Split Air-Conditioning Insulation Specification
S1 – General
S1.01 Scope
All split air-conditioning pipework shall be insulated to prevent condensation and energy losses. All valves,
fittings, flanges and associated equipment shall be insulated to the same standards as the linear pipe runs.
Where services have the potential to generate or carry nuisance mechanical noise, acoustic insulation,
including sound absorption and anti-vibration, shall be applied.
S1.02 References
The materials, components and completed installations shall conform to applicable Standards current at the
time of tendering.
Relevant standards may include:
BS 353
BS 476
BS 874
BS 5970
EN ISO 8497
EN 12086
EN 12667
EN ISO 12241
EN ISO 14304
Glossary of terms relating to thermal insulation.
Fire Tests on Building Materials and Structures.
Methods of determining thermal properties, with definitions of thermal insulating
terms.
Thermal insulation of pipework and equipment in the temperature range of -100°C
to +870°C
Determination of steady-state thermal transmission properties of thermal insulation
for circular pipes
Thermal insulating products for building applications. Determination of water vapour
transmission properties
Determination of thermal resistance by means of guarded hot plate and heat flow
meter methods. Products of high and medium thermal resistance
Thermal insulation for building equipment and industrial installations -- Calculation
rules
Thermal insulation products for building equipment and industrial installations.
Factory made flexible elastomeric foam (FEF) products. Specification
S1.03 Services to be Insulated
Air-conditioning pipework
S1.04 Pipe Clearances
Shall be sufficient to allow for the full thickness of insulation to be applied around all pipework. The
mechanical contractor shall be responsible for ensuring this detail.
S1.05 Pipe Clamps
Shall only be applied around high density load bearing sections at least matching the thermal performance of
the thickness of insulation applied to linear pipe runs. The mechanical contractor shall be responsible for
ensuring this detail.
S2 Materials
S2.01 General
All insulation materials shall be:
Formaldehyde free.
Shown to inhibit the growth of mould.
Installed to the manufacturers recommendations. In particular all insulation shall be fully vapour sealed
using an approved adhesive or mastic around all pipe supports, clamps, valves and flanges.
Class O fire rated under BS 476 Parts 6 & 7 when used indoors.
© Kaimann GmbH · Brideoak Street · Oldham · OL4 2HB · +44 (0)161 627 3289 · knowhow.uk@kaimann.com · Status: 30. June 2012
Either inherently UV resistant or otherwise treated with compatible UV resistant paint or coatings when used
on pipework outdoors.
Provided with a compatible weather & UV resistant finish appropriate to the environment when used on
pipework outdoors which is likely to experience damage.
Manufactured in accordance with a fully certified EN ISO 9001 quality management system.
S3 – Thermal Insulation
S3.01 Insulation Specification
Materials shall be as described:
Kaiflex ST Class O:
Flexible Nitrile rubber insulation temperature resistant up to 100°C with a closed cell structure and a built in
vapour barrier. The material shall exhibit a Class 1 surface spread of flame rating when tested in accordance
with BS 476 Part 7 and a Class 0 fire rating when tested in accordance BS 476 Part 6.
The material shall be dust and fibre free and incorporate an anti-microbial additive to prevent mould growth.
The thermal conductivity shall be no greater than 0.034 W/(m·K) at 0°C and 0.038 W/(m·K) at 40°C when
tested in accordance with EN ISO 8497 or EN 12667. Water vapour transmission shall be no less than
10,000 when tested in accordance with EN 12086.
Tube material shall be supplied in 2 m lengths or 15 m long coils. Sheets shall be supplied in 1 m
continuous rolls. The material shall be black in colour.
Kaiflex EPDM:
Flexible UV resistant EPDM rubber insulation temperature resistant up to 150°C with a closed cell structure
and a built in vapour barrier. The material shall exhibit a Class 1 surface spread of flame rating when tested
in accordance with BS 476 Part 7.
The material shall be dust and fibre free.
The thermal conductivity shall be no greater than 0.038 W/(m·K) at 0°C and 0.042 W/(m·K) at 40°C when
tested in accordance with EN ISO 8497 or EN 12667. Water vapour transmission shall be no less than
4,500 when tested in accordance with EN 12086.
Tube material shall be supplied in 2 m lengths. Sheets shall be supplied in 1 m continuous rolls. The
material shall be black in colour
Kaiflex RT-ST
High density load bearing PIR pipe sections with a Nitrile rubber facing to provide a full water vapour seal
between the pipe support and the adjoining insulation.
S3.02 Technical Values
Material
Kaiflex ST
Class O
Kaiflex
EPDM
Temp
Range
-196ºC to
+105ºC
-196ºC to
+150ºC
“λ” Value
W/mK at
mean temp
0.034 @ 0ºC
0.036 @ 20ºC
0.038 @ 0ºC
0.04 @ 20ºC
ODP
Rating
GWP
Rating
Fire
Class
Typical material
density kg/m3
0
0
Class O
50-55
0
0
Class 1
50-55
© Kaimann GmbH · Brideoak Street · Oldham · OL4 2HB · +44 (0)161 627 3289 · knowhow.uk@kaimann.com · Status: 30. June 2012
S3.03 Material Selection
Shall be:
Internal
Split Air-Conditioning
Pipe
External
Concealed
Exposed
Concealed
Exposed
Kaiflex ST Class O
Kaiflex ST Class O
Kaiflex ST Class O*
or Kaiflex EPDM
Kaiflex ST Class O*
or Kaiflex EPDM*
*See coverings selection for acceptable finishes
S3.04 Material Thickness
For each service the thickness of insulation applied shall not be less than that defined in the tables below.
The following thickness’s shall be taken to represent reasonable provision for the control of energy loss,
prevention of pipe freezing and the prevention of surface condensation.
S3.04.01 Split Air-Conditioning
Pipe O.D
Kaiflex ST
Class O
Kaiflex
EPDM
Insulation Thickness
mm
mm
mm
10
13
13
12
13
13
15
13
13
22
13
13
28
13
13
35
13
19
42
19
19
54
19
19
67
19
19
76.1
19
19
88.9
19
19
S4 - Protective Coverings
S4.01 – Covering Specification
Materials shall be as described:
Kaifinish Paint:
UV resistant non-drip paint for Kaiflex ST Class O and Kaiflex BluEco matching material flexibility when dry.
Water varnish colour on the base of a PU-dispersion varnish. The colour shall be either white (RAL 9010) or
grey (RAL 7035).
In all cases two coats of Kaifinish paint should be applied to provide UV resistance.
Approximate coverage rate 0.55 l/m² (0.275 l/m² per layer). At least 2 hours should be allowed after
application of the first film before applying the second layer. Application should be at ambient temperatures
between 10°C and 30°C and a maximum relative humidity of 75%.
© Kaimann GmbH · Brideoak Street · Oldham · OL4 2HB · +44 (0)161 627 3289 · knowhow.uk@kaimann.com · Status: 30. June 2012
S4.02 – Covering Selection
Shall be:
For Kaiflex ST Class O:
Internal
Split Air-Conditioning
Pipe
External
Concealed
Exposed
Concealed
Exposed
None required
None required
kaifinish Paint
kaifinish Paint
For Kaiflex ST:
Internal
Split Air-Conditioning
Pipe
External
Concealed
Exposed
Concealed
Exposed
None required
None required
None required
None required
S5 – Additional Details
S5.01 – Water Vapour Barriers
Shall be built into the insulation material itself wherever possible. The water vapour resistance factor of the
insulation shall be no less than 10,000 for Kaiflex ST Class O and no less than 4,000 for Kaiflex EPDM.
Along all insulation seams and joints Kaiflex Adhesive shall be applied to form a water vapour tight seal
between two pieces of Kaiflex. Every 2 m and wherever insulation terminates Kaiflex shall be fixed directly
to the pipe using Kaiflex Adhesive to form a water vapour tight seal.
S5.02 – Insulation of Pipe Supports
Wherever possible the mechanical contractor shall ensure that all pipe clamps are installed around high
density load bearing insulation sections at least matching the thermal performance of the insulation on all
linear pipe runs. It is the responsibility of the insulation contractor to ensure that the water vapour barrier is
continuous around this load bearing section.
Where the mechanical contractor has installed pipe clamps directly around the pipe the insulation contractor
shall note this and, if appropriate, wrap insulation of at least the same thickness as used on adjoining linear
pipe runs around the pipe clamp. It is the responsibility of the insulation contractor to ensure that adhesive
has been applied to form a water vapour tight seal at this point.
S5.03 – Insulated Valve and Flange Cover Boxes
Shall be manufactured directly from Kaiflex sheet of at least the same thickness as used on linear pipe runs
following the manufacturers recommendations. The covering shall match that used on the linear pipe runs.
Where possible contractors shall apply velcro strips to the valve or flange box seams.
S5.04 – Fire Resistant Walls
At points where pipework passes through fire resistant walls the fire resistance of the wall shall be
maintained.
The mechanical contractor shall be responsible for ensuring this detail and obtaining from the manufacturer
all relevant test certificates.
© Kaimann GmbH · Brideoak Street · Oldham · OL4 2HB · +44 (0)161 627 3289 · knowhow.uk@kaimann.com · Status: 30. June 2012