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Everything You Need to Know About Insulated Pipe

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Piping insulation or insulated pipe can refer to the materials or varied material blends used to wrap around the pipe. The primary purpose of insulating pipes is to keep a check on the flow of heat energy through it.

The use of insulated pipes works in favour of reducing energy loss at an impressive rate which ultimately cuts down on cost on bills. The insulation is done on pipes as per the operating temperature, insulation class and thickness of insulation mentioned in Piping & Instrumentation Diagram.

Below we have further enumerated essential things that you need to know about insulated piping. Keep on reading till the end to learn all about it.

Primary Functions of Insulated Pipe

Pipe insulation is done to achieve three primary functions and these are:

–        To prevent formation of moisture and accumulation of water droplets on the outer surface of pipes as a result of condensation (cold insulation)

–        The essential reduction of heat transfer to and from the piping surface so as to conserve overall energy (heat conservation)

–        Avoiding any potentially hazardous personal contact with the exposed piping surface (personal protection)

Benefits of Using Piping Insulation

Aside from offering the aforementioned functions, insulated pipes further provide the following benefits. They are:

–        Facilitates operating efficiency of power, heating/cooling and overall process systems

–        Reduces the emission of pollutants in the atmosphere considerably

–        Lessens the chances of causing piping damages due to fire, rust or other unfavourable conditions

–        Offer fire protection and acoustic insulation (absorbing vibration) depending on project specification

Types of Pipe Insulation

Piping insulation is classified depending on varied parameter. Some of the are:

Types of Pipe Insulation based on functions

–        Hot Insulation

–        Cold Insulation

–        Acoustic Insulation

–        Personal Protection Insulation

Types of Pipe Insulation based on materials used

–        Cellular Insulation

–        Fibrous Insulation

–        Granular Insulation

Piping Insulation System

The materials used for creating insulation is the vital element of piping insulation system. However, there are other elements as well that constitutes a piping insulation system. These are:

–        Vapor Barrier

–        Spacers for allowing to include cladding for retention of pipe shape

–        Cladding for metallic sheet

–        Protective coating

–        Packing for filling the gaps or cavities if there is any

Forms of Pipe Insulations Available

In order to fit certain applications and achieve specific functions, insulations are produced and made available in the market in distinct forms. The installation of them varies depending on the insulation form chosen and type of insulation needed. Some of the most common forms of pipe insulations available are:

–        Flexible Sheets and Readymade shapes

–        Foams

–        Rigid boards, blocks and sheets

–        Cement

–        Flexible Blankets

Conclusion

Insulated pipe is important to be integrated in your plumbing system in more ways than you can imagine. The above enumerated are some of the essential things that you need to know about them. For further information make sure to contact an expert professional.