal insulation for a pipe made of synthetic foamed rubber is significantly superior to all other types. But its cost is higher. Because this type of insulation for the pipe is most often used in the most responsible engineering systems, requiring resistance to very low or high temperature, ultraviolet radiation, fire, etc.

The main performance characteristics of this material:

- Coefficient of thermal conductivity at 40 degrees. Is 0.038 W / m * K.

- Temperature range (working): -80 to +95 deg.

- Material flammability group - G1.

- Scope of application - air-conditioning and refrigeration systems.

- Delivery - in the form of a tube, the diameter of which is 6-160 mm, the thickness of the material wall is 6-32 mm.

- The material is resistant to ultraviolet rays.

Liquid (sprayed and paint) insulators

This is a relatively new material in the construction industry. There are two main types of liquid insulators:

1. Sprayed . On the surface they are applied by spraying, using special devices (for example - PPU).
2. Coloring . They are applied to the surface like ordinary paint with a roller or brush.

Both options have a significant advantage: insulators can be used where the use of roll insulation is impossible or difficult.

Polyurethane foam

Foam polyurethane half-cylinders (PPU shells) are rigid insulation intended for insulation of pipes. It is possible to cover different types of waterproofing - it's glassine, foil, foamed parchment FPGA, polyethylene film, etc. One of the main advantages of this type of insulation is the ease of installation. For a working day a team of 2 people can cover 300 m. And more.

Material characteristics:

- The coefficient of thermal conductivity is 0.035 W / m * K.

- Temperature range (working): from -150 to +120 deg.

- Material flammability group - G3.

- Field of application of polyurethane foam - heating system and hot water supply.

- Deliveries are semi-cylinders.

- The size for a diameter of 32-1020 mm is: wall thickness - 40 mm (or under the order), length - 1-1,5 m.

Penoizol

This material is characterized by sufficiently high heat engineering characteristics. It is used, as a rule, on an industrial scale, since for its application to the pipe a special atomizing plant is needed.

Penoizol is a multi-component liquid mixture, deposited by spraying. When the material solidifies, a sealed envelope forms around the pipe, which practically does not pass heat.

It is worth saying that such a material is not cheap.

Mineral and fiberglass wool

This is the most democratic material for price, produced in rolls and plates.

It is best to use the roll form of insulation. The material is easy to install (it is necessary to wrap the tube in several layers and bond the structure with a knitting wire), as well as the possibility of application for pipes of different diameters.

Thermal insulation for pipes in the open air by means of it is carried out by winding and subsequent fastening by synthetic whisk or stainless wire.

It is important to remember that the material of this kind should be covered and a layer of waterproofing. On the street it will save him from getting wet and losing properties, and in the room will save the presence of air in the air microparticles of the material.

Thermotechnical 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 batteries in the room. The sections of the heating network located in rooms where comfort temperature is maintained also do not require isolation.

Use the heater should be in those areas of heating, which are laid in rooms where the room temperature is not maintained (for example, in the basement).

Thermal insulation for heating pipes in the open air and in the apartment is represented on the building materials market by both domestic and European and Russian manufacturers.

Choose what to insulate the heating pipes, is from what. First of all, take into account the thermal characteristics, then simplify its installation.

Only in the last turn, pay attention to the cost of insulation, because this is how you can evaluate the effectiveness of each invested in the insulation of the ruble. Cheap, but low-quality material can be unsuitable and inefficient, and instead of the expected savings will bring only disappointment and attendant problems.