Should You Get Your Water Pipes Insulated?

Most homeowners find it rather simple to decide whether to insulate their hot water pipes. It’s difficult to ignore the straightforward energy savings that will pay off for years when you can get efficient insulating pipe sleeves for a few feet per dollar.

However, not all homeowners are aware of this simple efficiency booster or the benefits of insulating their cold water pipes.

Cold Water Pipes

Your cold water pipes don’t need to be insulated because there isn’t any heat to keep them warm. However, if you’re already taking the time to insulate your hot water pipes, adding insulation to their cold water counterparts should just add a few dollars in materials to the typical house — and there are some significant benefits.

If any part of your home’s cold water pipes is unconditioned, such as an unfinished basement or a piece that is exposed to the outdoors, you face the danger of pipes freezing  in the winter. The resulting mess and repair costs could be significant. But you can avoid this with the use of inexpensive, straightforward insulation.

These pipes may have exposure to outside heat during the summer, which could transfer to your cold water supply. Pipe insulation can also aid you here if you don’t want the cold water faucet to continuously dispense warm or even hot water throughout the summer.

Avoiding humidity is another advantage of insulating your cold water pipes. Metal pipes carrying cold water will develop condensation on them in humid areas. These droplets will gather and fall to the ground or whatever is underneath. This moisture could cause damage if you keep any valuables in your basement underneath uninsulated water pipes.

Hot Water Pipes

Let’s start with the obvious: insulate your hot water pipes to keep your water hot longer. You already pay to keep that hot water on standby if you have a conventional tank water heater. The hot water remaining in your pipes will cool down more gradually thanks to the benefit of pipe insulation.

If you prefer things extra hot when you shower or wash the dishes, pipe insulation is well worth the cost because it can raise the actual temperature of household water by a few degrees. Additionally, by reducing the time it takes for the water leaving your fixtures to reach the temperature you want, you can save water.

What Are The Benefits?

Prevents Frozen Pipes

Preventing frozen pipes is an obvious place to start, frozen pipes can be such a hassle and lead to expensive repairs . You can consistently control your water pipes’ temperature through insulation, which creates a barrier. Homes further north, where bitterly cold winters are the norm, frequently take this kind of precautionary measure.

Longer Plumbing System Lifespan

Plumbing systems have a limited lifespan, much like other home systems, therefore taking extra steps to increase their longevity should be a top concern. Copper pipes often last 50 years when kept in perfect conditions. When pipes are subject to high temperatures, this number can significantly decrease. When severe weather strikes, taking the time and making the money to insulate the water pipes in your home will ease the strain on the system and your family.

Saves Money

Having your hot water heater run continuously is never desirable. About 8–10% of your household’s annual energy costs go toward heating water. Lowering the hot water temperature setting is possible after the installment of the insulation. This will keep your family comfortable while decreasing the overall amount of energy used to heat the water, thus saving homeowners money.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, there are many benefits when it comes to insulating your cold and hot water pipes. What are your thoughts on this concept? Most importantly, insulating your pipes can save you a lot of money, and everyone loves to save money.

Call 1-Tom-Plumber

Don’t hesitate to contact us here or call us at 1-Tom-Plumber (1-866-758-6237) if you need help with any plumbing or drain cleaning issue. 1-Tom-Plumber’s certified team of plumbers and drain technicians respond immediately to any emergency plumbing, drain cleaning, or water damage problem. 

We also handle the excavation of underground water lines and sewer main lines. Our immediate-response team is available every day and night of the year, even on holidays.