Is there any value in insulating the hot water pipes that run in the basement to each of the bathrooms? Will it make the hot water come out of the faucet quicker - meaning will it keep the water in the pipe warmer - or do most people just leave the pipes not insulated in the basement? Basement is unfinished.

Wondering if I should wrap some type of insulation around them where they are exposed as the run across the basement.

 

Could it help, sure... But the incremental savings you'd realize annually will probably not be easily identified.

I have heard insulating the hot water heater is something to consider, however.

 

it might not save you any money but it could certainly help your pipes stay warmer longer. i've the same problem, takes way too long to get hot water out of my faucet because the pipes cool down soo quickly.

if anything, it give's you some freeze/burst protection. pipe insulation is relatively cheap and easy, no reason not to do it. only reason i don't is because i'm lazy, and my basement is gross.

 

Cheap insurance against frozen pipes. If you really want to keep the pipes warm, they make this kit that you wrap around the pipes to heat them. I believe it's just a wire that gets hot.

 

Freezing pipes in a basement? How cold does it get down there?

Regardless of season, I'm at about 65 degrees. And I have all vents shut off.

 

actually, scrib is prolly right. the basement probably isn't where pipes catch a cold. i'd bet by-and-large it's the pipes run through exterior walls that get frigid.

scrib: yeah but theres alot of heat generating equipment in the basement. the real test is when your power goes out for awhile. nonetheless, it probably wont ever drop below 50, 40 at the lowest, in your basement.

below the frost line the ground is always 50 degrees or so.

 

At the very least will save you from a few skull fractures

Mike

 

Pretty much all of our pipes in the crawl were wrapped in insulation and it really didn't make that much of a difference in the time it takes for hot water to reach certain areas.

The bottom line is that in a large house, the further away you are from the hot water heater, the longer it takes for hot water to reach that area. In our house, the hot water heater is in the garage. So, in our guest suite which is on the same side of the house as the garage, the bathroom there gets hot water almost immediately. Now, our Master, which is on the complete other side of the house... takes several seconds or running the water before it heats up. Nothing we can do unless we install a second hot water heater on the other side of the house... or move the heater to a more central location. The cost of either option being what it is... we'll just deal with the short time it takes for the water to get hot

 

yep my previous house was smaller - so maybe that is why it seems to take forever for hot water to come out here in the bigger house. Nope, not worried about freezing pipes cause they are inside the basement - do not think I have seen it below 65 down there.

 

If your basement doesn't get below 65 then insulation certainly isn't going to help your pipes. Your only solution is to add some sort of active pipe heating like others mentioned above.

Additionally I'd consider insulating your water heater and/or other basement appliances as Scrib mentioned. If you have an average basement temperate of 65 you're definately experiencing energy loss from your appliances.

 

I think newer water heaters don't need blankets. My water heater is cool to the touch and has its own internal insulation so I don't think it needs a wrap.

Now my gas heater is a wasteful bitch, the basement is always warm when that is on. Any way to correct that? I change the filter often and there is plenty of air flow out of the vents.

 

every little bit helps

 

Please tell me it is longer than that. The hot water heater in my room at my parents house is about 15 feet away from my bathroom and it still takes about a minute for the water to get warm. Granted the faucet isn't letting out a lot of water. I'd kill for a few second wait

 

i messed up - I meant 50 - 55, but not a fair test since this is my first winter here and it has not gotten very cold this year in NJ...

 

The faucets that are on the same side of the house as the hot water heater usually take anywhere from 5-10 seconds to warm up. Over in our Master (which is on the other side of the house)... it's about 10-20 seconds.

This is on average for most of the year. If it is cold out (winter nights), it can double the wait... but lately (both this winter and last), cold has not been in our vocabulary