Home improvement

Why Insulate A Heating Pipe?

 

Do you want to save money on your energy bill? Start by insulating your heating pipes to limit significant heat loss. To learn more about tube and pipe insulation, follow this guide which will show you how to insulate heating pipes or tubes with ready-made thermal protective sleeves and sleeves.

Better understand energy savings through the insulation of pipes or heating tubes?

When it comes to central heating operating with a water boiler, energy saving can often be summed up in 4 words by belimo actuators: insulate the heating pipe.

Insulating Your Heating Pipe

Indeed, a significant amount of heat is lost through the roof, walls and exterior joinery of a house, hence the importance of insulation work on these structures. What you should know is that a significant amount of heat is also lost in the heating pipes that connect the boiler and the radiators.

According to the figures, 20% of the calories produced by the boiler are lost through uninsulated pipes. It is therefore essential to insulate a heating pipe since the heat generated by the hot water decreases in the pipes which are generally placed in a cold environment such as the cellar, the attic, the laundry room or the garage. 

The hot water pipe insulation then allows you to optimize your energy expenditure because all the heat is directed to the radiators. In this case, the heat loss in the pipes increases your bill but also reduces your comfort.

The insulation of the heating pipes, also called thermal insulation, is all the more recommended when the distribution loop is large enough or when the outlet temperature is high: 90 ° C or 70 ° C and they are low enough for the cooling: 7 ° C to 12 ° C. Also, insulating the heating tubes and pipes limits the significant decrease in temperature at the end of the loop which can lead to a certain thermal discomfort.

By insulating the pipes, you can quickly and easily achieve savings of up to 10% per year on your energy bills. Even if your pipes do not pass through cold space, if they are very far from the heating points, thermal insulation is still widely recommended and will reduce costs on your bill.

Tips For Insulating Heating Pipes With A Sheath 

For the insulation of a heating pipe, you have the choice between different types of material to choose your insulating sleeve for the heating pipe. First, find the insulating tape, which is a roll to wrap around the pipe or tube. Its use is recommended for elbows as well as difficult to access pipes since it is quite easy to install. 

Then there are the rigid sleeves which are made of polyethylene foam, mineral wool or elastomer. They slip around heating pipes and tubes and consist of a slide, adhesive or snap closure. Note that a rigid sleeve is always split lengthwise. Finally, you have mineral wool (glass wool or rock wool) which offers full protection compared to the first two materials. However, its installation requires a certain ability, and it can be more difficult to handle than a conventional insulation sleeve, and it is not suitable for curved pipes.

The effectiveness of thermal insulation depends on several parameters such as the outside diameter of the tube or pipe, the thickness of the insulation used and then the level of thermal conductivity. The lower this thermal conductivity, the higher the insulation performance of the material used. To optimize your installation, it is advisable to place the hot water pipes in the heated areas. This will limit heat loss.

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