should insulate the cold water pipes in my basement for winter?

Question

i have insulated the hot water pipes for the winter but do i insulate cold water pipes? if i do will that actually stop warm air from hitting the pipes? should i insulate the nearest pipe leading to the outside water spigot?

Answer 1

cold water lines are generally insulated to keep condensation from forming on the lines, not so much for a freeze/no freeze reason

if your climate has humid summers, then it would be a good idea to insulate. Condensation can cause as much of a problem as a drippy pipe.

Answer 2

Insulating Pipes In Basement

Answer 3

Actually, if you live in a normal house, where the basement is heated along with the rest of the house, there's no reason to insulate the cold water pipes. The only reason for insulation on the hot water pipes is to keep in the heat that you've spent money to create. Anything over 40 degrees will ensure that the pipes won't freeze up. If you do have outside spigots, they should be the freeze proof type, as long as you don't leave a hose attached to them through the winter months. If they aren't the freeze proof type, then shut off the valve, which should be close by the exit through the wall for the spigot, and drain the wate back to the valve. That should take care of it.

Answer 4

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RE:
should insulate the cold water pipes in my basement for winter?
i have insulated the hot water pipes for the winter but do i insulate cold water pipes? if i do will that actually stop warm air from hitting the pipes? should i insulate the nearest pipe leading to the outside water spigot?

Answer 5

Of course you should insulate the cold lines! Cold is from an external factor. To insulate the lines will insure that your lines do not freeze. I am assuming that you have copper pipes. When copper freezes, a slit normally happens in the pipe. This is from inactive water inside the pipe that will expand from freezing. The pipe will also freeze. At $10+ per 8' of 1/2 copper pipe, insulation is cheap.

Also, if you have a line that is directly in contact with a colder area, keep a slight trickle of water constant. It will help.

Answer 6

It depends on the conditions in your basement. if it is very drafty and subject to cold and windy conditions outside, then I would insulate all the pipes. but if the basement is sealed tight from the elements you should not have a problem with freezing especially if you have a furnace or boiler running in the basement. insulating the cold water pipes however is a good idea anyway because it prevents condensation from building up and dripping on your stuff in hot humid weather.

Answer 7

Yes there is a good reason for insulating cold water pipes in your basement. Condensation forms on cold water pipes as well as hot water pipes.

Answer 8

firstly there is no good reason to insulate cold water pipes. It will not keep pipes from freezing. As for pipes going to outside taps, there should be a shut off valve around. Shut off the water leading to the outside tap and open the outside tap, you can leave it open for the winter.

Answer 9

Yes, absolutely. the insulation is necessary to keep the water in your pipes from freezing. The insulation will stop warm air from hitting you cold water pipes, however, more importantly the insulation will stop any freezing air from hitting them as well.

Answer 10

Insulation on water lines to keep them from freezing is a bad idea. If you do and they freeze they will stay frozen cause the insulation will keep them cold. There is no good reason to insulate cold water lines in a basement.