The newly published BS 5422:2023 updates standards for thermal insulating materials operating between -40ºc and +700ºc
Updates to thermal insulating materials standards outlined in BS 5422:2023 have been welcomed by the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA).
The new revisions include minimum insulation thickness for pipes, tanks, vessels, ductwork and equipment operating between -40ºc and +700ºc.
This includes applications such as refrigeration, air conditioning, heating and domestic hot and cold applications.
The changes follow a transformative time in UK thermal insulation practice
The update follows UK adoption of Euroclass standards and a departure from ‘Class O’ declarations.
The British Standards Institute (BSI) has also added more tables regarding enhance insulation thickness and district heating thickness.
BS 5422:2023 brings ‘more clarity’ according to TICA’s Chris Ridge
Chris Ridge, TICA’s technical policy manager, said: “The updated standards provide more clarity, and the additional tables will provide greater optionality for the specifier.
“While the number of tables has increased, there has been an attempt to simplify the reading of the tables. For example, higher thermal conductivity values for materials no longer supplied or rarely used, have been removed.
“Reaction to Fire is now defined within this publication in terms of Euroclass, which gives a more comprehensive and clear definition of the behaviour of materials exposed to fire. It also states a minimum performance of Euroclass C-s3, d2 in dwelling applications and B-s3, d2 in non-dwelling applications, and this will hopefully serve to reinforce good practice.”
However, he has called for a rethink on the sheer number of low temperature heating and domestic hot water tables included in the new standard – with ten separate tables for low temperature heating services alone.
He added: “This could well prove a challenge for those interpretating specifications. We should also consider that whilst the ‘base standard’ tables for heating and hot water services are still included in the new version of the standard, they no longer represent best practice from a thermal insulation specification point of view.”
TICA will hold a webinar to explore key changes in BS 5422: 2023
TICA’s education webinar will be announced later this week. TICA contracting members can access the new standard via TICA’s standards portal.
You can purchase the new BS 5422: 2023 standard here.
