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Pipe Insulation| Residential | Building Code Officials


Summary
Pipes carry heated or cooled liquids from boilers or heaters to faucets
QUICK FACTS
and other fixtures connected to mechanical HVAC and circulating hot
water systems. The energy code requires pipes carrying heated or Pipe Insulation - Sections 403.3 and 403.4
cooled fluids to be insulated to reduce heat loss from the liquid con- 2009 IECC
tained within them and the pipes themselves. This is especially impor-
R-values need to be in accordance with code;
tant for pipes carrying hot water, as heating and transferring liquid
specifications need to be clearly labeled
through un-insulated piping wastes significant amounts of energy.
Mandatory for all climate zones
Current Code
Detailed information can be found at:
The 2009 IECC covers pipe insulation in Sections 403.3 and 403.4.
Insulate Hot Water Pipes for Energy Savings
Previous Code from EERE
Older versions of the IECC (2003 and back) were complicated, requir- Benefits of Piping from BECP
ing calculations for a variety of different systems, pipe sizes and loca-
tions. The 2006 IECC simplified pipe insulation requirements by re-
moving these calculations and mandating R-2 insulation for Sections
403.3 and 403.4. The 2009 IECC is identical to the 2006 version for
pipe insulation requirements save for one modification: the insulation
value in Section 403.3 changed from R-2 to R-3.

Exemptions
Requirements covered in the 2009 IECC Sections 403.3 and 403.4 are
mandatory and universal for all climate zones.

Requirements
Building code officials must be aware of the requirements covered in Figure 1: Insulated Piping

the 2009 IECC and need to ensure that:


Correct insulation is included and inspected
Labeling on pipe insulation is clear and identifiable
Plans and specs are reviewed and requirements are met
Typical Problems
Standard issues/concerns that arise include:
Hard to find supply of required insulation
Insulation not included in original bid
Figure 2: Insulated Flex Duct

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