What’s the Best Way to Insulate Home Water Pipes in Germantown & Montgomery County?

When people call and ask us about insulating water pipes in unheated areas of their homes, they’re usually talking about their cold water pipes, i.e., those most prone to freezing in excessively cold temperatures.

But we’re here to tell you that it’s just as important to insulate your hot water pipes.  First of all, if you lose power, it doesn’t take long before ALL your pipes become the cold water variety.  But that’s not the only reason to insulate them all, hot and cold alike.

You see, during the winter months, hot water traveling through un-insulated pipes in unheated areas of your home will lose at least some of its heat en route to any particular faucet, shower, or other hot water fixture.  That means your water heater has to work longer and harder to produce the desired amount of hot water and, over time, that will take its toll and likely cause your water heater to lose efficiency at a faster rate.

That’s why we encourage you to insulate all pipes located near walls facing outdoors and in any unheated areas, too, including your garage or crawl space.

While insulating tape works well as a patch or for small sections of pipe, your home and pipes will be far better served with tubular sleeve type insulation that comes in both rubber and foam models.

Also, all pipe insulation has an R value, whether it’s marked on the package or not.  And for optimum results, you should only purchase insulation that’s rated R-4 or higher.  Do some research in advance and it will make your job a lot easier when you get to your  local home center or hardware store.

If, on the other hand, you don’t have the time or inclination to cover your own pipes, we’d be happy to do the job for you.  Contact Your 1 Plumber now or any time, and we’ll help keep your pipes AND your water heater in tip top shape.