Indoor Air Quality: Low VOC, fiber-free, non-particulating, formaldehyde-free insulation. Thinner copper pipe carries liquefied refrigerant, its temperature is approximately 110°F (43.3°C) / does not require insulation but in some installations insulating liquid refrigerant line is recommended. This is not what dictates insulation thickness. It’s imperative that the installing contractor comply with all applicable codes and standards and manufactures recommended installation practices. Insulation thickness, insulation type … The purpose of this document is to provide a clear communication regarding insulating the external copper refrigerant lines. The insulation is coming apart at the seams and joints due to poor application, and the improper insulation usage for an exterior application. In addition, any heat that enters the refrigerant adds to the superheat and reduces system efficiency. Hence, insulation of equipment such as chilled pipes and air handling units plays an important role in ensuring optimal energy efficiency and fire safety in the global cold chain equipment market. REFRIGERATION PIPING Successful Installation of a Refrigeration System is Dependent Upon: 1. Tundra Elbow Self-Seal system makes application easy and reduces insulation time. Refrigerant Piping Insulation - Armacell Class 1 AccoFlex ® W Accoflex ® W. It is a closed-cell thermal insulation material with enhanced fire property. It is tough & flexible with a smooth and powdered inner surface for say installation on copper pipes used for Split air-conditioning systems and VRV/VRF applications as refrigerant piping insulation. Most of us know that these thicknesses aren’t getting installed, as I’ve seen installations where the contractor just buys the standard pre-insulated line-set similar to these by Mueller. VRF Wizard | Variable Refrigerant Flow Air Conditioning, VRF Project Video – Senior Living Facility, VRF Project Video – Shippensburg University, Installing VRF in a Senior Living Facility, VRV III Engineering & Installation manual, VRF Heat Recovery vs VRF Heat Pumps for Homes and Commercial Properties. Microban® antimicrobial product protection inhibits the growth of … I have found that from city to city or from one jurisdiction to another there is no consistency in enforcement. Various plumbing insulation and insulation covers reduce heat loss from pipes, and they’re suitable for air conditioners because of the absorbent foam material. Missing or inadequate refrigerant piping insulation means a system that operates at a lower efficiency and it risks condensate drips into problem areas such as wall or ceiling cavities - … There are many improper installations that get approved and signed-off on which lack the proper installation methods, including the lack of UV & Weather protection for exterior refrigerant piping. One VRF manufacture may require 1-1/2” and another 2-1/2” of insulation for the high pressure vapor piping. While condensation and moisture are known as culprits in mold growth, they also have a significant impact on system efficiency as moisture degrades the performance of the insulating material. Airex E-Flex Guard 72C-B is available in standard piping insulation diameter sizes, and lengths of up to 75 feet of continuous non-interrupted runs (allows for field applied cut to length requirements). Piping and fittings for refrigerant vapor (suction) lines shall be insulated with insulation having a thermal resistivity of at least R-3 and having external surface permeance not exceeding 0.05 perm [2.87 ng/ (s • m 2 • Pa)] when tested in accordance with ASTM E 96. Aluminum insulation jacketing is made out of .016" smooth aluminum that comes in 3 foot sections. 20111031.doc. This has created a lot of confusion about which materials are acceptable and at what thickness. Make sure to use expansion loops where required. Water vapor permeance AMBIENT REFRIGERANT PIPING can be critical in design because water vapor can penetrate materi- Below-ambient refrigerant lines are insulated primarily to (1) min- als or systems that are unaffected by water in the liquid form. of insulation (such as mineral wool, fiberglass, or calcium silicate) will be required on all pipes except those with a size less than 1 in. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. The risk related to the improper application or selection of refrigerant piping insulation can be represented in a simple graph. // //B.Refrigerant piping shall be sized, selected, and designed either by the equipment manufacturer or in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s published instructions. Also the pipe clamps were incorrectly attached directly to the pipes. This is a requirement of many building codes. 22 RED FLAG #1 • Copper Pipe-Blue Stripe. Be sure to use inserts, saddles and shields where appropriate. You will receive your welcome email soon describing the program and what to expect in the upcoming weeks. Use pipe inserts at Hangers/Attachments points to avoid insulation compression. See armacell’s technical information bulletin on the “Outdoor Protection of Insulation”. 21 COPPER PIPE- BLUE STRIPE • Hard drawn •A Le TRpCy seamless tubing todetard•Dyhe remove moisture • Factory Sealed •Plugs. Check the current version of LEED. This document describes what is the purpose of Refrigerant Piping Insulation? Flexible Rubber Foam Pipe Insulation Soft and easy to install, this insulation restricts absorption of water, air, and gas. One just has to look at the unprotected insulation that has been installed for several years to see the signs of degradation. Be aware of pipe expansion and the possible movement of the saddle off the support. To mitigate the risk requires that you use proper insulation and have it installed according to the manufactures requirements. Cryogel-Z has an integral vapor barrier. Insulation covering chilled water piping and refrigerant suction piping located outside the conditioned space shall include a vapor retardant located outside the insulation (unless the insulation is inherently vapor retardant), all penetrations and joints of which shall be sealed. For more details, please read our. This opens up another discussion, and that is the awareness of the requirements and enforcement by the regulatory officials. With the constant changing energy requirements that are being pushed to meet energy goals established by legislation or local authorities, and the updating of codes every three years, there is a need to remain vigilant. The inside of the aluminum pipe sleeve is coated with a poly moisture retarder that provides an excellent resistance to moisture and has excellent abrasion protection during installation. With unslit tubular insulation, use a sharp knife to cut the insulation lengthwise on one side, as shown in Figure 12. Cold Line is insulated to prevent any air leakage into the insulation that can cause condensation of moisture in the pipe. The biggest impact is for the High Pressure Vapor side of the requirements. Important note: these temperatures also dictate the thicknesses needed on insulated coils (line-sets) going to the fan coils. 5. The insulation is tailored to fit for copper and iron pipe … refrigerant piping). Maintain system capacity & efficiency. I haven’t seen an installation with this thickness of insulation applied as mandated by the Building Energy Efficiency Standards. designed and installed refrigerant piping system should: • Provide adequate refrigerant flow to the evaporators, using practical refrigerant line sizes that limit pressure drop • Avoid trapping excessive oil so that the compressor has What can we do to improve the information ? Here are a few examples of the improper application of insulation and what to avoid on your project. The original, elastomeric foam pipe insulation for refrigeration, HVAC and plumbing. VRF manufactures have specified in their engineering and installation manuals temperatures that any insulation used on their system must be rated for. Refrigerant piping insulation has historically escaped the scrutiny that it has found itself under recently in some jurisdictions. Fasten the saddle to the hanger and have a non-adhesive attachment to the pipe allowing it to move with the expansion. For every layer of Cryogel-Z insulation a vapor barrier is present. Why do we Insulate Refrigerant Piping? This installation didn’t even attach any portion of the piping or insulation to the unistrut support. We have replicated the 2016 Building Energy Efficiency Standards table 120.3-A Pipe Insulation Thickness below for this review, which matches Table C403.11.3 of the IECC (International Energy Conservation Code) and ASHRAE 90.1, Table 6.8.3-1. Make sure surface is clean, dry, unheated or uncooled. You should review your model energy code or building codes for the requirements in your jurisdiction to see how they compare with this discussion. Adhere insulation directly to the pipe every 12 to 18 feet, at the beginning and ends of run. obviously the owner or management company didn’t keep up with the continuous application of protective coating from the UV rays or the weather. Click below to go to the Master List of all commercial resources. In almost every scenario involving a heating pipe, replacing 1/2" thickness pipe insulation with 1" thickness pipe insulation reduces the loss of heat transmission in half. Refrigerant Piping Insulation rev. This chapter is a guide to specifying insulation systems for refrigeration piping, fittings, and vessels operated at temperatures ranging from 35 to -100°F (2 to -70°C). Avoid heat gains or losses. Installers need to be sure that they meet the VRF manufacturers recommended temperature rating for the insulation their installing. Whether you’re an owner or manager of a building or the installing contractor, you need to know how to protect yourself from litigation and costly mistakes due to the improper application of the code covering your project. Not sure what happen here, but there isn’t much protection for the piping. Outdoor insulation should have UV and weather protection. Inspectors have to be consistent in their application of the code and standards so that everyone is on the same playing field and the owner receives the protection that the insulation was designed to provide. The insulated tape enables simple attachment of PVC pipe insulation on many plumbing systems. With energy codes getting stricter during each code cycle, and some large lawsuits related to refrigerant piping being improperly insulated, the need to get your insulation right is very important. It is often used on cold and hot water lines and refrigeration lines. Max Efficiency: Replacing AC Pipe Insulation If your air conditioning system's pipe insulation has degraded, you may be spending more than is necessary to adequately cool your home. Don’t clamp directly onto piping. Cause:. This is what dictates the need for EPDM insulation (yes, fiberglass and others can meet this, but EPDM is the only insulation that is a closed cell continuous vapor barrier). Daikin states in their VRV III Engineering & Installation manual on page 59 that pipe insulation is to be rated to with stand a temperature of 248 F. See insert below. Avoid costly lawsuits. How many owners or management companies do you know that re-coat their insulation every 2 to 4 years? What could possibly be such a big deal with plain old boring refrigerant piping insulation? Owens Corning® SSL II® with ASJ Max Fiberglas™ Pipe Insulation is molded out of heavy density resin bonded inorganic glass fiberglas that come in one-piece, 36" (914mm) long, hinged sections. In general there are no insulation thickness requirements for residential heating pipes, but we find that a minimum of 1" thickness is cost efficient in most scenarios. Product Advantages . No companies have listed products specifically related to this chapter's topic. We use cookies to provide you with a better onsite experience. Tundra Polyethylene pipe insulation is a flexible and closed cell structure that allows it to function as an efficent insultion. Owners and property managers need to be aware of the maintenance requirements of any exterior insulation and the signs of a poor installation. The insulation protector consists of resilient PVC material that is Class “A” fire/smoke rated, vapor retarder, anti-fungal, and anti-microbial. All done! Environment: Many of the VRF/VRV manufactures have listed temperatures well above the operating temperatures of your normal VRF system. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Avoid heat gains or losses. They have one thickness for both pipes, and don’t have one thick enough for most VRF manufactures requirements according to code. When is the last time you installed a project with 2-1/2” thick insulation on refrigerant piping for a VRF system? What are the operating temperatures for the various refrigerant pipes. In defense of the regulatory officials, how are they to keep up with the wavering message about the temperature ratings of the insulation required by the various VRF manufactures. NPS. See Chapters 23, 25, 26, and 27 in the 2017 ASHRAE Handbook--Fundamentals for information about insulation … Your risk increases as your quality of installation varies from the manufactures recommendation, and as you deviate from the code requirements. All Product models, All serial numbers. Aeroflex is capable of meeting all these demands and conditions. Install pipe insulation in the household to prevent water from freezing, and it’s also an energy-efficient addition to piping systems. 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