Protect Your Pipes

Reduce energy loss and protect pipes from freezing or sweating, which can encourage mold.

Photo: Paul McKeown / istock

By Brian Clark Howard

Reduce energy loss by making sure your water pipes are properly insulated.

In cold climates insulation also helps decrease the chance of pipes freezing, which can be disastrous. In warm weather, insulation cuts down on sweating by cold water pipes, which can encourage mold growth.

Check to see if your pipes are warm to the touch. If so, they are good candidates for insulation. You can get pre-slit pipe foam at most hardware and do-it-yourself stores. Cut it to size and fasten in place with duct tape. Ideally, choose the insulation with the highest R-value practical, which is a measure of its heat-blocking power. Pipe insulation is often R-3 or, for batt styles that you wrap around, a stronger R-7.

Make sure pipes are clean before covering, and don't compress the insulating material too much, as that decreases its effectiveness. Make sure pipes in walls are also well insulated by spray foam or other methods.

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