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Shared Knowledge
"Hydronic Heating System - Insulate the Pipes."
10 March 2009
Summary: If you ever have the opportunity to wrap your hydronic heating system pipes with insulation, do it.
In 2008, a partial renovation was done on my home where all the ceiling in the basement was removed exposing all hydronic heating zone pipes to and from the furnace. When we initially renovated the home in 1991, it did occur to me to insulate the hydronic heating system pipes but with this or that, I did not add it to the renovation contract and just never got around to doing it myself.
While the ceiling was down in the 2008 renovation, I did in fact, buy and install foam insulation on all exposed hydronic pipes. This foam insulation, which I bought at my local Home Depot, comes in 4 foot lengths, is easily cuts with scissors and comes in various diameters for different diameter pipe. As the 4 foot length has a slit in it lengthwise, it easily slips over or can be pushed onto a pipe. To hold the insulation in place, I used cable ties. Where ever there was a junction of 2 separate pieces, I made a junction cover out of a piece of the foam insulation and cable tied in around the junction. Although a pain, I wrapped each and every elbow.
Ok. Yes, it was some work but I did it a couple of hours at a time over a few weeks. Energy costs are not going to go down and perhaps I spent $200 on all the insulation I bought plus cable ties.
And the results? Although I have no scientific evidence to provide like temperature of air coming off baseboard radiator before insulation install and then afterwards, but I can tell you that before insulation I could lay my hand directly on the fins of a radiator and hold it there forever but after insulation, I could not touch the fins as they were too hot.
Ok, so the probability of your ever having the chance to insulate all your hydronic heating system pipes is slim to none, you could wrap the pipes in and around your furnace. In my case, my furnace room is very small and in the winter, it becomes very hot as the furnace kicks on and off and the heat in the room is wasted. After insulating the furnace room pipes, the room is much cooler.
This image shows black colored foam pipe insulation installed in and around the pipes just above my 3 Taco zone control valves.
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