insulate water pipes

We are building a town home. It will have plastic water pipes. Is it worth it to insulate the pipes in the walls to keep the water either hotter or colder?

Can't hurt. In some places, I think it is code. It gives another layer for the mice before they get to the plastic pipe, too.

I have similar problems since I'm in FL and my pipes are overhead in the attic. I've found that the effort to insulate really doesn't do too much good. Once the flow is established, the insulation will minimize the heat transfer to/from the pipes. However, after a period of no use, the water in the pipes will eventually return to attic temperature -- hot in the summer, cold in the winter. I don't see any way to fix this, short of an elaborate sensor/control system which is appealing to my engineer's attitude, but terribly impractical.

Where insulation is of value is in preventing condensation on the cold-water pipe, if that's a potential problem.

Many people don't understand batt type or foam insulation...it slows the transfer of heat, it does NOT stop it. The better the insulation, the longer it will either keep heat in or out, depending on which way it is traveling. There is no physical thing called cold, it is a lack of heat. The ice chest doesn't keep the cold in, it slows the heat from getting in, and the same thing with your pipes. The best place for pipes in an attic are close to the ceiling, so the heat or lack of it in the summer with a/c can influence the pipes most.

In hot climates (or even in New England where I live), one of the cheapest yet most effective means of lowering your attic temperature is to put a reflective barrier on the roof joists (there are numerous brands, the one I used was foil-faced nylon reinforced kraft paper in a 4' wide roll). I have noticed an average 20 degree drop in attic temperature since I put it up about 5-years ago. My ceilings in the summer went from feeling hot like a radiator by the end of the day to feeling the same as an interior wall. Money well spent, and cheap, too. A radiant barrier reflects up to 95% of the incident long-wave radiation back where it came from. A properly engineered metal roof will do the same thing, and probably never need to be replaced again, even in hurricane country.

garyeuren@qwest.net said:

... Is it worth it to insulate the pipes in the walls to keep the water either hotter or colder?

Click to expand...

Yes, it is worth it. Insulation of any type is better than having none.

Insulation will slow down heat transfer. Depending on how long your pipes run, and how much heat (/cold) the pipes are exposed to, you may -- or may not -- notice that your water stays cooler or warmer longer.

Fridges, stoves, hot water heaters and some dishwashers are insulated. Just enough to do the job required. For very few dollars you can insulate your pipes. There is no reason not to. No technical reason, and no commercial reason. No danger, no risk involved.

The more insulation the better. Layering different types is better than doubling up the same type, since each type blocks certain forms of energy better. E.g. foam is one type, and aluminum-faced products are another type. Even just preventing air movement is itself a form of insulation, i.e. enclosing the pipe. This means, logically, that old plastic bags wrapped around the pipes is going to have an insulating effect, and it is true, and the effect is significant enough to be a contender. It works.


david