Cost: $1.50 - $7.50 / 6ft section of insulation
Time: 1-2 hours, depending on amount of pipes
Uninsulated hot water pipes are like radiators, transferring the heat to the air – which is not a good thing. This makes your pipes work less efficiently, makes your hot water heater work harder, and ultimately results in an increase of energy bills. Insulating hot water pipes will prevent costly heat loss, while insulating cold water pipes will prevent condensation from forming and keep them from freezing in the winter.
Supplies:
• Pipe insulation
• Acrylic tape or Duct tape
• Rag
• Mild cleanser
• Scissors, Utility knife
• Mask, Gloves, Safety goggles
• Tape Measure
Instructions:
1. Begin by cleaning all exposed and accessible water pipes with a mild cleanser. It’s also a good idea to use this time to fix any leaks in the pipes. The pipes should be completely dry prior to installing the insulation.
2. Choose the insulation: either a faced fiberglass insulation or tubular sleeve insulation – tubular-sleeve is typically the easiest to install. If using the fiberglass insulation, wrap the pipe with a ½” overlap and be sure to wrap the insulation in plastic to prevent the pipes from dripping condensation. Secure all seams with either an acrylic tape or duct tape.
3. If using the tubular-sleeve insulation, match the interior diameter of the tube to the outside diameter of the pipe. Snap the tube seam-side-down and tape the seam using an acrylic tape or duct tape.
4. Regardless of the insulation type, be sure to cover the entire pipe when wrapping around corners and bends, and wrap with tape.
Top image via The Green Home Guide
I live in an old building in NYC on the first floor and we have exposed heating pipes. These things get HOT. CRAZY HOT. And they are really big - I've never measured them, but they take two hands to reach around the circumference. They are in the corner of our living room, bathroom, one of the bedrooms, and kind of in the middle of the kitchen. Oh, and we have 9 foot ceilings, so you see a lot of pipe. I'd like to insulate, because they can make the apartment very warm (and you can't regulate their temp like you could the radiator). But I think the insulation would look really bad. Right now, the pipes are painted. Probably 100 years of paint on 'em, but they don't stand out the way I think insulation would. And I am a renter, so, I can't do anything permanent (nor do I want to do something expensive).
Thoughts? Suggestions?
I'm also a little afraid the insulation would melt. I know that may be illogical, but I'm telling you, these are hot pipes! And I don't want the smell of melted plastic...
VW
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view VirginiaWestfield's profile
Pipe insulation is rated, typically "-90 to 210" or something like that. I think you'll be ok. It's not going to melt. If you're still worried, just do one section of pipe as a test.
There are generally two types of pipe insulation, tape/wrap and foam tubes. Considering the size of your pipes, you might have to go with wrap.
As far as aesthetics go, well, I dunno.
view jyw's profile
I love this. Well done!好 彩 易 心 居 好彩 易 心 居好 彩
view keming's profile