Frost King foam/foil insulation

Post here whats not safe to do or use.

Moderator: Site Moderator

Post Reply
Gnome
Novice
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 1:08 pm

Frost King foam/foil insulation

Post by Gnome »

On my third still setup (8 gal. milk can, 1"" raiser, reduced to 1/2"" coil in a 6 g. bucket) I had a "bright" idea to insulate the boiler. Since I just had an unopened roll of the stuff (adhesive, foam, foil, supposed to be used on AC/Heating ducts), looked like it will work.
The application was easy, just cut to the size, then stick to the can. And it even looked pretty!
Fire up the burner (propane in my case) and problems! Apparently, the temp of the boiler is way too high. The adhesive starts to smoke really fast.
I almost needed a gas mask to kill the fire and to peel it off.
User avatar
pfshine
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 3106
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 10:59 pm
Location: Vegas

Re: Frost King foam/foil insulation

Post by pfshine »

Man that sucks but whooo boy am I laughing. I think it was the whole fire thing making it smoke.
Last edited by pfshine on Wed Apr 06, 2016 9:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
Life is a journey you take alone. Make sure you do what you what makes you happy
hellbilly007
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 581
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:59 am
Location: Never one place very long

Re: Frost King foam/foil insulation

Post by hellbilly007 »

Insulation is usually used on electric element equipped stills. If you're bound and determined to insulate your boiler the only thing that comes to mind is using rockwool insulation. A heat shroud would be the cheaper route, imho.
rad14701
retired
Posts: 20865
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:46 pm
Location: New York, USA

Re: Frost King foam/foil insulation

Post by rad14701 »

For a gas fired boiler, a heat shroud is far more efficient than insulation... We've had several discussions about various heat shroud ideas... Better to capture the heat and allow it to heat the sides of the boiler than to protect the boiler from the heat as it rises up the sides... :idea:
Tomb
Novice
Posts: 90
Joined: Tue Sep 24, 2013 6:07 pm

Re: Frost King foam/foil insulation

Post by Tomb »

I believe this is concept of the Reflectix insulation. Leave a gap between the heat source and the insulation to allow the "reflection" to happen.

T
rad14701
retired
Posts: 20865
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:46 pm
Location: New York, USA

Re: Frost King foam/foil insulation

Post by rad14701 »

Tomb wrote:I believe this is concept of the Reflectix insulation. Leave a gap between the heat source and the insulation to allow the "reflection" to happen.

T
Reflectix will melt and off-gas toxic fumes... It's not the right tool for the job when running an open flame... For an electric keg boiler you can wrap it with Reflectix to hold the heat in...
Gnome
Novice
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 1:08 pm

Re: Frost King foam/foil insulation

Post by Gnome »

Yep,
we learn till we live!
In my defense, the stuff was taking space on the shelf, and I had a day or two to wait till the fermentation is over. My biggest problem is (or, will be once the weather turns warmer) is the heat, not the energy savings. As my setup is now in the garage (small, and full of stuff), when it is close to freezing outside, it is toasty inside from the burner/boiler. With the door open just a crack and exhaust fan at the window, I could "work" all the way till June, at most. Once the real NE summer comes, I will have to close for the season. I can tolerate cold way better than heat, and to run AC while burning propane in a closed space... ridiculous and maybe, even unsafe.
So, maybe, I will turn to gardening or boating till the colds return.
Post Reply