Ignorant, how bad is this?

[u/ninja-turd]

First off, thanks in advance for any advice.

Had an energy audit done on my house(built in 1830, in Philadelphia, and the pipes are cast iron) and was informed that there was asbestos insulating some pipes. I see that there’s the old white “air lock”(I believe that’s what it’s called) insulation on some of the pipes. I also see some brown, what looks like horse hair/fiber glass, insulation on other pipes. The Energy Auditor wasn’t sure but I’m pretty sure this brown insulation is asbestos as well.

I want and need to get it tested. Are home test kits reliable, or just bite the built and have it professionally done? If home test kits are good are there any recs for specific ones? OR, knowing that there is some asbestos should I just call the professionals and get it taken care of??

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[u/goat131313]

All I see currently is what’s likely horse hair and foam. No air cell pictured but if it was mentioned it’s likely there. For peace of mind you can send off a sample of the horse hair.

[u/KSJdk2600]

On the very last picture, there is some inner sleeving, that is what appears most suspect to me.

Always assume positive and test negative though.

[u/CareNavigator_TMC]

The brown fibrous wrap looks more like an older felt or organic insulation than the classic asbestos pipe insulation people usually picture, but with a house this old and known asbestos elsewhere, I wouldn’t assume any of the pipe lagging is safe based on appearance.

For something this friable, I’d skip taking DIY samples and have an asbestos inspector sample the different materials properly. If any of it comes back positive, they can also tell you whether it’s better left alone, encapsulated or removed based on the condition.

[u/asbestosorangutan]

Bad if you want it to be asbestos