Advantages and disadvantages of thermal insulation of pipelines with expanded polystyrene, technology for performing work, ready-made forms of insulation from this material.
Advantages and disadvantages of pipe insulation with expanded polystyrene
Expanded polystyrene is the most popular heat insulator for sanitary installations.
Its advantages include the following qualities:
- Good thermal conductivity, which reduces heat loss in systems by 2-4 times.
- High density, which allows it to withstand high mechanical loads throughout the entire service life.
- The ability to reuse the product. This property allows you to disassemble the system and install the insulation in the old place.
- The material has a long service life.
- Expanded polystyrene absorbs a minimum amount of water and can be used without waterproofing. It completely eliminates the ingress of moisture on the surface of the pipeline, protecting it from corrosion.
- The insulation is well resistant to salt solutions and aggressive substances, which are abundant in groundwater.
- It is not afraid of bacteria, mold and mildew, it is not eaten by animals and insects.
- The shell retains its qualities at any temperature extremes.
- Expanded polystyrene refers to self-extinguishing products. It burns for only 2 seconds, which is a good indicator for rooms. For reliability, the insulation can be additionally treated with fire retardants so that it does not react to open fire.
- The shell reduces assembly time. The procedure can be performed even by a person without plumbing experience.
- Even the longest cylindrical pieces are very lightweight and can therefore be stacked without helpers. Low weight allows transporting large quantities of elements in a passenger car.
- When working with expanded polystyrene, there is no reason to fear that it can harm the human body.
- The casing is available in various sizes and shapes, which allows you to select samples for each specific case. It looks very aesthetically pleasing and does not require decoration.
- Insulation belongs to universal insulators, it can be used both outside and inside the room.
- After installation, there are no cold bridges left on the pipes.
- Expanded polystyrene absorbs noise well, so the sound from the movement of the coolant will not be heard.
- The diameters and thickness of the product are set, the dimensions are maintained with great precision, which increases the thermal insulation and the speed of installation.
Even such a modern insulation has drawbacks. These include such unpleasant properties:
- The shell must not be painted and varnished with products containing gasoline, solvents and other liquids that can destroy it.
- The material is quickly destroyed by ultraviolet radiation, so it must be protected from sunlight in open places.
- The insulation is fragile.
- Under the influence of an open fire, polystyrene foam emits poisonous smoke.
Pipe insulation technology with expanded polystyrene
Thermal insulation of pipes with expanded polystyrene is ideally performed at the initial stage of building a house. In this case, it is not required to dismantle already built structures. Consider the process of forming a protective layer in the most critical area - outside the premises.
The insulation process does not require special devices and work experience. Concrete trays are not used when using polystyrene foam cylinders.
Operations are performed in the following sequence:
- Trace the route of the system location on the ground.
- Dig a trench according to the markings. The recommended depth is below the freezing level.
- Fill the bottom of the trench with a layer of sand 10-20 cm. The same distance should remain in the pit on both sides of the pipeline. After laying the product in its regular place, the gaps are also filled with a loose mass.
- Check the surface condition of the samples - it must be dry. Moisture will corrode the metal. For the same reason, it is recommended to carry out insulation in dry weather.
- Coat the metal pipes with an anti-corrosion agent. Plastic products are not processed with special compounds, it is enough to clean them.
- Assemble the system and place it on the bottom of the pit. Check that the angle of inclination of the pipe exceeds 1 cm per 1 running meter.
- Measure the inner diameter of the shell and the outer diameter of the sanitary ware. Dimensions must be the same or differ within tolerance. Too large a cylinder diameter will cause it to sag after installation, which is unacceptable.
- Slide a polystyrene foam pipe insulation over the system so that the protrusions on one half of the cylinder fit into the grooves of the counterpart, and squeeze tightly.
- Cut gussets in place from straight specimens with any sharp tool.
- Glue the joints of the halves with tape. For reliability, the joints of the cylinders can be coated with glue, but in this case the connection will become one-piece, and the insulation will have to be cut off during repairs.
- Make sure there are no exposed spots on the pipe. You can also fix the pieces to each other with clamps.
- Place the protective cover that comes with the shell on the cylinder. If not, wrap the sheath with plastic wrap.
- Fill the trench with 15-20 cm sand and then earth. To enhance the effect, it can be filled with expanded clay.
- In especially unfavorable conditions, together with the shell, an insulating cable is often used, which is laid along the pipe under the shell.
How to insulate pipes with expanded polystyrene - watch the video:
Due to its unique properties, a thermal insulator made of expanded polystyrene is used on almost every construction site. It is the best option for reducing heat loss in plumbing systems and protecting pipelines from adverse influences. The insulation installation process is very simple and does not require the involvement of professional builders.
