Old piping insulation resistance fire resistance

[Coco_HueHueHue]

Hello,

First of all, i just want to clarify that i do not have any mechanical engineering experience, but that i am electrical.
I am trying to install a new heat tracing system onto an old steel 18 inches steel pipe.

The thing is, the pipe is inside of a very restrained space and it could be hard to carry out the old pipe insulation and re-install new insulation.
And, after a site visit, most of the pipe insulation seems in pretty good shape. I am not worry to re-use this insulation.

The insulation has been tested for asbestos, and the laboratory told us at the same time that it was composed at more than 75% of glass fiber.
So, it looks to be standard fiberglass wool insulation.

My question is the following:
Since i am installing a heat source between the pipe and its insulation, is its fire resistance property going down with age or can i still consider it good?

From what i've seen so far on the internet, it looks like that fire resistance property stays good for the complete life cycle of the product.
Can anyone confirm?

Thank you very much,
Coco

 

[racookpe1978]

Mechanical (physical) degradation is more likely a problem. It is a confined space, so little damage is likely to have occurred from bumping, chainfalls, disassembly, and movement of nearby stuff during maintenance. That will help you.

Can you eliminate water damage or sagging, gaps, broken pieces by a visual inspection by borescope or TV?

It seems the problem will be getting the heat-trace lines inserted between the insulation and the steel pipe, since the pipe supports will touch the pipe at each support.

 

[Coco_HueHueHue]

Thank you for your answer.
I can handle every steps of the situation.
But, my main question is still:

Is the fiberglass wool insulation fire resistance property going down with age or can i still consider it good?

Regards,

 

[bimr]

Fiberglass wool insulation is made from molten glass, stone or slag (industrial waste) that is spun into a fibre-like structure. The fiberglass wool insulation is chemically inert and will not have any less fire resistance than the day it was new.

What has changed is that the insulation may be falling off the pipe, the insulation may be missing the jacket cover, the insulation may be saturated with water or some other liquid material that has soaked into the insulation, or the insulation may be coated with dust or debris.

 

[racookpe1978]

For example of the above "change", coal dust (conventional power plant or coal-burner) has settled into the insulation. Wheat dust is in the tunnel.
Oil has soaked the insulation.
Water or oil or cleaning fluid has soaked the insulation.

Solvent is in the insulation.