Insulating their home’s hot water pipes is an easy decision for a lot of homeowners. When you can find really good insulating pipe sleeves for a really low price, it seems impractical to resist the energy savings that you’ll get. Unfortunately, not all homeowners are aware of this simple efficiency booster and why it is important to insulate water pipes.
For Hot Water Pipes
Insulating hot water pipes help keep hot water at that temperature. if what you have at home is a traditional tank, then you’re already paying just to keep that hot water on standby for when you need it. With insulation for the pipes, the hot water that’s waiting in those pipes will cool down significantly slower.
High-quality insulation can actually raise the temperature of water in your house, so if you prefer having hot water when you’re showering or even when you’re doing the dishes, then you should invest in pipe insulation. Also, it can help you save water as it shortens the time it takes for water to reach the temperature you want.
If you have been hearing a loud knocking sound when someone’s running hot water, it might be the metal pipes expanding because of heat. You’ll be happy to know that insulating your pipes can also help quiet that noise down.
For Cold Water Pipes
Of course, you don’t have to preserve heat in your cold water pipes. Does that mean you should not insulate them? Well, if you’re already planning to insulate the hot water pipes in your home then you should also consider adding some more for your cold water pipes. There are some benefits to doing so, too.
First of all, if the cold water pipes in your home run through areas where there’s no climate control like an unfinished basement, or perhaps a section of the pipes are exposed outdoors, then there’s a risk that they would freeze in winter. As you can imagine, this can be disastrous and it could lead to an even bigger and more expensive repair. Why go through that when you can prevent it with cheap but efficient insulation?
It’s not just the harsh winter that you have to worry about. During the summer, your pipes can also be exposed to extreme heat so you might have hot water coming out of your cold water taps, too. That’s not good at all, especially if you’re looking forward to a refreshing cold shower in a hot afternoon.
Insulating your cold pipes can also help you avoid condensation. In environments where the humidity levels are high, metal pipes with cold water can be covered in condensation. These droplets can fall onto whatever’s under the pipes. That could be some treasured items you have in your basement beneath water pipes that are not insulated.
DIY or Professionally Installed
Insulating your water pipes is often simple. You just have to purchase high-quality sleeves and cut them in the right length and secure them in place. However, there may be some sections of the pipes that are hard to reach, and for that, it might be a good idea to contact a licensed plumber to handle it for you. You can get in touch with Hayes Plumbing and have one of our experienced plumbers insulate those pipes for you anytime!
