When it comes to improving your home's safety and efficiency, only a few things are more straightforward than insulating yourwater pipes. While many people are aware that water pipe insulation prevents frozen pipes, several other advantages come with water pipe insulation.
The post below shows why insulating your water pipes is essential and a lot more about water pipe insulation.
Why Insulate Water Pipes in Your Home?
There are several reasons why insulating your pipes is essential. Let's look at each one of them in detail.
Prevents Frozen Pipes
Perhaps, the most apparent and well-known advantage of water pipe insulation is that it prevents frozen pipes. In several parts of the country, the temperature drops down well below the freezing point, and it is only natural that the water in your water supply lines will also freeze. As a result, it exerts pressure on the pipe and makes it more prone to leakages and bursts.
By insulating your water pipes, you can reduce the risk of frozen pipes, which ultimately minimizes the chances of water leakages and pipe burst, a hassle no one enjoys. But apart from this one obvious and relatively known advantage, there are several other reasons why water pipe insulation is essential.
Enhances Energy Efficiency
By insulating your water pipes, you can significantly improve the energy efficiency that will also reflect in your utility bills. During winters, when your water heater heats the water, and it sits in the pipe between uses, it can disperse energy and cool down. When you need hot water, your water heater has to reheat the water. As a result, you end up wasting a lot of energy. When the water pipes are insulated, the added insulation layer allows you to keep the water warm for a more extended period.
Insulating your water pipes is not only an energy-efficient option during winters, but it is equally efficient during summers as well. When the water pipes are running inside your home, and the heated water is not used, it disperses energy to the surrounding area, including the rooms in your home.
As a result, your air conditioning system also needs to work harder. By insulating your pipes, you can curtail your energy bills through reduced water heating requirements as well asthrough reduced need for air conditioning.
Minimizes the Risk of Burns by Exposed Hot Water Pipes
Exposed hot water pipes can be a threat to the health and safety of your family and can lead to burns. When you insulate your water pipes, particularly hot water pipes, you can significantly reduce the risk of burns through exposed hot water pipes.
Reduces Moisture Problem
It often comes as a surprise, but water pipe insulation can play an important role in reducing the moisture problem. With uninsulated pipes, water condensation occurs outside the pipes when hot water cools down. But then the vapors that condense on the outside can causea localized moisture problem. It can drip to nearby materials and lead to issues, such as mold and pest attraction.
Moreover, it can cause structural damage and can significantly affect the air quality in the house. But that does not mean you only need to insulate hot water pipes. By insulating all water pipes, including cold water pipes, you can reduce the risk of potential plumbing problems.
Maintains Pipe Health by Avoiding the Expansion and Contraction of Pipes
Lastly, adding a layer of insulation can maintain your pipes in the right shape and form longer. When the temperature fluctuates, the pipes expand and contract. This expansion and contraction can damage your pipe and lead to leakages and pipe bursts. You can avoid this damage and resulting repair of your plumbing fixtures by simply insulating your home's water pipes.
Selecting the Right Type of Insulation
There are numerous types of pipe insulation, and each is made of different materials. Moreover, each type of insulation has a specific capacity so you can choose the right one depending on your needs. Some of the common options that you can choose from include:
Conventional Foam Insulation
Conventional foam is one of the most common types of insulation for water pipes. It comes with a slit on the side, which makes it easier to fit on existing pipes. Once you have adjusted the foam over the pipe, you can easily tape it off.
Self-Sealing Foam Insulation
Unlike conventional foam insulation, the self-sealing foam has enhanced insulation properties. It is adhesive, so it further prevents energy loss.
Fiberglass Pipe Covers
Fiberglass insulation is used for pipes that deal with unusually high water temperatures.
Is Insulating Your Water Pipe Worth the Cost?
Water pipe insulation is typically regarded as an expensive investment because it requires insulation for all exposed water pipes. But only a few people know the average water-heating expense often accounts for around 8% of the total energy used in residential properties.
If you look at the numbers, an average household pays between $400 and $600 a year as a heating expense. If you compare this cost with how much you are spending on insulation, you would be surprised to know that insulating can cost as low as $1.5 per cubic feet.
And once you make this investment, you can look forward to saving between $400 and $600 every year (and even more if energy prices continue to rise). Moreover, this cost-saving comes as an additional benefit along with all the other advantages of water pipe insulation.
Insulating Your Water Pipes
Insulating your water pipes using conventional foam insulation is a simple DIY task that most homeowners can perform. However, it is a good idea to get in touch with a professional plumber before insulating your water pipes. It ensures that your plumbing fixtures are in good health before you protect them. To find out more about expert plumbing services, call now at 480-832-1660 or visit our website.