By Dominic Maida, Owner, No Sweat Valve Wraps, LLC
Twenty years ago I saw my first Chill beam valve assemblies in Reston, Virginia. It looked like a mass of pipes and valves: hot water, chilled water, mixed water and control wiring. Each assembly was piped differently by different mechanics. Six pipes were going into a small area, there were changing elevations with competing temperatures and no space. It was not a good application for insulation.
Change came with the 6-way valve… four pipes in, two pipes out with an actuator and seven openings on one valve. Now there was a standard. The new 6-way valves were easy to install for the HVAC mechanic but a nightmare for the pipe insulator.
Many have tried with limited success to adequately insulate a 6-way valve. Describing it as difficult is an understatement. Six insulated pipes from three sides with an automatic temperature control valve attached to the top. I’ve seen some unique attempts, pipe insulation with three holes through the side with some fiberglass board on the bottom and top with every hole packed with mastic or elastomeric material layered and built up with some elastomeric tape holding the whole mess together. They may work until the mastic or adhesive breakdown. How long did the mechanic take? an hour, an hour and a half and it still didn’t work. Think about that at today’s wages.
Our new Chill Beam Wraps solve the problem. Made of the same DuPont Tychem 2000 as all NO SWEAT products, they install in minutes, not hours, while combating mold and mildew. Save time, energy, and money with our reusable insulation system.
