Decibel Drop and Noise Reduction Coefficients for Material Combinations

Material manufacturers are required by law to publish Material Safety Data Specification (MSDS) sheets for their products. The MSDS sheet consists of the chemical and physical properties of a particular material like fiberglass or mineral wool. In addition to the MSDS, companies manufacturing materials that target the sound-reduction market often publish sound-reduction coefficients for their materials. The coefficients target individual frequencies. A problem arises when a company wants to offer a combination of materials. You just can’t add up the coefficients for the different materials. There is no formula you can use to determine the combination. The way to determine the coefficient is to test your combination of materials. In this article, we will take you through the testing process and show how the coefficients are calculated… More

Smart Insulation Jackets at Calabro Cheese: Case Study

About the Calabro Cheese Corporation  

Cooling Off a WCSU Central Heating Plant with Insulation Jackets

Project Background

Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) serves as an accessible, responsive and creative intellectual resource for the people and institutions of Connecticut, providing higher education to over 6,000 students in Danbury, CT.

The State Government’s Lead by Example program had asked State buildings to reduce energy costs by 10% in 2013 and an additional 10% in 2018. Embracing the initiative, WCSU has committed to increasing efficiency and has met or exceeded state goals since 2011…More

Thermaxx Jackets Announces Promotions to Partner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 21, 2013 – West Haven, CT – Thermaxx jackets, a nationally recognized removable insulation jacket manufacturer, is proud to announce the promotions of William Jones, Suzanne Rowe, and Chuck Murphy to the role of Partner, effective immediately.

All three will continue in their regular day-to-day operational roles of:

• William Jones – TX/AR/OK Sales & Operations
• Suzanne Rowe – DC/MD/NJ/PA/NY/New England Senior Sales manager
• Chuck Murphy – Chief Operations Officer

As Partners, the three assume an elevated role in helping drive Thermaxx’s aggressive growth rate and expansion into the international marketplace…More

What type of insulation should be used in steam tunnels and steam pits?

Many facilities contain buried steam lines which originate in the power house. These buried steam lines are used to bring steam to noncontiguous buildings and structures, allowing heat to be provided through a central power plant. Another name for this is “District Heating.”

Manholes and pits are usually strategically placed to allow for access to buried vaults. These vaults, or concrete structures, vary in size but are normally 10’ x 10’. This is where the shut off and maintenance valves are located. These shut off valves give the utility staff the ability to shut off the steam to facilitate replacement or maintenance operations in the buildings…More

Removable Insulation Jackets Installed at WVU

In January, 2012, Thermaxx entered into contract with West Virginia University (WVU) to provide removable insulation jackets and removable insulation covers in a mechanical room at their Mineral Resource Building. WVU contacted Thermaxx Jackets after discovering the company via an Internet search for information on insulating steam traps. After a site visit by the Thermaxx Representative, it was realized by both the University and Thermaxx that more than steam trap insulation was needed. The Mineral Resource Building mechanical room yielded up many needs for insulation jackets including: gate valves, steam traps, Wye Strainers, pressure reducing valves, and pumps…More

Removable Insulation Jackets Saving University $4000 per Year!

ThermaXX entered into contract September 2011 with Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) to provide Removable Insulation Jackets and Removable Insulation Covers in a mechanical room at Higgins Hall. The mechanical room was a typical university with steam. Although insulated during construction in the 1950’s, the insulation has since been removed and damaged as a result of day to day activities.

ThermaXX completed an energy survey and worked with the maintenance department to prepare a scope of work that included replacing missing pipe insulation and installing removable jackets on the components such as steam traps, gate valves, wye strainers and PRV’s. In addition to heat loss, the work environment ambient temperatures were uncomfortable and approaching 90f. The insulation reduced the temperature in the mechanical room substantially…More

Hot Stuff! High Temperature Insulation

When it comes to insulating your pipes, there are any factors to take into consideration. Take temperature, for instance. How hot are your pipes? Imagine your thermos of coffee – it does a great job of keeping your java piping hot all day long. But pour in some super-heated liquid at 1,000 degrees F and watch your thermos melt away into a puddle of plastic. Different insulation materials are made for different temperatures, both for the covering material and the insulation material itself…More

Why Your Hard Insulation is Costing You Money

A Connecticut university used to have a serious energy loss problem. One example of this was a valve in the mechanical room. Although hard insulation was dug out to form the shape of the valve, it still left the valve bonnet exposed, leading to significant heat loss. The temperature of the valve bonnet was 224 degrees. After installing a removable insulation cover, the surface temperature was reduced to 105 degrees. The removable insulation prevented the valve bonnet from losing 500 BTUs an hour, resulting in a savings of roughly $450 a year. And that’s just one valve!…More