Crawlspace insulation help

[kevin]

The condo building I just bought into has a crawlspace with plumbing pipes that are heated by a professionally installed, gas, space heater. A portion of the insulation--the area for one of the two units that are on the first floor--has been removed from between the floor joists. To my mind the crawlspace heat that protects the pipes from freezing is going up into the condo unit above. The condo unit is getting the heat that is paid for by the common fees. The usage/cost of heat is much more than if the joists between the crawlspace and the condo unit were insulated. Can I get an objective opinion here? Is it wrong and blatantly unfair for the unit owner to insist that the insulation not be replaced? Thanks, Concerned condo dweller

[m Ransley]

Insulation saves $$ have it put in.

[Joseph Meehan]

Not likely.

Heat rises..... sometimes. Hot air rises, but heat will move with equal ease up down right or left through solids. It moves to equalize the temperature.

Assuming the crawlspace is heated to the same temperature or less than the condo, no heat will be lost from the craw space, and if the condo unit is warmer, the association will actually get free heat coming down from the condo unit. If the condo owner is smart, they will want the insulation.

Frankly, I would be a little concerned about a gas space heater in an unoccupied area like that. If everything was done right and meets all codes, well OK. I wonder if it might have been better and less expensive to use heat tape and insulation on the pipes.