GREEN MATTERS
The importance of insulating pipe brackets
The energy market disruption that began in late February has been unlike anything seen in a generation, with dramatic energy prices across Europe and the UK. Here, Thomas Merton, Technical Manager at Armacell, looks at what HVAC engineers can do to help their customers mitigate some of these increases.
Figure 1: Depending on the pipe diameter, the heat loss from an uninsulated pipe bracket (shown on the left) can be equivalent to that from up to 1m of uninsulated pipe.
loss of energy can be signifi cant – especially with rising prices - with thermal heat fl ow calculations for a 60°C hot water pipe in continual use showing a heat loss of 0.06 w/k per bracket (on a 26.9mm diameter copper pipe with a 27mm insulation thickness). This can have a major eff ect on the total energy costs of running a building, especially where a large number of supports are used.
A
consequence of pipe brackets not being insulated is higher energy losses, which can be seen in Figure 1 using a thermal imaging camera. The extent of this
Signifi cant energy losses also occur in cold systems. The
direct fi xing of cold services pipework to their mounting brackets acts as a bridge for thermal gains from the surrounding warmer ambient air. Since these uninsulated supports on chilled water and refrigeration pipework fall below the dew point, the cold air surrounding the brackets is less able to hold water, causing condensation. In these conditions, moisture is continually drawn to the
cold brackets, diff using and condensing into the adjoining insulation material. If the condensation spreads through the insulation system, thermal effi ciency is lost, and corrosion and consequential secondary damage will result. Pipes in refrigeration and air-conditioning applications must
therefore always be isolated from their mounting element with an adequate closed-cell insulation thickness, taking into account the line temperature, pipe size, ambient temperature and relative humidity conditions. Often, PUR/PIR clamps are used to mount pipes. Extensive tests on the reliability of bonds between elastomeric insulation materials and this type of clamp have shown that it is not always eff ective. In fact, the connection can be a weak point, allowing condensation to form and, in some cases, ice as shown here.
"Similar, easy-to-
install system solutions are also available for air-
conditioning ducts
(traverses)." Figure 2a&b: Where uninsulated brackets are used in cold services, condensation and, eventually, ice will form. 16 June 2026 •
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