Insulating hot water pipes outside
Here in Northern California, hot water pipes are routinely run outside the wall for long lengths during renovations. Sometimes, pathetic attempts are made to insulate them with home center/big box split foam wrappers. Can anyone comment on the best way to insulate the runs? So that baths and showers aren’t ludicrously cold?
Thanks
NotAClue
Replies
Probably the split foam is the best you're going to do in most cases. It's certainly the easiest.
If the pipes run immediately adjacent to heated space, there may (or may not) be some benefit in insulating just on the outside, so that the pipe benefits from the heat lost through the wall. (The benefit is greater with a more poorly insulated wall.)
Assuming, for instance, that the pipe is run about an inch from the wall of a heated space, you could cut up two-inch (or whatever thickness works) foam board into strips -- two narrow ones (maybe 3" wide) on either side of the pipe, and a wider one over the pipe and the other two strips. Attach it all to the wall with lath and long DW screws, eg.
You could use a similar approach to box up a fully exposed pipe (add a 4th piece), but glue the pieces together vs screwing them.
There are various forms of commercially available pipe insulation, often made from molded foam. But these are intended for commercial/industrial applications and tend to get pricy.
Oh, you make me want to weep. Here in the NE we worry about pipes freezing, and you are worrying about cold showers??
PS - I'm originally from SF
hey hey hey...
Trauma takes many forms!
But I know what you mean; my family is from Detroit and when I went home last year for Christmas, my brother's pipes had frozen in the wall of their remodeled kitchen!
ugh.
NotaClue