Sell Insulation Jacketing by Pipe Size, Insulation Thickness and Service
Uncap builds insulation jacketing B2B ecommerce on Shopify for mechanical insulation manufacturers and distributors selling insulation, fitting covers, jacketing and accessories to mechanical insulation contractors and mechanical contractors. Insulation jacketing is the outer covering applied over mechanical insulation, and its types include all service jacket (ASJ), foil-scrim-kraft (FSK), PVC, aluminum and stainless steel. A jacketing order is sized twice, once by the pipe and once by the insulation wall around it, and then it changes with where the line runs and whether it runs hot or cold.
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Talk to our expertsThe challenge
Where a product grid breaks for insulation jacketing
A jacketing order is sized twice, once by the pipe and once by the insulation wall around it, and then it changes with where the line runs and whether it runs hot or cold.
A fitting cover has two sizes, and the cover number is neither of them. Johns Manville's Zeston 2000 selection charts find the cover from the pipe size and the insulation thickness together. On the chart for tees, valves, 45 degree elbows and short radius 90 degree elbows, a No. 15 cover fits a 4 inch iron pipe under 1 inch of insulation, a 2 inch pipe under 2 inches, and a ½ inch pipe under 2½ inches. Long radius 90 degree elbows have a chart of their own, where the 4 inch pipe at 1 inch takes a cover listed as 4x1. At some of the largest sizes the chart lists elbow covers only, with no tee or valve cover.
"Two inch" means two different covers. Iron pipe and copper tubing are separate charts. Under 1 inch of insulation, a 2 inch iron pipe takes a No. 11 cover, and 2⅛ inch copper tubing takes a No. 10. The charts are sized to insulation made to ASTM C585 and add: "Note that thickness for rubber and other products vary from fiberglass. Please measure to verify sizing."
Service changes what goes in the box. On JM's Zeston 2000 data sheet, hot systems need enough insulation "to ensure PVC covers are kept below 150°F (66°C)." On cold systems, "An approved vapor-barrier compatible with PVC must be applied between pipe insulation and fitting cover and on fitting cover throat overlap." Above 250°F, below 45°F, or with insulation thicker than 1½ inches, the cover needs two or more layers of insulation inserts. JM's stainless steel tacks are for "hot work where a vapor retarder is not required," and its color fittings and jacketing are not recommended outdoors.
Metal protects the insulation, but it is not a vapor retarder. JM's metal jacketing installation guide says "Aluminum or stainless steel protective jacketing shall not be considered a vapor retarder," and that metal jacketing "shall be used for all piping or equipment located outdoors." The minimum aluminum gauge follows the insulation's outer diameter and its compressive strength. Bands and seals go on straight sections at a maximum spacing of 12 inches on center, and the guide says: "Do not use screws, staples, or other fasteners that can penetrate the vapor retarder."
A product grid that lists "PVC elbow, 2 inch" answers none of these questions.
The Uncap solution
A size selector that reads the manufacturer's chart. The contractor picks iron pipe or copper tubing, the pipe size, the insulation thickness and the fitting type. The site returns the cover number from that manufacturer's chart, shows which fitting types exist at that size, and shows the chart's measure note when the insulation is rubber or another non-fiberglass product. The selector is built during implementation from your manufacturers' charts. It sits above the variants because Shopify says "Each product can have up to three options," and a fitting cover line carries pipe type, pipe size, insulation thickness, fitting type and color. The chart attributes are stored as structured product data, configured during implementation.
Service conditions that fill in the accessories. The buyer marks the line hot or cold, indoor or outdoor. A cold PVC line adds a PVC-compatible vapor retarder and the adhesive or tape that seals the system; a hot line can take tacks. An outdoor metal line adds bands and wing seals, with the band count from the manufacturer's spacing and a minimum gauge from its outer diameter table. These rules are built during implementation, using only what each manufacturer publishes.
Job quotes from a contractor's takeoff. Uncap Quotes runs the full CPQ (configure, price, quote) workflow on Shopify, from quote to cash. Negotiated prices, tiers and volume breaks apply automatically, exceptions go to the right approver, quotes carry validity windows and a full revision history, and an approved quote turns straight into a Shopify order. Turning a takeoff of linear feet by size and fitting counts by type into quote lines is built during implementation.
Crews, reorders and terms. In Uncap Portal, contractors get real multi-user accounts with roles and permissions, each buyer sees their assortment and pricing, and banding, tape and adhesive sit on reorder lists. NET terms, invoices and payments live in the portal, with budgets, approvals and limits per user.
ERP sync. Uncap Connect is a Shopify embedded app that keeps the store and your ERP in real-time, two-way sync. Your ERP stays the system of record.
Key features
Cover number lookup. Pipe type, pipe size, insulation thickness and fitting type in, the manufacturer's cover number out, built during implementation from its charts.
Iron pipe and copper tubing kept apart. Separate selections for iron pipe size and copper tubing size, so a 2 inch line resolves to the right chart, built during implementation.
Non-fiberglass insulation flagged. The manufacturer's measure note shown when the insulation under the cover is rubber or another product, configured during implementation.
Hot, cold, indoor and outdoor rules. Vapor retarder, adhesive, tape or tacks added from the service the buyer selects, using each manufacturer's published limits, built during implementation.
Metal jacketing gauge and banding. Minimum gauge from insulation outer diameter and compressive strength, with band counts from the manufacturer's spacing, built during implementation.
Pipe insulation by the same two sizes. Sections sold by iron pipe size or copper tubing size and wall thickness, with each manufacturer's size availability applied, configured during implementation. JM, for one, lists ½ inch thick Micro-Lok HP for iron pipe sizes ½ to 6 inches and copper tubing sizes ⅝ to 4⅛ inches, except 3⅝ inch.
Jacket by location. Outdoor, indoor and buried lines filtered to the jackets each manufacturer recommends for them, configured during implementation.
Takeoff to quote. A contractor's job list priced on Uncap Quotes with volume breaks, approvals and revision history, and one-click conversion to an order.
Contractor accounts. Multi-user accounts, reorder lists for consumables, NET terms and per-user limits through Uncap Portal.
ERP sync, Connect or managed iPaaS. Pricing, inventory, customers and orders kept current between Shopify and the ERP, through Uncap Connect or a managed iPaaS integration.
Why Uncap
The line between product and build, in writing. Quoting, approvals, validity windows and order conversion ship in Uncap Quotes. Contractor accounts, reorder lists and terms ship in Uncap Portal, and ERP sync ships in Uncap Connect. The chart lookup, the service rules, gauge and banding logic, and takeoff import are built during implementation from your manufacturers' data. The scope says which is which.
Proof, labeled at its true distance. Uncap has not published a mechanical insulation case study. The closest build shares the catalog mechanic: ULE Group, which describes itself as "a national leader in electrical, lighting, and power distribution solutions," runs a B2B storefront with over 250,000 SKUs, search with more than 100 filters, a cart-level convert-to-quote feature and real-time product, inventory and pricing updates from Epicor. A large distributor catalog narrowed by attributes, yes. Fitting cover charts, not yet.
Credentials you can check. Uncap is a Shopify Platinum Partner.
Scoped before it is built. The Uncap Blueprint is a fixed-price, four-week plan, credited 1:1 toward implementation. It covers solution architecture, a data migration taxonomy and an ERP integration audit, and ends with a fixed-cost implementation estimate. For a jacketing distributor, that work can cover the cover charts, the service rules and the ERP connection.
This page sits under plumbing, HVAC and mechanical supply ecommerce, which covers model and serial lookup, supersession, fittings and will call. This page goes one level down, into what covers the insulated pipe. Building insulation sold under the FTC's R-value Rule is covered on insulation and drywall ecommerce; this page is the mechanical side, which that rule's definition of home insulation leaves out. Duct wrap is the one duct insulation that definition includes. Equipment on the same jobs is covered on HVAC equipment and repair parts ecommerce and pump and pump control ecommerce. Testing and repair parts for backflow assemblies are covered on backflow testing ecommerce. For account pricing at scale, see the field notes on customer-specific catalogs and price lists, and for structured product data, the glossary entry on Shopify metafields. For the ERP side, see the Epicor Eclipse integration, the Infor SX.e integration, the Epicor Prophet 21 integration, or the full list of ERP integrations.
Ready to talk
Bring two documents. The first is the fitting cover chart for the PVC line you sell most, with a few cover numbers your counter looked up from it last month. The second is a takeoff a mechanical insulation contractor sent you for one job, with its pipe sizes, insulation thicknesses and fitting counts. Together they show how much of the order still gets sized by hand. Name your ERP too, and say where pipe size and insulation thickness live in your item records today. If they sit inside item descriptions rather than in their own fields, that shapes the data work during implementation. A list of the manufacturers whose charts you carry helps as well, with a note on which ones publish them only as PDFs.
Talk to Our Experts about your catalog and your ERP, or start with a Blueprint if what you need first is the chart data, service rules and integration written down and costed.
Frequently asked questions
What is insulation jacketing?
Insulation jacketing is the outer layer over pipe, duct or equipment insulation. The National Insulation Association lists the types used on mechanical insulation as "all service jacket (ASJ), foil-scrim-kraft (FSK), sheet metal such as aluminum, metal foil, various types of thin plastic, synthetic rubber laminates with pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), metal foil with PSA, multi-ply laminates with PSA, and fabrics with mastics and adhesives." On cold systems, it adds, the jacketing "must also serve as an effective vapor retarder."
What is a PVC jacket on pipe insulation?
It is a plastic covering over the insulation, sold as rolls, precut sections and fitting covers. JM's Zeston roll jacketing comes in 10, 15, 20 and 30 mil and in 35½ and 48 inch widths. Its Cut and Curled jacketing is factory curled to the insulation size, available with or without self-sealing lap tape (SSL) on the longitudinal seam, and JM recommends the 30 mil thickness outdoors. JM lists PVC's operating temperature limit as up to 150°F and calls the jacketing "especially suitable for food, beverage and pharmaceutical applications."
What can you cover pipe insulation with?
It depends on where the line runs. JM's installation guide says metal jacketing "shall be used for all piping or equipment located outdoors," and that stainless steel "shall be used when its superior flame or corrosion resistance is required." JM says its aluminum roll jacketing helps protect the insulation and the pipe "from physical damage, UV exposure, corrosive environments, and water." JM does not recommend its color PVC outdoors. Buried lines take their own jacket: Owens Corning's PITTWRAP SS is a self-sealing modified bitumen membrane for underground FOAMGLAS systems, and Owens Corning says it is "Not intended for indoor use."
How do you size a PVC fitting cover?
Read the manufacturer's chart at the pipe size and the insulation thickness. On JM's Zeston 2000 chart for tees, valves, 45 degree elbows and short radius 90 degree elbows, a 2 inch iron pipe under 1 inch of insulation takes a No. 11 cover, while 2⅛ inch copper tubing at the same thickness takes a No. 10. For rubber and other non-fiberglass insulation, JM says to measure to verify sizing.
Is aluminum jacketing a vapor retarder?
No. JM's metal jacketing guide says aluminum or stainless steel protective jacketing "shall not be considered a vapor retarder," and that any vapor retarder on a portion of piping must be complete and continuous before jacketing goes on. ASTM's published scope says C1136 "covers vapor retarders for thermal insulation, specifically, flexible materials with permeance of 0.15 perm" or lower, with "surface burning characteristics of 25 flame spread/50 smoke or lower," for use "at surface temperatures of −20 to 150°F."
How thick should aluminum jacketing be?
JM bases its minimum on the insulation's outer diameter and compressive strength, per ASTM C1729. Up to 8 inches of outer diameter, it lists 0.016 inch for both rigid and non-rigid insulation. Over 24 through 36 inches, it lists 0.020 inch over rigid insulation and 0.032 inch over non-rigid. JM defines rigid insulation as 15 psi compressive strength or greater, and says a thicker jacket may be required where excessive physical abuse is expected.
Does the FTC R-value Rule cover pipe insulation?
No. The rule's definition of home insulation, at 16 CFR 460.2, says: "It does not include pipe insulation. It does not include any kind of duct insulation except for duct wrap." Duct wrap is the exception, so a catalog selling both should know which products fall where. The building insulation side, with fact sheets beside the price, is covered on the insulation and drywall page.
Which ERPs does this connect to?
Uncap publishes thirteen ERP family integrations: Acumatica, Cin7, Epicor, Fishbowl, Infor, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite, Odoo, Oracle, QuickBooks, Sage, SAP and Syspro. The plumbing, HVAC and mechanical page names Epicor Eclipse, Infor SX.e and Epicor Prophet 21 as the ones that come up most. Integrations run through Uncap Connect or a managed iPaaS integration. Whether your ERP holds cover charts and service attributes is confirmed during scoping.
What is the difference between this page and the plumbing, HVAC and mechanical page?
The plumbing, HVAC and mechanical page covers finding the part from the unit a contractor is servicing: model and serial lookup, supersession, fittings and will call. This page covers what goes over the insulated pipe: fitting covers sized by pipe and insulation thickness, jacketing chosen by service and location, and the accessories that come with each.
