Thermal insulation of water pipes
When choosing insulation, remember that it should serve us for many years. For this to happen, it must be adequately protected against both mechanical damage and the influence of the environment in which it will operate.
Insulation plays a very important role in our home, as well as in the workplace, although most often, we do not even realize its existence. Practically, different types of insulation are used for various installations, for example, heating, solar, or air conditioning. Properly selected and made of appropriate, good-quality materials insulation allows you to maintain heat in the building, thus reducing heating bills, and also isolating noise coming from the working system, gives us the opportunity to enjoy the moments spent in uninterrupted silence. Unfortunately, the lagging without proper protection loses its properties with time, which can be associated with the very onerous necessity of its replacement. Of course, some manufacturers of lagging ensure the highest quality of their products, thanks to which they are less susceptible to the harmful effects of external factors.
Temperature and solar radiation
Quality of insulation can be influenced by many factors, often closely related to its intended use and location. For systems, which even only some part of it is located outside the building, UV radiation may be the main degradation factor. An example is a solar system, which is exposed to the damaging effects of sunlight. Constant exposure to the harmful effects of radiation, can not only significantly deteriorate the insulation properties of the cover, but in extreme cases, also lead to its destruction. Additionally, in the case of pipes with high medium temperatures, such as in the case of solar or heating systems, the coating may crumble under the influence of heat. Therefore, when choosing insulation for this type of application, it is worth paying attention to its protection against such factors, for example, insulation made of EPDM rubber with increased resistance to UV radiation. This material is also characterized by tolerance to high-temperature and is adapted to continuous operation at temperatures reaching up to 150ºC. This guarantees that this lagging will not melt or crumble even when the temperature of the medium is high. The same also applies to factory pre-insulated pipes. Their outer surface is covered with a special cover made of polyolefin-copolymer film, which significantly reduces the influence of UV radiation on insulation.
Mechanical damage
Mechanical damage is another serious threat to insulation. This applies to the lagging of systems that are laid outside buildings, in sewers, basements, etc., that is, where the pipe is not hidden, for example, embedded in a wall, floor, or buried in the ground. In such places, the delicate structure of the lagging can be damaged by birds or rodents. The damages of insulation caused in this way, especially in the case of solar, heating, or air-conditioning systems, cause a gap through which the energy is escaping, which in turn reduces the efficiency of the entire system.
This type of damage usually requires the use of additional protection, more resistant to mechanical damage than insulating foam. For this purpose, the outer covering layer is covered with polymeric protective layers, such as polyolefin or polyolefin-copolymer film. In this way, the possibility of accidentally damaging the delicate cover structure is significantly reduced. In most situations, replacing damaged lagging is not only a huge problem but also high costs.
Chemical factors
In addition to the physical and mechanical damage already mentioned, the insulation can be damaged by aggressive chemical substances. An example of this is the effect of seawater and the salt it contains, which can cause galvanic corrosion or dissolve less durable materials. However, even in much less extreme cases, both pipes and lagging are exposed to this type of damage. If the system embedded in the walls or on the floor, chemically active building materials may have a destructive effect on the insulation of the system as well as pipes hidden in this way. However, the adequately selected lagging will not be subject to this type of action maintaining insulation properties, at the same time protecting the pipe.
High-quality insulation is not just the right parameters. It is equally important that these properties persist for a long time after installation, which is not always as simple as it may seem. Appropriate insulation protection can not only reduce the harmful effects of external factors on its properties but in many cases also prevents its rapid destruction.