Pipe insulation, foam vs branded bubblewrap

Conduction v radiation, innit.

The foil prevents the pipe radiating, the foam prevents it conducting.

Which is better depends on the temperatures. Radiant losses are higher at high temperatures.

It's why foil is touted as being 'used for spacecraft', because they live in vacuum where there's no conducted heat so everything is radiant. Foil is good for keeping the sun out of your roof, but not much for keeping your freezer cold.

When you touch it, that's all conducted heat. Doesn't mean it's not doing anything for radiant heat.

Better foam insulation is covered with aluminium foil so you get the best of both worlds - good for preventing conduction *and* radiation. A cheap way to do it is slip on the foam and then wrap in aluminium tape.

Theo

Silent Ice snipped-for-privacy@example.null wrote in news:v611lf$1lnvk$1@dont- email.me:

You have been conned, it is snake oil and cannot in anyones wildest dreams be equivalent to 30mm of foam. Buy the right stuff. Here I have 19mm foam on my 22mm pipes and 25mm foam on my 15mm but my pipes are running in ventilated underfloor spaces.