Mold resistant insulation is an important consideration to prevent the dangers of mold. Molds belong to the fungi kingdom, and unlike plants, they lack chlorophyll and must survive by digesting plants and other organic materials. Molds generate tiny spores to reproduce, and these spores are ever-present in both indoor and outdoor air currents. When mold…

Wondering why to use plumbing pipe insulation? Plumbing piping systems, commonly known as domestic hot and cold water service systems, convey water to fixtures and equipment for various purposes in residential, commercial and industrial buildings.    The most common concerns with plumbing systems that should be addressed during the design stage include heat loss, condensation…

Two applicable fire safety standards for HVAC systems in the built environment are NFPA 90A and NFPA 90B. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a global organization established in 1896, primarily known for code and standard development, that is dedicated to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and other…

Mechanical insulation on cold (below-ambient) mechanical systems such as chilled water, brine and refrigerant piping/equipment is an important component to ensure that a project team’s basis of design (BOD) and owner project requirements (OPR) are satisfied…

What is HVAC pipe insulation? The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that residential and commercial buildings in the United States account for 39% of total energy consumption (2019). Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are designed to deliver thermal comfort and healthy ventilation (indoor air quality – IAQ) to building occupants. The EIA…

Currently, confusion exists in the U.S. mechanical insulation industry (closed cell elastomeric foam pipe, duct, and equipment insulation to be specific) about the differences between well-known fire behavior safety standards such as ASTM E84 25/50, UL 723, and NFPA 255. Ever since the destructive building fires throughout the United States dating back to the early…

Elastomeric foam insulation has been available in the United States since the 1950s. It’s also known as closed cell elastomeric foam insulation, flexible elastomeric cellular insulation, unicellular insulation, cellular elastomeric insulation, anti-sweat, refrigerant insulation, plumbing pipe insulation, refrigerant pipe insulation, HVAC pipe insulation, and rubber insulation. Essentially, elastomeric foam insulation is a synthetic rubber composed…

Choosing the right VRF pipe insulation (or VRV pipe insulation) system can deliver countless benefits. Although variable refrigerant flow (VRF) or variable refrigerant volume (VRV) systems have been available in other countries for about three decades, this HVAC technology has only been available in the U.S. market for a decade or so. In that relatively…

When selecting a mechanical insulation type for your client project, knowing the differences between similar insulations, like EPDM insulation, matters. For example, if you are considering a closed cell elastomeric insulation to control condensation that will remain stable when exposed to the elements, EPDM foam rubber insulation is a proven material. But what makes EPDM…

Closed cell elastomeric insulation can be more costly than other forms of well-known mechanical insulation types such as fiberglass. With this information, it makes sense to ask why anyone should choose elastomeric insulation over other available insulation types. The answers can be broken down into a few key categories, all geared towards protecting the usability…