General

Properly insulated pipes pay off

Fall weather has finally arrived in eastern Nebraska, and winter will be here soon. It’s a great time to start making sure your home is ready for cooling temperatures.

Pipe insulation might not be on your winter check list, but it should be.

Nebraskans understand the importance of good insulation. It slows down the flow of heat and helps make your home energy efficient. Your water pipes can and should be insulated, if at all possible, wherever they are exposed to an unconditioned space.

Insulated pipes can help deliver hot water 2-4 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than uninsulated pipes. This can mean a lower water heater tank setting, too, which can help you save money.

Steps you can take

Here are some tips for how and where to insulate exposed pipes.

• Use a minimum rating of R-4 for your pipe insulation. The most common type of pipe insulation is the tubular foam insulation. You can cut this to length and miter the corners. Be sure the inside diameter of the foam insulation matches the diameter of the pipe you are insulating. When the foam is closed over the pipe, you should not be able to see the pipe at all.

• You can insulate any water supply pipe (coming from the water heater). Many water pipes run through unconditioned spaces (utility rooms, unfinished basements, etc.), and these should be insulated.

• Insulate your hot water pipes from the water heater to the fixtures that use hot water (bathroom, kitchen, etc.). But, do not worry about any lines you cannot reach or get to. Insulate what you can within reason.

• Insulate cold water pipes for the first 5 feet of the cold water line starting at the water heater. You lose some heat in this area when in standby mode (when no one is home), since hot water circulates by convection up into the lines near the water heater on both your hot and cold sides.

• Safety tip: If the pipes are close to a flue, fiberglass pipe-wrap without a facing and wired into place is the safest choice. That wrap should be at least 1 inch thick.