We insulate pipes in the basement YouTube. Do-it-yourself insulation of heating pipes: methods for doing it yourself. Choosing insulation for heating pipes

It is important to insulate pipes in the basement of a private house to prevent condensation from appearing on communications. If the basement of the house is cold or in the house for a long time do not use water, a layer of insulation will protect the pipe from possible freezing. Let's consider insulation methods water pipes in the basement of an apartment building and one-story house various materials. At the end of the article we will show a video from a pipe insulation manufacturer.

For insulation, they used to use any available materials - old blankets, foam rubber, padding polyester from old jackets, etc. But today pipe insulation products are presented on construction market in a wide range: from shells made of polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam and mineral wool to simple roll insulation made of foil foam and isolon. First, let's look at the advantages of thermal insulation of pipes, the better to protect the pipes in the basement from freezing.

Is it necessary to insulate pipes in the basement of a house?

You should think about insulating pipes from the well to the house and in the basement before the onset of cold weather. Insulating communications in the ground is a very labor-intensive process; it is better to tackle it immediately when laying pipes, since the most problematic areas of the water supply system are cold water are on the street. Thermal insulation of pipes in the basement apartment building reduces the risk of condensation and moisture appearing on the surface of cold water pipes.

The basic requirements for materials for underground water supply are low price, ease of installation, maximum long service in a humid environment and low thermal conductivity. When choosing thermal insulation, it is necessary to take into account the fire safety and non-flammability of the material, long service life and the possibility of reuse if repairs are necessary. Let us next consider the best way to insulate pipes in the basement of a house with your own hands.

How to insulate pipes in the basement with your own hands

Mineral wool and glass wool in the form of cylinders make it easy to process polyurethane foam water pipes. The advantages of mineral wool include low thermal conductivity, but additional waterproofing of the insulation will be required using roll materials, which complicates the work. Upper layer may have a metallized layer of foil, but the cost of this insulation can be quite high.

Expanded polystyrene and polyurethane foam not to be afraid of high humidity, so they can be used without additional waterproofing coating. The shell made of extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex) can be used repeatedly, and the ease of installation makes its use very convenient and easy. The shell is released various diameters, the material is fixed on the pipes using plastic clamps or simple tape.

Foamed polyethylene is not subject to decomposition in a humid environment, has high thermal insulation characteristics and elasticity. Penofol and isolon are produced in the form of a hollow tube 1 to 1.5 meters long with a cut. You can also use rolled materials made of polyethylene foam, which are cut into strips and wound onto metal or foam propylene pipes in a spiral. The insulation is secured with tape.

How to insulate pipes in the basement with your own hands

Before starting work, water supply or heating pipes must be prepared. First of all, all treated surfaces are first cleaned of dust and dirt. Metal pipes should be treated with a primer or mastic to protect against corrosion. You can insulate heating pipes in the basement of an apartment building with your own hands mineral wool- this will reduce heat loss, and the water in the tap and heating radiators will become much hotter.

Insulation of pipes in the basement of a house with mineral wool

The main problem in the basement is small space and poor lighting. Mineral wool pipe shells are easy to work with. Heating or water supply pipes are simply wrapped with insulation, which is secured with tape and clamps. If remnants of rolled insulation are used for insulation, then this is a more labor-intensive process. To do this, you need to cut the insulation into strips of a suitable size and wrap them around the water pipe.

Fixed basalt insulation nylon rope. The rope is tied on one side of the pipe and the insulation on the pipe is wrapped in a spiral until the very end. On top of the insulation it is necessary to protect it from mechanical damage and moisture. To do this, cut roofing felt or foil penofol into thin strips of the required length and wrap them over the insulation. When working, use individual means protection - gloves and respirator.

Photo. Shell for communication pipes

Insulation of water pipes with polyurethane foam shells

Insulating pipes with shells is the easiest way to protect communications in the basement of a house from freezing. Insulation for pipes made of polystyrene foam or PPU (polyurethane foam) is produced with different diameters, so you can easily choose the size you need. Characteristics extruded polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam are almost the same, so when buying, pay attention mainly to the cost. Installation of the shell is easy.

To install the insulation, take two halves of the shell and connect them to the pipe, securing it on top with tape. Lay the following insulation elements with an overlap on the previous parts. There are special elements for bends and turns, so there is no need to cut anything additional from the tubes. All operations are repeated until all pipes in the basement are completely protected by insulation from heat loss and possible freezing.

Insulation of water supply in the basement with isolon

Foamed polyethylene insulation in the form of hollow tubes is a more common method of thermal insulation of various types of communications in basements. apartment buildings. The material can be used during pipe installation and after. In the second case, it is necessary to make a side cut on the polyethylene foam tube and wrap the pipe along with the turns and bends. The material is secured to the pipe using clamps or tape.

The advantages of isolon and penofol are vapor impermeability, that is, additional waterproofing is not required. Instead of buying insulation, you can use scraps roll thermal insulation made of foamed polyethylene. This option will be less aesthetically pleasing, but it does not require additional costs. The insulation is simply cut into narrow strips and wrapped around the pipe (you can wrap several pipes at once) in a spiral.

Video. How to insulate pipes in the basement of a house

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September 2, 2016
Specialization: Capital construction works(laying a foundation, erecting walls, constructing a roof, etc.). Internal construction work (laying internal communications, rough and fine finishing). Hobby: mobile connection, high technology, computer equipment, programming.

I once told you about how you need to thaw water that froze in the pipes in winter. My neighbor at the dacha, who was going to celebrate his anniversary there, asked me to do this.

And recently, remembering the advice that I gave him then, he asked me to insulate the water pipes in the ground outside and inside the cottage. He probably doesn’t want to face similar troubles next winter. This is correct, because insulated pipes are a guarantee of the availability of water in the home at any time of the day and at any time of the day.

Naturally, he had to pay me a considerable fee, although the price was quite consistent with the labor intensity of the work performed. And you have the opportunity to do everything with your own hands and “absolutely free of charge,” as the wise owl said in the famous cartoon. The one I compiled will help with this. instructions, which I present below.

The need to insulate the water transport system (Article 1)

I think even those readers who do not know about my winter adventures (we are talking about the time when I defrosted my neighbor’s pipes) understand the need to insulate the pipes through which water flows from a well or well into the house.

Insulation may not be carried out only in one case: when utility lines are sufficiently buried in the ground, that is, they are below the soil freezing level. Insulation in the ground may only be needed if the pipes are buried shallowly.

Therefore, I recommend, if you have not already done so, that you protect your pipes from the cold. Moreover, the length of engineering communications on any private plot of land not that big, and they are buried very shallowly.

In addition to underground water pipes, you need to take care of utilities laid in unheated areas of the house (especially basements and attics). There, too, water may freeze, which will lead to the inoperability of the system as a whole.

Well, I hope I have convinced you of the need to carry out insulation work, it’s time to decide what material to use for this. We'll talk about this in the next section.

Materials used

When I was little, my grandfather and I insulated a piece of pipeline (3 meters) that went from the well to the storage room. At that time, old military pea coats, soldiers' blankets and other similar things were perfect for this (I think you guessed what my grandfather worked for).

However, nowadays there are many modern building materials, which will cope much better with the tasks assigned to them, and their purchase will not make a bottomless hole in your family budget.

On the other hand, some people find it difficult to know what to choose. Before giving specific advice, I want to list the requirements that the insulation must meet so that you can use it for finishing pipes:

have good heat-retaining properties that do not change under the influence of external conditions (humidity, temperature, mechanical stress, deformation, damage, and so on);
have a long service life, resistance to impact chemical substances and biocorrosion;
have hydrophobic functions, do not change their technical characteristics and performance properties when wet;
tolerate exposure well high temperature without changing the thermal conductivity coefficient and service life.

I’ll tell you about the most common options, and you can choose for yourself:

Glass fiber insulation(glass wool). Most suitable for finishing metal-plastic pipes wires I worked with such insulation materials as Izover, URSA, Knauf Insulation and others. They differ slightly from each other in certain parameters, but they do not affect the efficiency of operation.

Considering that glass wool has low density, when wrapping pipes with it, which you are then going to bury in the ground, you need to figure out how to protect it from mechanical stress. In my practice, I used roofing felt, geotextiles or large sewer pipes.

In general, not the best convenient option, which requires a lot of time and effort.

Basalt heat insulator. The material is produced in the form of ready-made shells for a certain diameter of water pipes or sewer pipes. Thanks to this, they are very easy to install on utility lines.

Suitable for insulation of pipelines as in private house, and underground, since it perfectly tolerates strong mechanical stress and high load. In some cases, in addition to a layer of basalt fiber, manufacturers protect their products with foil insulation or glassine on top, which further increases the performance properties of the material.

However, as you understand, we have to pay for all these advantages. The cost of the considered insulation cannot be called affordable.

Expanded polystyrene. This is the material I worked with most often. It differs from other products in its affordable price and considerable assortment. There are varieties with and without an external protective layer, for installation on large and small diameter pipes, and so on.

I insulated pipes with polystyrene foam in a ditch and in unheated rooms country houses. In both cases, the result was fully consistent with expectations. None of the customers remembered any more freezing.

This material is designed for reusable use. If for some reason you need to disassemble the water supply system, you can dismantle the polystyrene foam shells without compromising their integrity, and then reinstall them. The main thing is that the diameter of the parts matches.

Thermal insulating paint. It is a thick mass white(although it can be tinted), which in its own way appearance and operational properties are very similar to conventional coloring compounds. Except that even a thin layer of it significantly reduces the thermal conductivity of the pipes.

This material is produced on the basis of varnish or water, as well as acrylic and a special filler. The latter is a microscopic hollow ceramic sphere containing air inside. It is thanks to them that the beauty protects the pipes from freezing.

I used paint and am quite pleased with the result. It is, of course, better to do this with a special sprayer, although you can also use a brush. The more layers you apply, the more reliably you will protect your water supply from freezing in severe frost.

Paint has other advantages:

perfectly tolerates strong temperature fluctuations, so it is also suitable for heating pipes;
has anti-corrosion properties, as a result of which it can be used for processing metal water pipes;
has a long service life and can act as decorative material, if you add coloring pigments to it.

I would, of course, advise you to use only paint, but its cost is quite high, so for household use buy yourself polystyrene foam shells. Although, there are other ways to prevent pipes from freezing, which I will discuss further.

Insulation of underground water pipelines

Naturally, one of the most simple ways Insulation of the water supply system is the use of heat-insulating materials. But that doesn't mean he's the only one. And, by the way, it’s not always the most effective.

In my many years of practice, I had to resort to other methods. Some of you may find them easier to implement. Especially if the pipes are laid very deep to dig the ditch again, but not deep enough to avoid freezing in winter.

I have made a small table to make it easier for you to navigate.

Way insulation	Description
Heating cable	In this case, you need not only to insulate, but also to heat the pipe through which the water flows. For this purpose, special heating cables are used, which can be purchased in specialized stores. The power of such products ranges between 10 and 20 W per meter. It can be installed inside and outside pipes. Using a heating cable, you can bury water pipes in the ground no deeper than 50 cm from the surface. As for energy consumption, you don’t have to worry too much. The heating is turned on only in the coldest months, and, fortunately, we don’t have many of them. Unless, of course, you live in the Far North, but then it is better to choose another method of heating the water supply.
Air insulation	Here you can use the heat-insulating materials listed in previous section. However, they do not wrap the pipe, but install a kind of thermal barrier on top that prevents cold air from penetrating into the pipe. engineering communications. And the pipes themselves are heated by warm air from below. We also often used a technique such as “pipe in pipe.” That is, a part of a smaller diameter through which water should flow is placed in a product of a larger diameter to create a heat-insulating air layer.
Pressure insulation	In this case, a special receiver is needed, with the help of which the pressure in the main engineering systems is increased (that is, the part that goes underground and in unheated rooms). The technology has proven itself well in cases where the water supply is organized using a submersible water pump, which is capable of providing the required water pressure (more than 5 atmospheres). Naturally, part of the system should be check valves, protecting system parts from damage until pressure is released.

I’ve made a brief overview, now I’ll tell you about everything in more detail, so that you can insulate the pipes yourself and not be afraid of ice forming in the water supply system.

Method 1 - Using thermal insulation materials

In my practice, glass wool or materials based on it were most often used to insulate water pipes. And although I don’t consider this option the most effective and convenient, I’ll tell you about it first.

The work flow is as follows:

We dig out pipes buried in the ground. You need to act carefully so as not to damage the engineering system with a shovel. It is necessary to free not only the pipeline itself, but also remove a small amount of ground from below so that you can work comfortably.

Then we wrap the pipes with glass wool insulation. Try to make sure that there are no gaps through which the plastic or metal of the pipe can be seen. Otherwise, a cold bridge will form in this place, which will certainly cause the pipe to freeze.
The insulation material can be secured with adhesive tape, or plastic ties, or other suitable means.
After this, we protect the heat insulator with more durable material. Roofing felt is most often used. It is the most accessible and has hydrophobic properties, that is, it does not allow the insulation to get wet.

In principle, everything is simple. But personally, I would not recommend resorting to this finishing method. I will justify my position with the following considerations:

By doing this kind of insulation, you are doing the same job twice. First install the glass wool, then the protective layer. This takes too long and is quite tedious.
After backfilling the soil (especially with layer-by-layer compaction, which avoids soil movement), the insulation, due to its low density, contracts. This negatively affects its heat-retaining properties, that is, the pipes will be worse insulated than you think.
Glass wool does not tolerate moisture well, which will constantly seep into the insulation through the ground. Moistened glass wool does not hold heat so well and protects the engineering system from the cold. And it will be even worse if the insulator, wet after the autumn rains, also freezes.

I said all this to the point that I advise you to choose ready-made thermal insulation cylinders made of polystyrene foam or mineral fiber. You don't need to be an expert plumber to install them. Connect the two halves of the cylinder on the pipe and snap it into place.

Just make sure there are no joints. The cylinder parts need to be connected to each other with a slight offset (from 10 to 20 cm). If you are afraid that your pipeline will be damaged by some stray mole, you can additionally strengthen the parts with adhesive tape.

To insulate fittings, valves, inspection holes and other protrusions on pipes, use polystyrene foam shells specially made for this purpose.

As a result, your pipes will be insulated in the most reliable way. This is especially true for strength and water absorption. Backfilling of soil does not in any way affect the insulation, and the parts themselves absorb only 2% of the liquid from the volume of material per day. That is, the insulation, one might say, does not get wet at all.

And what's best is similar material can also be used for finishing pipelines running inside a building in unheated rooms.

Method 2 - Installation of heating cable

Let's say for some reason you don't want to use thermal insulation. Then I can recommend installing a heating cable. I’ll say right away that it itself is not cheap and requires additional costs during operation (payment for electricity).

But in this way it is possible to lay a pipeline with a slight depth. And if it does freeze, you can plug in the cable and wait for the ice to thaw.

I can name two ways to lay a heating cable:

Inside the pipe. You can understand the essence from the name. At self-production you will have to work hard. In order not to create unnecessary problems for yourself, I advise you to buy water pipes with a heating cable already installed inside or with an empty cable channel, which will make installation easier engineering system.

Outside pipes. In this case, you can buy ordinary water pipes and cables, and then assemble everything into a finished system.

Most often I had to resort to the second method, so I will dwell on it in more detail.

The advantage of this method is that it is not necessary to dig a ditch 2 meters deep. We only need to go 50 cm deeper so that the pipes themselves are not destroyed by vehicles passing on the ground, and the cable will be responsible for the insulation.

In addition, you also need to buy foil adhesive tape and insulation with hydrophobic properties (for example, basalt shells). After this, you can get down to business. The sequence of actions is as follows:

The pipe through which water flows from the water intake point (well or borehole) to the house must be covered with foil adhesive tape in a spiral. There is no need to place the coils too tightly; there should be a distance of about 10 cm between them.
Then, clearly follow the resulting line, wrap the pipe with a heating cable. Make sure that you don’t get any intersections anywhere, otherwise later a heating element may close.
Then you need to seal the pipe with the same adhesive tape. This will ensure that the heating cable is fixed exactly in the place where you placed it.
After this, basalt cylinders should be cut and installed on the pipe. Be sure to make overlapping joints to prevent cold bridges from appearing. They are often the cause of excessive consumption of electrical energy when heating pipes.
We take another adhesive tape, plumber's tape, and wrap the entire pipe over the insulation, firmly securing the heat-insulating material. Additionally, plumber's tape helps prevent water from leaking into the pipe if you leave a gap in the insulation somewhere.

Pay special attention to the area where the pipeline enters a residential building. I advise you to make a good tin box in that place, which, after installing the pipe there, needs to be filled with a heat insulator and carefully protected from water with film.

One more thing. I recommend installing temperature sensors along with the cable in several places in the pipeline, which are connected to the heating cable operation monitoring system. In this case, when the temperature of the engineering system drops below permissible level heating system will turn on independently or notify you about the need to perform any actions.

As I already said, the disadvantage of this solution is the consumption of electricity for heating the pipes. But if you know another method, which I will discuss below, you can heat the pipes with free thermal energy. Don't know how? Listen.

Method 3 - Arranging an air gap

By insulating the pipeline, we protect it from the cold from all possible sides - top and bottom. However, as you know, the deeper the ditch, the more heat can be obtained directly from the earth. This heat can not be wasted, but can be used to heat the water supply.

In this case, it is not necessary to insulate the entire pipe, but only the upper part, creating a kind of thermal umbrella.

Another method is to lay the working water pipe inside a thicker pipeline. Then a kind of air gap is created between the parts, protecting the engineering system from freezing.

This method of laying, by the way, has several other advantages:

In the event of an emergency, you can stretch a flexible temporary hose or water pipe through an improvised main collector without any problems. To do this, during installation, I recommend throwing an emergency cable or wire there.
If a pipe fails, it can be replaced without performing earthworks. That is, even in winter period.
Possibility of installing additional heating systems. For example, if the heating cable working in tandem with the insulation fails, you can melt the ice or heat the water supply with warm air supplied to the collector pipe.

There is another air heating circuit that I have installed several times. To do this, you need a house that has a basement or cellar, where all year round positive temperature is maintained. Then we take the thick pipe in which the water supply is laid into the basement at one end, and at the other we equip an exhaust hood with a deflector.

The result is a kind of ventilation. Warm air comes out of the basement, passes through a thick pipe, heating the water supply, and then is removed through the deflector. This results in free heating of the engineering system and Fresh air in the basement.

Method 4 - Using High Pressure

Now let's turn to high technology. It's about not about nanorobots that will insulate your pipe, but about ordinary powerful deep well pump pumping water into a home water supply. The essence of this method is that water under pressure in the pipe will not freeze. Which, in fact, is what we will use.

The downside here is that you will have to turn the system on and off every time you come to the country and leave for the city.

I will describe a diagram of such a solution:

You need to embed a receiver into the water pipe, which will help create in the area connecting the well to the house, overpressure. The water itself will be pumped by a submersible pump, the power of which is quite sufficient for this.
You will also need a check valve.

The procedure is as follows:

to avoid freezing, you need to close the tap in front of the receiver and pump water into the pipe, reaching a pressure value of 5 atmospheres;
upon arrival at the dacha, you again need to release excess water from the pipe, bringing the water supply system into working condition.

Insulation of the water supply system inside the building

With works on outdoors We slowly figured it out. Now let's move on to the issue of insulating the water supply inside the house. Everything is much simpler and easier here. You can use the following materials:

Expanded polystyrene. Buy heat-insulating cylinders of a suitable diameter and put them on the pipes. It is better to take those varieties that are protected from mechanical stress on top. If there are none, wrap a layer of roofing felt or something similar on top.
Glass wool. This material is mainly used for metal pipes. There is no particular difference between installing insulation in a house and outside, so I will not describe everything in detail.
Basalt cylinders. Another great way insulation of water supply in unheated rooms. Despite their strength, I still advise you to additionally protect the cylinders with glassine or foil insulation.

I told you all the methods that I once used. I think this is enough to insulate pipes in your dacha or country house. To ensure that the work is carried out as efficiently as possible, I will give you some tips:

When burying pipes in the ground, do not be lazy to draw up an accurate diagram of the engineering system. Particular attention should be paid to the locations connecting elements. It is at these points that pipes often fail when the water inside freezes.
It is necessary to insulate both internal and external communications at the same time. As a last resort, if you need to insulate a short section of the system (50-70 centimeters), cut a piece of pipe from the sewer, put it on the water supply and fill construction foam. Suitable as a temporary option.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I want to tell you that you should never neglect such an important stage in the construction of a water supply system as protecting it from freezing. Otherwise, you will have to thaw the ice later, as described in the video in this article. Do you need it?

September 2, 2016

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Insulation of water supply pipes in a private house is an important step in creating a comfortable microclimate and reducing the cost of heating premises in private and apartment buildings. In this article we will consider the insulation requirements for polypropylene pipes and whether it is necessary to insulate heating and plumbing.

In private houses, communications have two vulnerable areas for freezing. These areas are located on the street when laying communications from the well to the house or in an unheated basement. If you have not insulated the basement, then it is necessary to protect the pipes in the basement of a private house from heat loss. Let's look at how and how to insulate communications on our own, and tell you what materials to use.

Is it necessary to insulate polypropylene pipes in a private house? If you didn’t do this during construction, then protecting communications from heat loss is simply necessary. If Vacation home is rarely used in winter, the communications may freeze, regardless of what material is used for the water supply pipe - metal-plastic, HDPE or galvanized steel.

How to insulate pipes in a private house with your own hands

When a cold water pipe enters a warm room, condensation will always form on it. If the pipe is insulated, you will protect the room from possible dampness. Heating at home also requires thermal insulation, so as not to waste excess heat in a given room, but to redirect it as much as possible to living spaces, reducing your heating costs.

Requirements for insulation for pipe insulation

More recently, any available material was used for pipes - old jackets, cotton blankets, etc. Today the range of insulation is so wide that you can right choice not so easy. Therefore, the most popular materials should be considered, as well as the technological requirements for these materials. Let's consider what to consider when choosing insulation:

Duration of operation of the insulating material;
Insulation resistance to high humidity and moisture;
Fire safety and fire resistance of insulation;
Easy installation with the possibility of reuse;
Resistance to mechanical and temperature influences;
Low cost and availability of pipe insulation.

How to insulate water supply pipes in a private house

A number of important requirements are imposed on materials used in damp and unheated rooms. The technical and operational characteristics of the insulation must meet the requirements of resistance to chemical and temperature influences. Having dealt with the necessary set of characteristics, let’s proceed to choosing the most inexpensive and optimal pipe insulation.

Glass wool and mineral wool insulation

When working with mineral wool, use gloves and a respirator to protect against microparticles getting on your skin and mucous membranes.

When using mineral wool or glass wool:

Take a roll of insulation and cut small pieces from it.
Wrap the basalt insulation around the pipe and secure it with a nylon rope - tie the rope on one side and wrap it around the insulation in a spiral until the end of the pipe.
Secure over the insulation roll waterproofing, for example, roofing felt, isolon or foil penofol.

Insulation made of polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam

Shells made of polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam are often used to insulate pipes in the ground. The insulation is resistant to high humidity, has resistance to mechanical loads. The shell can be reused for possible system repairs, and the characteristics meet all requirements. It is optimal to use polyurethane foam shells in country houses.

To use a polyurethane foam “shell,” connect the two halves of the cylinder around the pipe and wrap them with tape. Place the following parts “overlapping” each other. Cylinders made of expanded polystyrene and polyurethane foam can have a layer of foil, which makes them similar in characteristics to a thermos and increases the resistance of the insulation to high humidity. Watch the video comparing the characteristics of pipe insulation.

Polyethylene foam insulation

Insulation for pipes made of foamed polyethylene: penofol or isolon is convenient for installation. The material is easy to secure with foil tape or clamps, it can be easily removed if necessary and can be reused. It is optimal to use polyethylene foam insulation to protect heating pipes in a private house in order to reduce heat loss in the basement.

How to insulate pipes in a private house

You should think in advance about how to insulate water supply pipes in a private house, how to insulate columnar foundation and what thermal insulation material to use for various materials. Requirements for the materials used should take into account the ease of installation of insulation, long service life, water-repellent characteristics, environmental and fire safety material.

You should not have any difficulties in your work; anyone can handle this issue. No special skills or special tools are required to insulate pipes. Check out the video instructions at the end of the article on this topic, and you will understand

Heat loss in the pipeline is the main problem of both autonomous and central heating system lines. And if the reduction of heat loss within the region is entrusted to public utilities, then the owner of a private house needs to take care of the insulation of heating pipes himself, and due to the insignificant amount of work, do it himself.

Is it necessary to insulate heating pipes and what benefits does it give?

Thermal insulation for heating pipes allows:

reduce heat loss in places where pipes pass along the ground, are mounted by air (ground) or are located in an unheated room;

prevent freezing of the liquid, which is the coolant (freezing is fraught with a pipe break);

reducing the likelihood of corrosion on the surface of the pipe (for metal pipelines);

saving money on heating your home.

Thus, the more reliably the heating system is insulated, the more heat the user will receive (the higher the efficiency), and the less he will have to pay for gas for heating (or for electricity, if an electric boiler).

Due to the fact that the coolant moves through the heating system, the task of pipe insulation is reduced to minimizing heat loss and preventing rupture of the system due to freezing.

A popular solution in this case is the use of thermal insulation materials. This is the most cost-effective and easiest insulation method from the point of view of independent implementation.

Thermal insulation for outdoor heating pipes

A variety of insulation materials makes it possible to choose exactly the one that suits you the best way for a specific application location (outdoors, underground, basement, attic) and budget.

The selection of a heat insulator is carried out taking into account the following factors:

heating system pipe diameter;

operating conditions (location of the heating system);

average heating temperature of the coolant;

thermal conductivity indicator of insulation (the lower, the better);

water absorption rate. Shows the ability of the insulating material to perform its functions in a humid environment;

resistance to combustion, biological and chemical activity, ultraviolet radiation and other environmental factors;

life time;

ease of installation (provided that sufficient tightness is ensured);

price.

How to insulate outdoor heating pipes with your own hands

To choose the right pipe insulation, you need to know what types of thermal insulation for heating pipes exist, and what are the features of each of them.

Classification of thermal insulation materials for heating pipes

1. According to installation method:

hard sheet insulation . These include: polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam. Despite the high thermal insulation properties, the installation of such insulation is quite complicated from the point of view of ensuring the tightness of the insulation;

roll insulation. These include: polyethylene (used as an additional component of insulation), foil penofol, wool (mineral and glass wool). The use of rolled materials requires the arrangement of their reliable fastening to the pipe;

segmental (casing) insulation. There are two types of such insulation: hard - shells made of polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam (PPU) or polystyrene foam, and soft - polymer pipes. The advantage of segment materials is that they hold their shape well, are easy to install and provide the required level of tightness between the heat-insulating material and the heating pipe;

sprayed insulation, incl. thermal paint. Penoizol has proven itself to be an excellent sprayer, as it allows you to insulate even small cracks. Thermal paint has the same property. The only disadvantage of these materials is that they are quite expensive and applying them yourself is problematic.

2. By type of insulation:

polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam. They have the best characteristics in terms of maintaining the original temperature of the coolant. Their use in the form of a shell simplifies installation and provides reliable protection of the system;

wool (mineral, glass wool). Can be used as a roll or sectional material. Regardless of the type and configuration, cotton wool insulation for heating pipes has a significant drawback, which is that cotton wool is hygroscopic. Those. it needs additional protection from moisture. When wet, cotton wool loses its properties. Therefore, sections often have additional protection in the form of a foil layer. But cotton wool is great for insulating pipes in the basement or attic.

foil penofol. Due to its small thickness, it is used primarily for insulating pipes indoors.

polyethylene foam– (EPE, PPE) polyethylene foam for pipes.

Comparison of thermal insulation materials for pipes - video

Heating pipe insulation technology

The choice of pipe thermal insulation and the method of its installation are influenced by the location of the pipeline.

Insulation of heating pipes on the street

External thermal insulation of pipes is the most the hard way insulation, since in the open air it is not only the pipes that need protection, but also the insulation itself. For outdoor installation, non-hygroscopic materials or other materials are used, but reliably protected from moisture by a film or casing.

In addition, it is advisable to use the densest and thickest insulation outdoors. Another requirement is the use of a material that is resistant to ultraviolet radiation, bad weather and mechanical damage.

Insulation of heating pipes in an unheated room

Basement, cold attic, boiler room - a feature of such rooms is the absence of heating radiators. But since the pipes are filled with coolant and are located in an environment with minimal humidity, there is no special requirements neither to the thermal insulation material nor to its thickness.

Insulation of heating pipes underground

The specificity of installing heating pipes underground is that they must be laid below the freezing level of the soil, which is a depth of one and a half to two meters. If you do not adhere to this requirement, the coolant will cool greatly while it passes through the heating main located in the ground. In order to reduce heat loss, you need to take care of high-quality insulation of the underground pipeline.

Experts say that the optimal solution in this case would be to use a cable pipe heating system. But due to the high cost, users prefer enhanced thermal insulation of heating pipes.

Good insulation of underground heating pipes requires the following requirements:

insulation of insulation from moisture in the soil;

eliminating the possibility of deformation of the insulation, because in this case, its properties are reduced. This is especially true for soft thermal insulation materials;

According to reviews, optimal solution– thermal insulation of heating pipes using.

Note. Users recommend using a combined insulation system for pipes that are laid above the ground freezing level, namely: a combination of cotton wool and a hard polyurethane foam shell with a protective fiberglass coating. Ideally, even at the laying stage, use factory multilayer ones.

How to insulate heating pipes with your own hands

Sequence of actions in the form of step-by-step instructions:

calculation and purchase of thermal insulation material;

wrapping the pipe with foil tape or foil. The foil acts as a heat reflector;

installing insulation around the pipe. Sectional hard (casing) or soft insulation is simply “put on” the pipe. As for soft materials, they need to be cut into pieces equal in width to the diameter of the pipe. Next, wrap it around the pipe and secure it with tape, wire or plastic clamps. Hard insulation is the hardest part. From it you need to create a box around the pipe (or use pipe shells of the appropriate diameter);

inspect the insulated pipe for the presence of “cold bridges” and eliminate them;

secure the heat-insulating material to the pipe using plumbing or metallized tape;

if necessary, cover the heat-insulating material with protective material (film) and seal the joints with tape.

The costs of insulating heating pipes, despite their initial value, are quickly recouped by saving on bills for heating the house.

Preface. Regardless of the material of the pipes laid in the basement of a private or apartment building, steel or metal-plastic - during frosts, with insufficient insulation, frozen water can rupture the water supply. Let's look at the technology for insulating water supply and heating pipes, the requirements for thermal insulation, and also show video instructions on how to independently insulate water pipes in the basement.

To the owner country house Even before the onset of cold weather, you should think about how to properly insulate the pipes in the basement on your own, how to insulate the blind area of the house and the foundation, and what thermal insulation material is best to use for this. The fact is that the water supply system has the most vulnerable areas for freezing; these problem areas are located on the street or in the unheated basement of a residential building.

Thermal insulation requirements for pipes in the basement

If insulating a water supply system in the ground is a more labor-intensive issue, then the thermal insulation of water supply pipes in the basement of an apartment building or private building is easier to solve. The main requirements for insulating materials for water pipes are ease of installation, low thermal conductivity and maximum long-term operation of the material in a humid environment, since everyone wants to get the job done quickly and for a long time.

There are many requirements for pipe thermal insulation, depending on the operating mode of the material - resistance to temperature, chemical and mechanical influences. To begin choosing a suitable pipe insulation, you should list the most important characteristics that you should pay attention to when purchasing:

— maximum service life;
— water-repellent ability of thermal insulation;
- non-flammability, ability to self-extinguish;
— ease of installation, reuse;
— low cost of pipe thermal insulation;
— environmental Safety material.

More recently, all kinds of available materials were used to insulate pipes in the basements of houses - foam rubber, cotton blankets, synthetic winterizer, etc. But today the range modern insulation materials for pipes is quite wide, so it is quite difficult to understand this huge variety on your own. Let's look at the most popular ones in the next chapter. thermal insulation materials, for carrying out work.

How to insulate pipes in the basement of a house with your own hands

Fiberglass insulation For example, Isover or URSA glass wool is used more often for thermal insulation of metal-plastic pipes. The advantages of glass wool include the low thermal conductivity of the material, but its use requires additional waterproofing using rolled materials (fiberglass, isolon, glassine or roofing felt), which will require additional financial costs.

Basalt insulation in the form of cylinders allow you to process water pipes without the additional construction of special trays. Thanks to its cylindrical shape, the insulation is excellent for insulating heating pipes in the basement of a house. The top layer of waterproofing is usually made of foil insulation, but the cost of this insulation can be quite high.

Foam insulation is more common. Expanded polystyrene shells are used for pipes without an external waterproofing coating. A shell made of polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam can be reused many times (it can be easily removed if necessary), and its low cost and ease of installation satisfy all basic requirements.

Foamed polyethylene(Penofol, Izolon, etc.) is a moisture-proof, rot-resistant, elastic material with good thermal insulation properties. For thermal insulation of pipes, the material is supplied in the form of a hollow tube with a cut, which greatly simplifies installation. Pipe insulation made of foamed polyethylene can be used in buildings for various purposes.

How to insulate pipes in the basement of a house with your own hands

Thermal insulation of pipes in the basement of a private house with foamed polyethylene or other materials is the most simple technology, which everyone can handle. First of all, it is necessary to prepare water supply or heating pipes for the insulation procedure - clean all treated surfaces from dust or dirt. Thermal insulation of pipes in multi-apartment and private buildings can be done at any time, before and after their installation.

Insulation of pipes in the basement of a house with mineral wool

Insulating pipes in the basement with mineral wool is the most labor-intensive method. Take a roll of basalt or fiberglass wool and cut it into small pieces. Wrap the mineral wool around the water pipe and secure it with a nylon rope - tie the rope around the insulation on one side of the pipe, then in a spiral circle the rope to the end of the pipe and tie the rope securely on the pipe.

It is necessary to make a waterproofing protection on top of the insulation. Cut a roll of waterproofing (roofing felt, glassine or foil penofol) into pieces with the right sizes and wrap it over the insulated pipe. You can secure the waterproofing with rope or tape. It is recommended to overlap at least 10 centimeters between the waterproofing joints.

Insulation of pipes with shells made of polyurethane foam or polystyrene foam

Insulating pipes in the basement of a house with shells is one of the easiest ways to protect communications from freezing. Pipe insulation from polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam or extrusion is produced under different diameter pipes, the shell may have an outer layer of foil. When choosing between these three materials, mainly pay attention to the cost, since their other characteristics are almost the same.

Installation of the shell on the pipe is easy, with at the lowest cost. To install, take two halves of the shell, connect them around the pipe and secure with tape. Place the following parts on the pipe with an overlap of 10-20 cm over the previous part. The operation is repeated until the entire pipe in the basement of a private house is protected from possible freezing by insulation.

Insulation of water supply pipe with foamed polyethylene tube

Pipe insulation made of foamed polyethylene is the simplest and most common way to protect water pipes from freezing in the ground and in the basements of apartment buildings. The material can be installed before laying the pipes, inserting the pipes into a hollow penofol tube, as well as onto already installed pipes– to do this, you just need to cut the polyethylene foam tube with a knife.

If the pipe insulation was cut for installation, then it is necessary to secure the material to the pipe using plastic clamps, aluminized or regular tape. The main advantage of this heat insulator is that additional waterproofing is not required. In addition, foamed polyethylene can also be used for self-insulation gas pipe on the street.