BS EN 13469:2012

What is BS EN 13469 - pipe insulation vapour transmission about?

Thermal insulating pipes maintain the temperature of the fluid in pipes. BS EN 13469 is a European Standard that discusses thermal insulating products for building equipment and industrial installations.

BS EN 13469 is applicable to thermal insulating products. BS EN 13469 specifies the equipment and procedure for determining the water vapour transmission properties in the steady-state under specified test conditions for test specimens of preformed pipe insulation.

Note: A material is considered to be homogeneous in terms of mass distribution if its density is approximately the same throughout, i.e., if the measured density values are close to its mean density.

Who is BS EN 13469 - pipe insulation vapour transmission for?

BS EN 13469 on the determination of pipe insulation vapour transmission is useful for:

• Manufacturers of thermal insulating products
• Manufacturers and suppliers of insulated pipes
• Designers and manufacturers of construction materials
• Specifiers and installers
• Builders / real estate developers / architects
• Water supply and distribution networks
• Quality control and testing personnel
• Relevant government / municipal authorities

Why should you use BS EN 13469 - pipe insulation vapour transmission?

Vapour transmission can cause damage to the pipe insulation as well as the insulated pipes.

BS EN 13469 guidelines help you to determine water vapour transmission properties of preformed pipe insulation.

BS EN 13469 is intended to be used for homogeneous materials and for products that may have integral skins or adhered facings of some different material.

The water vapour transmission rate and permeance values are specific to the test specimen (i.e., the product) thickness tested. For homogeneous products, the water vapour permeability is a property of the material.

If the pipe insulation is cut from a flat product, then the water vapour transmission properties can be obtained from tests carried out on the flat product with similar properties in accordance with EN 12086.

BS EN 13469 provides guidance on apparatus, properties for measuring the circumference and outside and inside diameter, and thickness of thermal insulating pipes. BS EN 13469 guides you to initiate the preparation of test specimens of insulation pipes, their dimensions, numbers, and conditioning.

Overall, BS EN 13469 guidelines help you to determine the water vapour transmission properties of preformed pipe insulation so that you can assess the effectiveness of the insulation and take corrective measures accordingly. BS EN 13469 guidelines are a step towards preventing energy losses and thereby reducing energy cost.

What’s changed since the last update?

BS EN 13469:2012 supersedes BS EN 13469:2001 which is withdrawn. BS EN 13469:2012 includes some editorial changes with respect to BS EN 13469:2001. These include:

• The content of Annex A "Correction for air pressure variations during the test" has been included in the main part of the standard and the annex has been deleted
• The document has been editorially updated