Live in zone 5 have 1900 square foot house, and boiler/hot water heat. I have about 400' of 3/4 and 1 inch copper in basement and crawl space in this system....Is it worth the effort to insulate these things? I checked Home Depot and a little over $100.00 to do the job...Any Idea how much savings in energy.........tia
Is this copper for baseboard heat? If so, insulate the crawlspace as that would be wasted heat loss. The heat in the basement helps to heat the house.
I would agree here. I can't see 400' of 3/4 and 1" pipe for showers and sinks. If you can't insulate the crawl space, then I would certainly want to insulate the pipe.
For showers and sinks, I would want to insulate the pipe, even if I insulated the crawl space.
This is 400' of copper for baseboard heating there is about 100' additional
3/4 and 1/2 inch hot water to faucets and shower....the crawl space is insulated and the basement is not .... both get real cold in winter. tia
In that case, if you insulate heater feed portion in the basement it will get even colder.
Insulating the tubing to the faucets will allow them to retain the heat longer. Overnight it won't make much difference, but for shorter times between use it may be a help so you don't have to wait for hot water to wash.
In any case, it will be a long payback for $100.
Insulate all you can. Once you are done you should be able to turn down the setting on your water heater to compensate (since water coming out fo the tap wil be too hot). That will save you something in the long run. worth it for the ease and extra comfort IMO.
Please explain how insulating the pipes to the tap will increase the temperature of the water.
yes, do tell about the temperature increase due to insulation.
s
It wouldn't. It would decrease the decrease (heat loss) you'd have without insulation.
Keeping things in perspective, $100 is not a big deal, is it? It's not like you're weighing spending $20,000 on new windows. Why not do it, if only for the environment?
I insulated my pipes, albeit in a heated basement, and was able to turn my HWH down a tick, and still maintain the same temperature at the tap. How much that saves me I don't know, and it isn't worth taking the time to calculate.
It also made the house quieter when someone was taking a bath, etc.
I hate waiting for hot water. Also, why not heat the living space only? You need the heat in the living room not next to the slop sink.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.