Densec

I am going to finally insulate my steam pipes in my basement this year. There is the main steam pipe coming out of the boiler, should the insulation start right there? In other words the first section of insulation will be sitting on the top of the boiler. Do I need to leave any "breathing" room?

Any feedback is appreciated!

Ron6519

What type of insulation are you going to use? If it's the fiberglass wrapped in paper, I would start with the horizontals above the boiler.
Ron

Densec

Thanks Ron. It is fiberglass.

Kool Rod

Actually you should insulate any pipes that carry steam and this includes the risers/piping coming out of the boiler. As Ron mentioned start with the steam mains and then also do the near boiler piping. (Most people don't do the laterals to the radiators as they are hard to get to). You want the maximum amount of steam to go to your radiators so there is no sense having steam condense on uninsulated piping before it gets there as this just wastes fuel. There is also some benefit in insulating the returns to the boiler though some people leave them uninsulated as it heats the basement.

Ideally you should use 2 inch thick fiberglass pipe insulation as it is the more efficient but from an economy standpoint vs efficiency, the biggest "bang for the buck" is 1 inch insulation.

Densec

Thanks Kool Rod!