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How to Spec Liquid-Cooling Seals and Pipe Insulation: What to Send H-O for a Quote
A liquid-cooling RFQ that says "silicone gasket and some pipe insulation, see drawings" hides the three numbers that actually pick every part: the fluid and where it can reach, the flame clause, and the line temperature against the room dew point. This article is the checklist the H-O applications team works from for CDU, RDHx, containment, immersion, and pipe-insulation parts: the eight things to send, why each one changes the answer, and what happens after you hit send.
It condenses the selection logic of the full application page into a quoting workflow, with per-grade values staying on the maker TDS where they belong.
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The eight things to send, and what each decides
| Send this | What it decides |
|---|---|
| 1. The fluid in the loop, by name and concentration | The chemistry track for every wetted or mist-exposed seal: water/glycol loops keep dry-side gaskets on EPDM economics and move penetrations to fluorosilicone sponge; immersion fluids route tank seals to FKM with FFKM for the most aggressive chemistries, confirmed against the fluid maker's compatibility data. |
| 2. Each seal's location and exposure mode (dry-side, mist/weep path, immersed) | Which seals pay for chemical resistance and which stay on the economy track. This one sorting pass is the page's most valuable habit. |
| 3. Any flame-class callout, quoted verbatim | Whether the joint moves to the V-0 track: kSil V-0 (kSil V-0 70 product page) or RS-series silicone sponge carry UL 94 V-0 listings on their TDSs, verified at your thickness. The fire requirement overrides cost. |
| 4. Door and panel mechanics (closure force, gap, open-close frequency, service temperature at the seal) | Firmness and chemistry: high-cycle warm doors take BISCO silicone foam for its compression-set behavior; panels that close once stay on EPDM or SCE neoprene. Compression-deflection per ASTM D1056. |
| 5. Line temperatures and the room design dew point | The aerogel grade per run: Cryogel Z below the dew point (vapor behavior per ASTM E96), ArmaGel HT/HTL on warm runs, Pyrogel XTE on the hottest returns. Thickness is sized from TDS conductivity values per ASTM C177. |
| 6. Pipe and fitting geometry for insulation parts | The converting plan: fitted sleeves, saddles, and manifold blankets die-cut to the drawing install repeatably; field-trimmed blanket does not. |
| 7. Vent and pad duties (enclosure volume and cycle profile; pump skid mass and footprint) | The ePTFE vent open area from the membrane maker's airflow data, and the urethane pad firmness grade loaded into its working range (ASTM D3574). |
| 8. Quantities and presentation (prototype and production; kiss-cut on liner, slit strip, kitted sets) | Converting method and price structure. Prototype counts through production runs are equally accepted. |
What engineering does with the list
The review runs the parent page's sequence: fluid first (item 1 and 2 set the chemistry track per seal), fire second (item 3 gates the V-0 grades), then mechanics (item 4 picks firmness and the silicone track for high-cycle doors), then temperature (item 5 assigns the aerogel grade per run, with the dew-point comparison deciding where Cryogel Z starts). Items 6 through 8 turn the material directions into converted parts: fitted insulation kits, vent patches, pump pads, and gasket sets, each with the TDS attached.
The output is a family and grade direction per part, a footprint and thickness proposal, and a quote.
What happens after you send it
- Drawing review. Typically opened the same business day; the response is either a material direction per part or the specific missing items (the fluid name, the flame clause, and the dew point are the usual three).
- Material direction and quote. Families and grades with TDS citations: D1056 compression classes, C177 conductivity for thickness, UL 94 listings at your gauge, and the fluid pairing checked against the fluid maker's data.
- Samples. Typically 3 to 5 business days for common die-cut configurations on materials we keep on hand, so gaskets can be compression-checked and sleeves test-fitted on real hardware.
- Production. Standard production runs about two weeks after drawing approval, including kiss-cut-on-liner and laminated configurations; expedited service available. MOQ varies by material and part.
Documentation available on request: material TDS, certificate of conformance, and lot traceability, under our ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management system. H-O is a die-cut converter in Winsted, Connecticut: we do not extrude or mold raw material in-house, and extruded or molded profiles are coordinated through our partner network.
The mistakes this checklist prevents
| Spec mistake | What it causes | Checklist item that catches it |
|---|---|---|
| Standard silicone at a glycol-exposed penetration | A softened, swollen gasket months after commissioning | Items 1 and 2 |
| Warm-line aerogel on a below-dew-point line | A sweating chilled line wetting the insulation and the cable tray below | Item 5 |
| Organic foam on a high-cycle RDHx door | Compression set; hot exhaust bypassing the coil with no visible fault | Item 4 |
| Flame clause discovered at review | Unrated foam in a joint the specification gated at V-0 | Item 3 |
| No vent on a tightly sealed CDU | Thermal cycling pumping humid air past the gaskets; condensation inside | Item 7 |
| Pump pad picked by feel | A bottomed-out pad coupling vibration into racks | Item 7 (mass and footprint) |
Frequently asked questions
What if we are between RDHx retrofits and a full CDU loop?
The material set carries over more than you would expect, which is good news for standardization. RDHx deployments use the silicone-foam door gasket, urethane mounting pads, and warm-line aerogel set; full CDU loops add the manifold-penetration fluorosilicone, the ePTFE vent, and more pipe insulation; immersion adds the fluoroelastomer fluid-side seals. A drawing package standardized on the page's families carries from the first retrofit through a full build-out.
How do I state the dew point line on the drawing?
Two numbers per insulated run: the line operating temperature and the room design dew point. If the line runs below the dew point, the run is specified as sub-ambient (Cryogel Z) and the drawing details the vapor-control jacket and seam sealing, not just the blanket. Warm runs state the temperature so the grade and thickness follow from the TDS conductivity data per ASTM C177.
Can H-O cut fitted insulation kits rather than roll stock?
Yes, and fitted parts are the point: die-cut sleeves, saddles, manifold blankets, and penetration collars install repeatably and keep the vapor detailing intact, where field-trimmed blanket does not. Send the pipe and fitting geometry (or a marked-up isometric) and the kit comes back as drawn parts with the aerogel grade per run.
Whose data governs the fluid pairing for immersion seals?
The fluid maker's elastomer compatibility data for the specific fluid, reviewed during quoting alongside the seal grade's TDS. H-O converts the chosen material and supplies its documentation; the pairing authority is the fluid maker's published data, which is also what your own design review will accept. Name the fluid exactly, and re-review if the tank chemistry ever changes.
Send the checklist, get a cooling-hardware quote
Attach the drawings with the fluid, exposure modes, flame clause, and line temperatures. Drawing review typically starts the same business day.
Samples typically 3 to 5 business days; production about two weeks; MOQ varies by material and part. Expedited service available.
Family-owned in Winsted, Connecticut since 1971 · ISO 9001:2015 certified · OEMs worldwide send us a drawing — and get back their part.
Related reading
ApplicationData Center Cooling & Liquid InfrastructureRead →
GuideEPDM, Silicone Sponge, or Fluorosilicone: Choosing Gaskets and Insulation for CDU and RDHx HardwareRead →
GuideGlycol, Dielectric Fluids, and the Seal: Coolant-Loop Elastomer Compatibility on a DelayRead →
IndustryElectromechanical & Switchgear hubRead →
Request a quote for your data-center liquid cooling part
Send H-O your drawing or describe the part—engineering reviews every RFQ and converts samples on your geometry.
Last updated · Reviewed by H-O Products engineering (ISO 9001:2015 certified converter, Winsted, CT).
References
- ASTM D1056 (compression-deflection classes); UL 94 (V-0 / HF-1 listings per grade and thickness); ASTM D3574 (urethane pad methods); ASTM C177 (aerogel conductivity); ASTM E96 (vapor transmission, sub-ambient insulation); ASTM E84 (surface burning); AMS 3323 (fluorosilicone sponge).
- ASHRAE TC 9.9 datacom liquid-cooling guidance (facility-water classes, cited qualitatively); NFPA 75 (fire protection of IT equipment, by designation).
- Maker technical data sheets: RE-series EPDM; SCE neoprene; kSil V-0 / RS-series sponge; BISCO BF and HT-series silicone foam; fluorosilicone sponge; FKM and FFKM grades; Cryogel Z; ArmaGel HT/HTL; Pyrogel XTE; ePTFE vent membrane; PORON industrial urethanes; plus the fluid makers' elastomer compatibility data.
This checklist supports a quotation workflow; it does not constitute design guidance for any specific cooling system. Per-grade values are confirmed on the maker's current technical data sheet; fluid pairings against the fluid maker's compatibility data; flame listings belong to the listed grades at the specified thickness; and facility-level requirements belong to the facility engineering. All parts are custom manufactured to order; minimum production run quantities vary by material and part. H-O is a die-cut converter, not a raw-material producer.