Should You Insulate Your Water Pipes?

For most homeowners, it is a fairly easy decision whether to insulate the hot water pipes in their homes. When you can buy effective insulating sleeves at a few feet per dollar, you can hardly resist this simple energy-saving effect, which will last for several years. But not all homeowners know this simple efficiency booster - or why you might want to insulate cold water pipes.

Some people like it hot

First of all, it is obvious that keeping the hot water pipe warm will help to maintain the temperature of the hot water. If you have a traditional water tank heater, you have paid to keep the hot water on standby. With the benefit of pipe insulation, the hot water waiting in the pipe cools down more slowly.

High quality insulation materials can raise the actual temperature of domestic water by several degrees. Therefore, if you like hot things in the shower or washing dishes, pipe insulation materials are very worth it. This also helps to save water, as it reduces the time it takes for the water from the fixture to reach the required temperature.

If you hear a loud knocking sound when running hot water, it may be that your metal pipe expands with the flow of heat. This jingling noise may be a nuisance to some homeowners, and pipe insulation can help calm down.

Where's the cold water pipe?

There is no heat in the cold water pipes that can be stored, so it may not be immediately meaningful to insulate them. However, if you are already bothered by the insulation of hot water pipes, adding insulation to their cold water compatriots should only add a few dollars' worth of materials to an ordinary house - and there are some real benefits.

If your cold water pipe passes through any area of your home that lacks climate control - whether it is an unfinished basement or a section of pipe exposed to outdoor elements - you are at risk of pipe icing in winter. This could lead to chaos and greater maintenance costs. But cheap, simple insulation can help prevent this.

In summer, these pipe sections may also be exposed to outdoor heat, which may be transferred to your cold water supply. Unless you want your cold water faucet to be filled with warm or even hot water throughout the summer, pipe insulation can also help you here.

Another benefit of insulating cold water pipes is to avoid condensation. In high humidity environment, metal pipes filled with cold water will be covered by condensate. When these droplets gather, they fall anywhere below. If you store priceless souvenirs in a basement under uninsulated water pipes, this moisture can have devastating results.

DIY or full service

Installing your own water pipe insulation is usually as simple as buying sleeves, cutting them into lengths and fixing them in place with tape