Use foam rubber or fiberglass sleeves to help decrease the chances of freezing. Insulation can help keep the pipes closer to the temperature of the water inside the pipe, but it does not add extra heat to the pipe and unfortunately will not prevent freezing if the pipe is exposed to prolonged freezing temperatures.
More often than not, spray foam insulation is successfully used to mitigate freezing pipes. With older homes especially, stone foundations become prone to air infiltration and more as they age.
The thickness of pipe insulation for most common residential cold water pipes is 1/2" thick. There is usually no additional benefit of adding more than 1/2" thick fiberglass or rubber pipe insulation to cold water piping.
Fiberglass Pipe Insulation
Fiberglass insulation, made from woven fine glass strands, is highly regarded for its excellent thermal resistance, making it ideal for both hot and cold water pipes.
What temperature ranges can foam pipe insulation withstand? Most foam insulation like polyethylene and elastomeric can handle -29°C to 93°C (-20°F to 200°F).
Homeowners typically want insulation with an R-Value of 49 or greater because when it comes to R-Value, the higher the better. The different types of insulation include: Fiberglass: Fiberglass insulation is highly recommended as the go-to insulation for colder temperatures.
Foam insulation is ideal for winterizing outdoor faucets or insulating indoor pipes prone to condensation. While it's highly flexible and mold-resistant, making it easy to work with, it's less effective for high-temperature applications.
While rubber insulation provides better thermal performance and durability, foam pipe insulation is lightweight and easy to install. Its flexibility allows it to fit pipes snugly, minimising heat loss. Moreover, polyethylene foam is moisture and mould-resistant.
Foam water pipe insulation
Water pipe foam insulation, also known as polyethene foam insulation, is one of, if not the, most popular insulation for pipes. Its design is a closed-cell foam typically manufactured as a hollow foam tube with a slit on one side.
Here's why: Don't wrap insulation over heat tape. Yeah, it's hard to see, but that is heat tape that has burned through the protective cover and was melting the insulation that it was under. My crew found this when they were removing R3 foam pipe insulation that was over the tape.
Lagging or insulating your pipes with cheap foam tubing is simple and can help prevent your pipes from freezing.
Pipes around plumbing fixtures create gaps that allow air infiltration and even pests. Place foam sealant straw applicator or gun foam barrel into gaps and fill with foam insulation. Fill opening around pipes slowly to help block drafts.
Insulate Your Pipes and Your Water Tanks
Use foam rubber or fiberglass sleeves to help decrease the chances of freezing.
Fiberglass Insulation
This plastic layer is designed to trap moisture and preserve warm temperatures. As such, this material is best suited for warm water pipes, especially in colder climates. By using fiberglass pipe insulation, you can keep your pipes warm throughout the year.
However, they have very different R-values. An R-value is a measurement that shows the ability of a material to resist heat transfer. The higher the R-index, the more effective insulation is regarding heat resistance. The R-value of bubble wrap insulation is very low (1.0 or 1.1) and it is affected by compression.
Unlike standard duct tape, fiberglass tape can withstand extremely high temperatures for very long times. That makes it ideal for use on pipe insulation.
Generally, houses in northern climates are built with the water pipes located on the inside of the building insulation, which protects the pipes from subfreezing weather.
Insulate. Insulating your pipes and water tanks is one of the best ways to prevent them from freezing. You can buy inexpensive pipe lagging and tank jackets from most DIY stores and fit them yourself for free. Just make sure you check the pipe and tank measurements first.
PEX, or cross-linked polyethylene, has a chemical structure that gives it flexibility to withstand pressure increases and perform better in the winter. If water freezes in the pipe, for example, PEX will expand to accommodate the change. Then it will contract back to original dimensions once thawed.
Spray foam insulation is a good insulator in terms of keeping a room warm or cool. But its many downsides outweigh the benefits. These include, making it more difficult getting a mortgage, potential health issues, environmental damage, ventilation issues and a lower home valuation.
Here you go: The best low-temperature insulation: Cellular plastic or foam rubber. The best moderate-temperature insulation: Glass fiber. The best high-temperature insulation: Preformed cement, refractory materials or ceramic fiber blankets.
Choosing the correct pipe insulation largely depends on the wall thickness. The insulation must be thick enough to give you the results you are looking for, but too thick insulation will not fit well around the pipe.