Missing or Damaged A/C Suction Line Insulation — Real Estate's #1 Choice (2024)

FAQs

What is the best insulation for suction lines? ›

Common materials for AC insulation wrap include foam rubber, polyethylene foam and fiberglass. Among these, the best balance of cost and effectiveness is in polyethylene foam products. These have close-celled designs to prevent moisture intrusion.

Q: What happens if the suction line of an air conditioner is not insulated? A: It sweats, drips and adds more heat needing to be rejected by the condenser. Suction gas becomes hot and compression load increases. This increases compressor power consumption.

Suction Line Insulation Saves Money!

When your HVAC system is new, this line is insulated air-tight with 3/4″ insulation. AS TIME passes, this insulation breaks down, and you can see gaps and tears in it. These gaps allow the cold refrigerant vapor inside to absorb ambient heat from the room or outdoors.

Closed-cell elastomeric foam pipe insulation, also known as rubber, is a proven AC refrigerant line pipe insulation type for ac refrigerant lines due to its closed cell structure and built-in vapor retarder.

Insulation on the suction line is a vital component of the air conditioning unit. The suction line must be well insulated to protect against condensation and keep the line cold. Otherwise, the cooling process becomes interrupted. The line labeled as “FREON IS GAS” is the suction line.

AC return lines should always be insulated with the appropriate AC return line insulation when their operating temperatures are below the ambient temperature to prevent condensation and heat gain to the refrigerant.

1 All liquid and suction lines shall be insulated continuously from a point 6" inside the display case to the suction service valve at the compressor. 1.2. 2 All low temperature lines (+10°F and below) shall be insulated with a minimum of 1" wall thickness.

The use of suction line insulation not only prevents water damage and a potential safety hazard, but it also allows the compressor to run cooler and the condenser to have to do less work.

The larger line typically carries a cool gas and is insulated. This is commonly referred to as the suction line, but it is also called the return line or vapor line. The smaller uninsulated line typically carries a warm liquid. It is most often called the liquid line.

How do you identify a suction line? ›

Two copper lines in an AC unit serve as refrigerant lines. The larger line that carries cool gas and is usually insulated is the suction line. The other refrigerant line is a smaller uninsulated line that carries warm liquid and is often called the liquid line.

Without polyurethane insulated refrigeration, approximately 50% percent of the world's food would rot, heavily influencing our daily life and food related business. Polyurethanes are ideal for the insulation of refrigerating appliances and have major advantages as they are: excellent insulators.

2 All low temperature lines (+10°F and below) shall be insulated with a minimum of 1" wall thickness. 1.2. 3 All medium and high temperature lines (above +10°F) shall be insulated with a minimum of 3/4" wall thickness.

A safe conclusion when comparing rubber versus foam plastic pipe insulation is that rubber is the better choice for commercial and industrial applications due to its lower thermal conductivity, higher continuous operating temperature, and more predictable fire behavior.

A typical residential AC unit has two copper lines that both exit the building exterior and run to the outside condenser unit. Only one of these copper pipes, the cold line, should be insulated. This is called the “suction” pipe and is typically the larger of the two pipes.