Foam pipe wrap insulation...any good?

hhcibtpaun · Apr 14, 2009

Hey Everyone,

I have the drywall guy coming out this Monday and had a question about pipe wrap. In general I was thinking about picking up some of the foam pipe wrap at home depot. It is about $2.00 for 6 feet. Does it pay to install this? I was not too concerned about the insulating properties...moreso, the condensation. I have tried searching on the benefits, but have not found anything concrete.

I am cool with not doing it, since it's one less job, but I also don't want to find out after five years of condensation build up I now have an issue.

Maybe I am over thinking the condensation. just wondering if it is something I should do. It will probably take an hour and cost $100.00...

So, is it worth doing? Or can I accomplish the same thing with bat insulation and duct tape?

Thanks...Mike

SewerRatz · Apr 14, 2009

It can not hurt to insulate the pipes. It will also protect them if a draft develops in the wall during freezing days.

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

hhcibtpaun · Apr 14, 2009

SewerRatz said:
It can not hurt to insulate the pipes. It will also protect them if a draft develops in the wall during freezing days.

I have the ones in the wall done; these would be the pipes in the ceiling/floor?

Thanks...Mike

SewerRatz · Apr 14, 2009

hhcibtpaun said:
I have the ones in the wall done; these would be the pipes in the ceiling/floor?

Thanks...Mike

It will help on them humid days with consdation. Still cannot hurt.

hhcibtpaun · Apr 14, 2009

SewerRatz said:
It will help on them humid days with consdation. Still cannot hurt.

Cool...Thanks.

Mike

Chris8796 · Apr 15, 2009

I would insulate them with the foam wrap. What climate are you in? I insulated all my accessible hot water lines and was impressed how big of a difference it made. I wish they would have insulated all the hot water lines in the house. I also wish they would have put in an insulated return line for a circulating system.

hj · Apr 15, 2009

insulation

Rarely does a pipe which is not exposed develop condensation because the moist air cannot get to it.

hhcibtpaun · Apr 19, 2009

hj said:
Rarely does a pipe which is not exposed develop condensation because the moist air cannot get to it.

Sounds reasonable. I did a few pieces, but to do them all would be a pain, since they are close to the joists on some runs. I didn't realize how close they were.

Thanks...Mike

frozen · Dec 9, 2011

Howdy,

Just bought a place up in Michigan. Unfinished basement, old boiler water heat system. The pipe insulation has pretty much disintegrated over time. I was doing some google searching, and figured maybe you guys could help. How much energy savings will a homeowner see if they go through and wrap all the pipes?

I've read about how to do it on
PipeWrapInsulation
and
http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-insulate-pipes/index.html

But I'm not sure if I'm really gonna gain enough to make it worthwhile.

Great site btw. I can see I'm going to be wasting some time here lol.

frozen · Dec 9, 2011

Oh and sorry to bump the old thread, but it came up when I google searched

Terry · Dec 9, 2011

I normmally use closed cell foam for wrapping pipes with the self stick closure.
I cut the foam with a hack saw. It makes nice clean cuts and if the blade slips, I'm not worried about having to call 911 and bleeding out in a crawlspace. I'm not a big fan of sharp knives.

I don't know how much it's going to save in energy, but it's certainly a good idea if it's in an unheated space.

Cacher_Chick · Dec 9, 2011

As an example, my water heater is 50' from my kitchen sink. Insulating the hot water pipe with 5/8" thick closed cell foam with the self-stick closure keeps the water in the pipe warm for a couple of hours, compared to only about 20 minutes before the insulation was installed.

The biggest difference I noticed is that the dishwasher run time is about 20% shorter, because the dishwasher no longer has to spend so much time heating the water before each cycle.

MTcummins · Dec 9, 2011

I insulated all of the hot water lines in my house (which was a lot, as I have a Pex home-run system). It will save you money long term, especially if you do the work yourself. However, even if it doesn't save you any money, the convenience is worth it... hot water gets where you want it, hotter, and faster. If your lines are close to the cold water lines, its good to keep thermal transfer down. In these cases, I also insulate the cold lines, even in the interior walls where they're never exposed to the cold.

Its all a matter of preference when it gets to that point though. In the interior walls, I don't bother with the more expensive foam, just get the more generic stuff that's cheaper by the box. Where you're concerned with condensation, the foam is worth it.

Dlarrivee · Dec 9, 2011

It certainly wont hurt you any, and you only have one chance to do it.

It's cheap like borsch.

It's not itchy.

I've done every hot water line I can get at.

frozen · Dec 9, 2011

Thanks guys. I def think I'm going to put some insulation on the pipes. You can feel the difference in the pipe temperature using your hand from one end of the runs to the other.

hj · Dec 10, 2011

Terry, if I have to split the insulation to put it over the pipes, I buy the stuff which is already split and has the contact cement on it already. Snap the tubing over the pipe, pull the covers off the glue and push it together. Much nicer than messing with contact cement.

Yes, that's what I use too. I don't know if the big box stores carry that type, sucks to be a homeowner sometimes, but the plumbing supply houses always carry the good stuff.
Terry

MTcummins · Dec 10, 2011

At least around here, you can get the self-sealing stuff at the Orange box... I would assume the Blue box would carry it as well to be competitive...

hj · Dec 11, 2011

quote; sucks to be a homeowner

NO! It sucks to be a DIYer. Homeowners call us when they need the "good stuff".

frozen · Dec 16, 2011

Thanks guys for the information and feedback.

Foam pipe wrap insulation...any good?

Users who are viewing this thread

Member

Illinois Licensed Plumber

Paid Advertisement

Member

Illinois Licensed Plumber

Member

New Member

Master Plumber

Member

New Member

New Member

The Plumbing Wizard

Test, Don't Guess!

In the Trades

New Member

New Member

Master Plumber

In the Trades

Master Plumber

New Member

Similar threads