Pre-Insulated Municipal Service Pipe System
In this system, the municipal service pipe is factory insulated in straight lengths with or without a THERMOCABLE® trace conduit. Heat losses are reduced and time to freeze is increased.
HEATING CABLE: THERMOCABLE® fluoropolymer insulated “constant watt” heating cable is pulled into the trace conduit which was installed on the service pipe prior to insulating. THERMOCABLE® capacity to be sized according to the diameter of the service pipe. Additional capacity should be included if tracing system is passive (to be energized only if service pipe freezes). All systems should be thermostatically controlled; if the service pipe is plastic, dual sensing electronic thermostat must be used.
INSULATION: 50 mm (2 in) thick U.I.P.® factory applied rigid polyurethane foam insulation with a 1.27 mm (50 mils) thick black polyethylene outer protective jacket. Insulation joints to be field insulated with compatible insulation halfshells and wrap around heat shrink sleeves.PIPE: Usually either type K soft copper or HDPE (CTS or IPS) municipal service pipe is pre-insulated in the factory, with or without a tracing conduit.
PIPE: Usually either type K soft copper or HDPE (CTS or IPS) municipal service pipe is pre-insulated in the factory, with or without a tracing conduit.
Time to Freeze and Heat Loss For U.I.P.® Pre-Insulated Service Pipe
| Nominal Pipe Diameter |
Pipe Ambient -18°C (0°F) | Pipe Ambient -34°C (-30°F) | |||||
| Time to Freeze HRS. | Heat Loss | Time to Freeze HRS. | Heat Loss | ||||
| mm | in | No Insulation | 50 mm (2 in) U.I.P.® |
(watts/m) | No Insulation | 50 mm (2 in) U.I.P.® |
(watts/m) |
| 19 | 0.75 | <1 | 16 | 1.6 | <1 | 8.5 | 2.9 |
| 25 | 1 | <1 | 26 | 1.8 | <1 | 13 | 3.3 |
| 40 | 1.5 | <1 | 47 | 2.1 | <1 | 24 | 4.0 |
| 50 | 2 | 1 | 70 | 2.4 | <1 | 36 | 4.6 |
Note:
- No safety factor included; results are nominal; assumes initial water temperature of 1.11°C (34°F).
- To convert watts to BTU, multiply by 3.414.
- To convert meters to feet, multiply by 3.28.
- To convert watts/m to watts/ft, divide by 3.28.
Pre-Insulated municipal services normally consist of either type K soft copper or DR 11 series 160, high density polyethylene (HDPE) with iron pipe size (IPS) dimensions, or CSA approved with copper tube size (CTS) dimensions. The pre-insulated service pipes are shipped in straight lengths as follows:
Length of Pre-Insulated Municipal Service Pipe
| Core Pipe Type | Lengths Available |
| Type K soft copper | 3.7 m, 6.7 m, 10 m (12 ft, 22 ft, 33 ft) |
| DR 11, HDPE (CTS) | 6 m, 12 m (20 ft, 40 ft) |
| DR 11, HDPE (IPS) | 6 m, 12 m (20 ft, 40 ft) |
Pre-Insulated goosenecks may be supplied if desired with either type K soft copper or HDPE core pipe. Goosenecks are usually connected into the system with compression couplings, which are subsequently insulated with insulation kits (halfshells and wrap around heat shrink sleeves).
If THERMOCABLE® electric tracing is used, a plastic heat trace conduit is applied to the service pipe prior to insulating and the trace cable pulled into the conduit in the field. The THERMOCABLE® is pulled in after the pipes have been joined, but before the insulation joint kits are applied.
Pre-Insulated saddle and corporation stop kit on a 25 mm (1 in) HDPE pre-insulated service.
A 25 mm (1 in) pre-insulated circulating type K soft copper service arrangement with dual goosenecks (goosenecks may also be laid in the horizontal plane to increase depth of bury).
Curb stop and PE service box arrangement within the curb stop insulation kit.s
In order to facilitate the installation of the temperature sensor(s), it is recommended that the first length of pipe emanating from the building have an additional trace conduit used for the routing of the sensor(s). This conduit should be factory installed prior to insulating.
pre-insulated service at Chevery, Quebec. Photos courtesy of Les Plastiques Fusionex Inc.
Completing the installation of a curb box insulation kit and tamping of sandy backfill, on a shallow buried 25 mm (1 in)