For some reason, there is an exposed pipe in my kitchen that feeds the cold water supply to the tank. Is it feasible to reroute this by burying it in the plaster of the wall and if so, does it need to be insulated (and if so - with what)? Or, as it is only an inch or two from the wall in a corner, would it be better to just box it in?
TIA
Regards,
Nemo
Hi Nemo,
If you do want to bury the pipe, then make sure it is lagged and is inside a boxed chase. This stops any condensation which forms on the surface of the pipe from damaging or causing damp marks on any plaster work that is around it.
Interesting reasoning. How exactly do you expect condensation to form on a pipe that is burried in plaster?
In order for condenstation to form, the pipe has to be in contact with air carrying some water vapour. Being in contact with plaster which is at equilibrium with the air *will not* result in condensation on the pipe's surface.
Try it.
I have threaded 15mm pipe up 20mm plastic electrical conduit and used that in a chase. A small obtuse bend (22mm pipe bender works OK on this combination) is used to bring the pipe out of the surface of the wall. Also made sure there was some freedom of movement between the pipe and conduit. I wouldn't want to do a long length because of the differential expansion. Don't do any joins in the wall.
Water vapour (and air) will migrate through plaster, and will form wet areas in cold spots.
I'm sorry - that just doesn't make sense.
The plaster will indeed have a certain moisture content (as all materials do), which will be in equilibrium with the air. No argument there.
The assertion that this water will condense out on the pipe is what I have a problem with. Condensation is a phase-change phenomenon, where a large volume of gaseous water condenses on a cold surface to produce a small volume of liquid water.
But the water present in the plaster is present as adsorbed water. Very little will be present as gaseous water in the small air voids in the plaster. So how is this adsorbed water, already a liquid, going to condense out onto the pipe?
Thanks for all the responses. Looks like I will just insulate and box it in.
Regards,
Nemo.
Warm moist air. Cold water pipe in wall. Do the math.
Did you actually understand any of the above explanation? I strongly suspect not.
No, in this case you're correct (and agreeing with grunff) that the condensation will form on the wall. But your original reply stated...
"If you do want to bury the pipe, then make sure it is lagged and is inside a boxed chase. This stops any condensation which forms on the ***surface of the pipe*** from damaging or causing damp marks on any plaster work that is around it."
Note the added emphasis. The condensation may form on the surface of the wall where the plaster overlays the pipe, but it is extremely unlikely to form on the surface of the pipe itself.
Cheers Clive
Yeah, just insulate and box it in.
Yes that was my original reply, because, if the pipe is in a boxed chase it is not directly in the plaster so condensation can and will form on the surface of the pipe, therefore, it needs to be lagged to stop this happening. Read till you understand, not till you make your mind up.
Yup, point taken. It was the "if you want to bury the pipe" that threw me, as I'd never considered chasing out to bury the boxing, usually box in on surface or simply bury it.
Cheers Clive
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