I was preparing to buy the pipe insulators and install when I realized there is more than one kind, so which is better the foam or the rubber insulators?
2006-10-04 06:03:46 · 9 answers · asked by Sonya 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
By the way I do have copper pipes
2006-10-05 01:36:32 · update #1
The best insulation for the self installer is armaflex brand, which is a very dense rubber that has a special adhesive to join the pieces together, which is great for filling all the inadvertent gaps that will happen as you install it. The secret to a good insulation job is to make sure all the gaps are sealed. otherwise it does little good, as it's akin to having a gap under your door that the cold air rushes into. Armaflex also comes in different thicknesses, ranging from a 1/2" thick wall to an 1 1/2" thick wall and it's inside diameter goes from 1/2" piping to 2" piping which will take care of most jobs. Good luck!!
2006-10-08 03:35:33 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your friend is absolutely correct - and you, too, are correct in stating that it is indeed counter intuitive. I find it very difficult to accept - and I know it is true. My own personal experience with this phenomenon was in the middle of winter - after some minor mechanical repairs and in an ill conceived rush to get an automobile over to the paint shop (which was approximately 2 miles away) we filled the radiator with water and brought it up to teperature in the garage and headed out. Since we were going to leave it in the heated paint shop when we arrived, and we KNEW the water wouldn't freeze at ~160 degrees F in such a short run, it didn't concern us at all - you guessed it - we were wrong! The engine overheated and we found the radiator was full of ice. The cold air rushing through the radiator had frozen the ~160 F water before we had arrived. There are many theories as to why this happens, but none is totally accepted as the one and only conclusive fact. But you can believe it because it is indeed the truth.
2016-03-27 04:41:49 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would use the foam rubber type (usually black, in color). Actually, it's more like a foam plastic, than rubber...
If you live where the temps drop below freezing, however, you may need more than insulation on the pipes.
2006-10-04 06:11:38 · answer #3 · answered by mrearly2 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any closed cell insulation is a good match for applications with water, my personal preference is with the rubber product as it seems to last longer before the material gets brittle and crumbles off.
2006-10-04 09:03:01 · answer #4 · answered by Jeffrey S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ok go to your favorite home improvement store, and ask for heat tape. It is a short run of wire you put on your pipes. YOu plug in the other end. It draws a tiny but of electricity, but your pipes will not freeze.
2006-10-04 07:57:13 · answer #5 · answered by Tankk 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get copper piping. Do it right and you'll only have to do it once.
2006-10-04 07:27:32 · answer #6 · answered by 34th B.G. - USAAF 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the foam one are the best, easy to install, cuts for the right length, and I believe the cheapest
2006-10-04 06:14:41 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Armerflex It's usually sold in 6ft sections it also has self adhesive so you wont have to worry about it falling off.
2006-10-04 06:15:06 · answer #8 · answered by bob r 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
for freezing u want to consider heat tape which might require fiberglass wrap. otherwise, find a deal.
2006-10-04 06:26:41 · answer #9 · answered by enord 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋