Safety

Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, or NH₃.  Because of Ammonia’s vaporization properties, it is frequently used as a refrigerant. NH3 boils at −33.34 °C (−28.012 °F) at a pressure of one atmosphere, Ammonia was commonly used before Freons (chlorofluorocarbons) became popular. Read more.

Summer is nearly over, now is the time to prevent pipe line freeze-ups! Frozen piping doesn’t only happen with water lines, there are many other substances and chemicals that are piped within a facility. Some pipes can cause shutdowns of production lines if the line freezes and breaks, creating hazardous conditions and in general wreak havoc! Read more.

In the spring of 2012, the University of Vermont (UVM) was referred by its distribution partner and steam specialist (Power & Process, Inc.) to insulation specialists Thermaxx LLC to help reduce energy inefficiencies by installing removable, re-usable insulation jackets on their steam equipment.

The project initially began in The Simpson Hall mechanical room, which had some common opportunities for improvement in regards to insulation best practices. Straight pipes had been insulated during construction in the 1950s, but many pieces of insulation had since been removed and damaged as a result of regular maintenance activities. Valves, steam trap stations, and other components that require routine inspection or maintenance were uninsulated. Ambient temperatures in the room approached 100°F, and UVM was concerned not only with heat loss and energy inefficiency but also with the uncomfortable work environment…More

Many industrial facilities have steam pipes throughout their infrastructure regardless if the facility is a university or a manufacturing plant. Therefore, measuring varying degrees of heat loss is important to save money and protect your steam pipes with removable insulation covers.

Understanding how to calculate heat loss is the first step towards realizing the overall benefit removable insulation can have on your steam pipes and overall facility…More

Thermaxx Jackets has expanded our available color schemes for your next removable insulation blankets! Color-coded insulation jackets can bring school spirit to your boiler room with insulation jackets that match your school colors or simply indicate operating temperatures. Typically, there are three main colors used in a steam room: Yellow, Orange and Blue. Read more…

Thermaxx Jackets has worked with many clients who are trying to make their food processing plant more energy efficient, safer, and cleaner (such as Calabro Cheese). The USDA recommends insulating pipes in food processing facilities, providing a layer of protection between the piping and your product. The insulation blankets used should be food grade or food safe. “Food grade” or “food safe” means that the insulation jacket designers consider the particular needs of the food processing plant. Read more…

Silverstein Properties wanted to insulate the front, rear, and rear circle drum of a boiler in its recently acquired property, 3 Mitchell Place in New York City. The 26 story building previously housed the Beekman Tower Hotel. The boiler was running inefficiently and posed a safety hazard because of the high temperature (267°F) of the three components. The boiler must undergo a yearly inspection by an engineer, so ensuring his or her easy access to the boiler was a high priority as well.

Insulating in an airtight or clean room application can be extremely difficult. Good clean room design has the mechanical insulation out of the airtight or clean room environment to avoid the possibility of fibers being introduced into the air. At the sasme time, there can be equipment in the clean room that must be used in a production situation and has an elevated temperature that can cause an employee to get severely burned. Read more.

ThermaXX Jackets was asked for expert insulation advice concerning a barbecue that was placed too close, in the customer’s opinion, to the exterior side of the RV for safe operation of the BBQ. BBQ’s can reach temperatures of 400°F and above, which, when placed too close to a fiberglass surface could cause serious problems. The biggest worry was not fire, although that was a consideration. The main worry was discoloration of the exterior portion of the RV directly behind the BBQ. Additionally the BBQ itself did not come with any kind of a weather cover. Our customer was concerned that if the BBQ was left outside that over time the BBQ components would seriously deteriorate!

Everyday insulating materials are not sufficient for hot applications. Traditional materials used in insulating blankets, covers and jackets (silicone/fiberglass) start to falter when approaching 600°F. Cover materials start failing, threads start degrading, and insulation starts burning… More