Engineering ToolBox - Resources, Tools and Basic Information for Engineering and Design of Technical Applications!

Piping - Recommended Insulation Thickness

Recommended insulation thickness for heating systems like hot water and low, medium or high pressure steam systems.

To avoid heat loss and reduced system efficiency - pipe work in heating systems should always be insulated. Very hot systems, like hot water and steam systems should also be insulated to avoid potential personal injuries. 

The table below indicates recommended insulation thickness.

Piping - Recommended Insulation Thickness
Nominal Pipe Size
NPS
(inches)
Insulation Thickness (inches)*
Temperature Range (oC)
50 - 9090 - 120120 - 150150 - 230
Temperature Range (oF)
120 - 200201 - 250251 - 305306 - 450
Hot WaterLow Pressure SteamMedium Pressure SteamHigh Pressure Steam
< 1" 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5
1 1/4" - 2" 1.0 1.5 2.5 2.5
2 1/2" - 4" 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
5" - 6" 1.5 2.0 3.0 3.5
> 8" 1.5 2.0 3.0 3.5

* based on insulation with thermal resistivity in the range 4 - 4.6 ft2 hr oF/ Btu in (typical for mineral wool at room temperature)

  • 1 inch = 25.4 mm

Related Topics

  • Heat Loss and Insulation

    Heat loss from pipes, tubes and tanks - with and without insulation. Use of materials lke foam, fiberglass, rockwool and more.
  • Insulation

    Calculate heat transfer and heat loss from buildings and technical applications. Heat transfer coefficients and insulation methods available for reduction of energy consumption.

Related Documents

Search

Search is the most efficient way to navigate the Engineering ToolBox.

Engineering ToolBox - SketchUp Extension - Online 3D modeling!

3D Engineering ToolBox Extension to SketchUp - add parametric components to your SketchUp model

Add standard and customized parametric components - like flange beams, lumbers, piping, stairs and more - to your Sketchup model with the Engineering ToolBox - SketchUp Extension - enabled for use with older versions of the amazing SketchUp Make and the newer "up to date" SketchUp Pro . Add the Engineering ToolBox extension to your SketchUp Make/Pro from the Extension Warehouse !

Translate this Page

Translate this page to Your Own Language .

About the Engineering ToolBox!

Privacy Policy

We don't collect information from our users. More about

We use a third-party to provide monetization technologies for our site. You can review their privacy and cookie policy here.

You can change your privacy settings by clicking the following button: .

Citation

This page can be cited as

  • The Engineering ToolBox (2003). Piping - Recommended Insulation Thickness. [online] Available at: https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/pipes-insulation-thickness-d_16.html [Accessed Day Month Year].

Modify the access date according your visit.

3D Engineering ToolBox - draw and model technical applications! 2D Engineering ToolBox - create and share online diagram drawing templates! Engineering ToolBox Apps - mobile online and offline engineering applications!

Unit Converter

















































9.26.9

.