How should I insulate the pipes leading from our boiler to the steam radiators upstairs?
Around Portland, Oregon, there’s an entity (perhaps a joint effort from the utility companies) called the Energy Trust. This organization will, at no cost or obligation, send somebody out to perform an “energy audit” on your home, providing recommendations for improved insulation and energy efficiency, and even suggesting measures that might provide tax credits or rebates. I don’t know where you live, but you might try to find a similar organization wherever you are. Perhaps your local government’s energy association might have info. Better still, contact your utilities. My wife and I were quite pleased with the results of our audit when we bought our new (old) house. The auditor made a number of suggestions, though none of them involved insulating water pipes. (Probably because we don’t have a boiler, etc.) She told us where to insulate, and how. She told us what kind of furnace would be best for our home. She gave us advice on lighting. This
The reason you want to insulate your pipes is not for energy effeciency but so that your radiators are getting the temperature of water/steam they were designed for and so you don’t return water that is too cold for your boiler. This is especially important if you have steam radiators or your boiler is of marginal size. Most plumbing and heating supply places will carry the correct material in all the sizes you’ll need. You may have to shop around for a dealer who will sell to someone without an account but there are lots of contractors who have such bad credit they deal with suppliers on a cash basis. Bring actual cash, some places won’t take plastic. You want a post installation split style of insulation. The kind I like when I was doing central A/C systems had a self adhesive strip that sealed the split. That was for low temp applications though so it may not be applicable to your situation.
