Wrapping the Pipes
Last month, I bought some very inexpensive pipe insulation from the local hardware store. It’s specifically designed to wrap up your hot water pipes. I installed the insulation in about 20 minutes so it’s a very easy project for any DIYer.
Coming out of our hot water heater are metal pipes that send heated water to our sinks, bathtub, and shower throughout the house. Down in our basement, these pipes are exposed (not surrounded by drywall or any type of insulation.) This means that they are losing, or transferring, some of the heat from the water to the pipe and out into the room. This means that it’s not as efficient.
The pipe insulators come in the correct size for your pipes and usually have a cut down the middle to allow for easy installation around your pipe. Usually you have to cut it to length to make sure it fits around connectors and junctions. I also bought metallic tape, specific to insulation, to seal up the split down the middle of the insulation and to make sure it stays in place.
Total spend was about $25 to cover all the exposed piping in my basement. And I’ve already seen a change in our electric bill. But it’s hard to determine exactly how much because we’re using less heat now that it’s no longer winter and the heater is not coming on as much. But year-over-year, there was a 5% dip in our electric bill.
It’s probably not worth it if the water pipes are already behind drywall and not accessible to be wrapped. But if they are exposed, it’s a great idea.
Also, look for pipes that are not sending hot water out but may be the water source pipe sending water to your heater. You don’t need to wrap these because they contain no heated water. You can feel the pipe to see if it’s warm or cold.
It’s cheap, easy to install, and it saves you money. And it’s permanent - once the wraps are up there, they’ll be there forever. They’re made of a thick foam that should last a lifetime. When added to a water heater blanket, you’ll make your hot water much more efficient!
