INSULATION OF PIPING TO ELIMINATE CONDUCTION, RADIATION, FREEZING,
AND NOISE
PIPE COVERING.--Pipe covering is another important branch of
plumbing. A few years ago heating pipes were the only pipes that it
was thought necessary to cover. The ever-increasing demands made by
the public keep the wideawake plumber continually solving problems.
The water running down a waste pipe, for instance, will annoy some
people, and provision must be made to avoid this noise or to
silence it. This is one of the many problems that the plumber must
solve by the use of pipe covering.
PIPES THAT NEED COVERING.--First of all, the covering must be put
on properly to be of high service. _Hot-water circulating pipes_
need covering to reduce the amount of heat loss. If the pipes and
the tank are not covered, considerable more fuel will be needed to
supply the necessary amount of hot water than if the pipes and tank
were covered with a good covering. _Cold-water pipes_ need covering
in places to keep them from freezing. They also need covering under
some conditions to keep them from sweating. They are covered also
to prevent the material which surrounds them from coming into
direct contact with the pipe. _Waste pipes_ need covering to
prevent them from freezing and to silence the noise caused by the
rush of water through them. _Ice-water pipes_ are covered to
prevent the water from rising in temperature and to prevent any
condensation forming on the pipe. There is need for such a variety
of covering that I have listed below some of them and the methods
employed for putting them on the pipe.
Magnesia, asbestos air cell, molded asbestos, wool felt, waterproof
paper and wool felt, cork, hair felt. These coverings come in the
form of pipe covering with a cloth jacket. They also come in the
shape of fittings as well as in blocks and rolls of paper, and in
powdered form. Any thickness that is desired may be had. The pipe
covering is readily put on the pipe. The cloth jacket is pulled
back a short distance and the covering will open like a book. It
can then be clamped on the pipe and the jacket pulled back and
pasted into place. Brass bands, 1 inch wide, come with the pipe
covering. These are put on and the pipe covering is then held
securely in place. Practically all the coverings are applied in
this manner and are made up in 3-foot lengths to fit any size pipe.
To cover the fittings and valves, the same kind of sectional
covering can be obtained and applied in the same manner as the pipe
covering. Plastic covering is often applied to the fittings and
molded into the shape of the fitting. The plastic covering comes in
bags and is dry. It is mixed with warm water to the consistency of
thick cement and applied with a trowel. When the covering is put on
the pipes and fittings, it should be done thoroughly to get
satisfactory results. Each section of the covering has on one end
an extra length of the jacket. This is to allow a lap over on the
next section to make a tight joint. If the sections need fitting, a
saw can be used and the covering cut to any desired length.
_Magnesia_ covering is employed mostly on steam pipes,
especially high-pressure. This material can be had in the
shape of pipe covering, in blocks, or cement.
_Asbestos air cell_ covering is employed to cover hot-water
circulating pipes. It is constructed of corrugated asbestos
paper. This material is manufactured in the sectional pipe
covering or in corrugated paper form.
_Molded asbestos_ covering is also used on hot-water pipes,
and is manufactured in pipe covering or in blocks.
_Wool felt_ covering is used mostly on hot-water pipes and
makes one of the best coverings. It is lined with asbestos
paper and covered with a cloth jacket.
_Waterproof paper and wool felt_ is used on cold-water pipes
and is made in 3-foot lengths. The covering is lined with
waterproof paper and covered with a cloth jacket.
_Cork._--A heavy cork covering is one of the best coverings
for ice-water pipes, and a light cork covering is used for
cold-water pipes. This covering comes in sections as other
coverings, also in blocks and sheets.
_Hair felt_ is used to prevent pipes from freezing. It comes
in bales containing 150 to 300 square feet of various
thicknesses.