Lagging advice please - for poorly installed pipework

[nervous123]

None of the pipework in my loft to/from my unvented cylinder has been lagged. I am looking to buy and fit the lagging myself. Some queries:

1. Most of the pipework is 22m (small section is 15mm). What wall thickness of pipe lagging do I need? 19mm, 25mm or more?

2. Is there any substantial advantage to buying a brand such as Armaflex over the pipe lagging available in Wickes or B&Q?

3. My 'brilliant' builder and his top quality 'plumber' fitted several of the pipes right next to each other (HW, CH and cold...):

I cannot fit pipe lagging onto any of the pipes as they are almost touching so was wondering what I should do instead. Should I buy reflective radiator foil, felt insulation, or something else? And should I try and wrap the hot pipes and cold pipes separately, or does it not matter if I wrap them all together?

Many thanks...

 

[cjg]

it just depends on how warm your attic/loft is, //// does it get that cold, some times its best to just put a blanket over the pipes on floor, lag tank pipes with foam wrapsplit,

 

[Plucky]

Shame the plumber hadnt heard of a pipe clip

 

[PlumbBobBob]

where does the pipe at the back come from? i hope it isn't from the tundish. it needs to be re-run so that there isn't a hill for the water to climb!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Have you not put all this right by know ??????????????????????????????????????

 

[SafeGasInstall]

you are the man from about two months back , get it sort you are at risk with this over your head !!!!

 

[WHPES]

Fit plenty of copper saddle clips over the pipes and just cover the whole lot with glass fibre insulation.

 

[nervous123]

Have you not put all this right by know ??????????????????????????????????????

Yes all taken care of by a GS-qualified HE (qualified to work on unvented cylinders).

I say all, I mean all the illegal and dangerous work has been sorted, he has clipped the pipes, and rewired the heating controls so they work okay now. Also fitted a shutoff valve, a drainoff, a frost thermostat etc.

However, he said it would not be worth it for me to rip out all those pipes next to each other, despite the fact it doesnt look very good, so we have just left them. HE has propped them up with wood and clipped where possible, however they do run very close to the floor so quite hard to do.

On his advice I have bought cirmaflex 25mm slit foam lagging from B&Q and am lagging all pipes where possible. My above post, therefore, was asking how best to insulate these pipes, as there's no way i can fit any slit foam lagging on them.

if you want i can post pics of the rectified pipework later tonight (before I finish lagging them)

 

[mrfindit]

Hi
Best it you can seperate the cold from the hot pipes.
This will help stop any condensation, also helps to keep
the water cold lag the cold pipe in a closed cell foam type
Then cover over in fibre glass or better still do the
heating pipes in glassfibre foil finish

Mr find it

 

[nervous123]

Hi
Best it you can seperate the cold from the hot pipes. This will help stop any condensation, also helps to keep the water cold

I can't – no space

lag the cold pipe in a closed cell foam type

Again- I can’t – there just isn’t enough space!

Then cover over in fibre glass or better still do the heating pipes in glassfibre foil finish

Where can I buy this from? So far I’ve been to Wickes and B&Q and all I’ve found is Felt wrap and reflective foil. Would either be any good?

Also – do I need to insulate every single pipe on the insulation, even the emergency discharges?

Thanks a lot

 

[mrfindit]

Hi again
If your worried about freezeing lag or protect all pipes.
The should be covered to just above the tanks level.

Try a firm called Sheffeld insulation..or Kitsons both will deliver.
Youwill need the length and the bore size of the
two pipes running together..

Goog luck.......James......Mr find it

 

[mboshier]

Get the rough plumber back who done it!

Could it really be that hard to space pipes apart to allow for lagging (should be using 22x19 lagging)

 

[nervous123]

Get the rough plumber back who done it!

Ever heard of 'once bitten, twice shy' ?????? Why on earth would you recommend I get back the guy who messed it up in the first place?!

Could it really be that hard to space pipes apart to allow for lagging (should be using 22x19 lagging)

The experienced HE I used seemed to think so. At least, he was reluctant to do work that would only achieve aesthetic improvements...

 

[markproperjob]

firstly, ALWAYS play it safe, you have an unvented cylinder?
these can explode like a very larg bomb if their vent off pipe becomes blocked (with ice?) and a gremlin causes overheat!
ive only seen a combi boiler with a slowly dripping pressure relief valve where this has frozen up, but for the cost of some extra split lagging around the vent pipe, i know i would do it in a potentally freezing attic space. just my personal thoughts on it!
and you could make up a box section out of 3x2 cls timber and some ply board or chip board to box in the (disgraceful) pipework, and stuff that with rockwool insulation.
i know this works as ive done it on my personal firebird external oil boiler at our farm, and the group of pipes running 15 metres behind the farm house are fixed to the wall, lagged in this fashion, and have never frozen up, even at -5!
hope of help,
mark