off topic - tape to stick to kraft-backed fiberglass insulation?

Most do-it-yourself type stores, hardware stores, etc. will also have a selection of colored cloth tapes; at least there are in our area.

If you don't mind me asking, What is the heat exchanger used for?

dennis in nca

dennis in nca

For something a lot more professional looking you might consider fiberglass duct. Here is a site:

are stiff sheets that can be cut and formed into rigid rectangular duct. The foil surface is made to work with a proprietary tape. For a small quantity you might stop at a local duct fab shop. They may give you some scrap.

___________________________ Keep the whole world singing. . . . DanG

Dennis, this hot water tank sits next to the boiler which heats my house. It uses the heat from the (non-potable) boiler water to heat the potable water for my home hot water. I don't think they're that uncommon.

Grant

I think that stuff has a little wax in it to make it more impermeable to moisture. Nothing sticks to it well. I would get a big roll of duct tape and wrap completely around the heater so the tape can stick to itself. Then when the tape comes off the paper it will at least hold the insulation in place.

Why not just get a tank insulator blanket kit? They have a vinyl covering instead of kraft, and come with the required tape. Something like $20 per kit. If the tank is less than 7 years old, the factory insulation is actually adequate - the payback for even a $20 kit will be YEARS.

That's the way most hot water is heated here in the UK - the hot tank has a coil of copper pipe in it that is treated just like an ordinary radiator - ie the central heating boiler water is pumped through to indirectly heat the domestic hot water.

AWEM

Thanks Grant. Seems like a good idea. I hadn't seen many boilers in CA and must have forgotten things like radiators and embedded radiant heating since moving from IL.

dennis in nca

Grant, Aluminum HVAC tape won't deteriorate like polyester tape does in warm, low-humidity circumstances.

It's a bit pricey, but worth it.

LLoyd

It might look better if the insulation was wrapped with Tyvek, and then it could be secured with staples or another method. I don't think that Tyvek is flame-proof.

The Kraft paper is likely to be coated inside with an asphalt-like product, so the paper is easily ignighted from flame (torch soldering) or possibly even (a shower of) sparks. The paper is usually marked with a caution, that it's not to be left exposed (normally covered with drywall).

WB metalwork> I have a weird problem. I recently replaced the hot water tank in my home. It's

I used that blue painters masking tape on every seam of Kraft-faced insulation inside my shop. Some of it's been exposed (no drywall yet) for a couple of years in a heated area (65 - 75 degrees) and it's still adhered nicely.

Snarl

I dunno where the hell the "ignighted" came from? Maybe Silent Knight, Oily Knight was playing on the radio. Obviously, that should've been ig-knighted.

I forgot to mench, that the back side of the Tyvek might look acceptable. I had used some to whiten a dark brick wall, instead of painting it. The Tyvek went on fast (horizontally, down to about 3 feet above the floor), and reflected lots of light for the workshop machines area. I was able to staple it at the top, and use some latex caulk to make it stick in a few places.

Where I overlapped the second swath to the first, I used ordinary clear PVC carton packing tape, which adhered well.

WB metalwork> It might look better if the insulation was wrapped with Tyvek, and