You have likely heard the saying that the best offense is a good defense, and that’s true, especially with matters regarding the efficiency of your home. We rely on our homes to protect us from the dangers and discomfort of the great outdoors. That’s why it’s so daunting and impactful when our homes don’t provide us with the protection we expect during winter.
The ever-present reality of failure is more daunting when you think about the possibility of a burst pipe. No one wants a home filled with water, especially in the dead of winter. So you might consider using this guide on how to wrap and insulate your pipes for the winter.
What Is a Burst Pipe?
We all hear the term burst pipe and associate it with fear and shock. While you know that you want to avoid that situation, do you know what a burst pipe is? A burst pipe can occur for a number of reasons. However, a pipe bursting during the winter is due to a build-up of pressure and temperature fluctuations.
Your pipes are subject to extreme temperature fluctuations as your water freezes and melts, which can seriously damage and weaken your pipes. Moreover, winter makes the water in your pipes more prone to freezing. When water freezes, it takes up more space than it does when it’s in liquid form, which can also lead to a pipe burst. The pressure comes at the hands of cold water entering your home, which causes your pipes to contract in weaker areas, increasing the potential of a burst.
What Happens When a Pipe Bursts?
The one good thing about a pipe bursting is that it’ll be easy to know when it’s happening. One of the telltale signs of a burst pipe is water flooding into your home. You might notice that your carpets, floors, and walls are wet. You might also hear sounds coming from your pipes or experience inconsistent water pressure.
The Cost of a Burst Pipe
Your pipes can begin to freeze at around 20 degrees Fahrenheit, which seems much warmer than you’d expect. That increased potential can bring even more stress when you consider the cost of repairs. There’s a wide range of price variables when it comes to the cost of repairs. However, most estimates say that pipe burst repair can cost you anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 dollars.
Such eye-widening costs can startle you, but you and your home are not at the whim of those unpredictable weather conditions. There are actions you can take to prevent and lower the possibility of this occurring in your home. That’s why we have put together this useful guide on wrapping and insulating your pipes for the winter.
Insulating Your Pipes
As you read this guide, you’ll find that insulating your pipes is the best way to protect your home. You might think that insulating your pipes is such an overwhelming and excessive task that you have to hire professionals to do it, but that’s not true. With the right materials, you can do it all on your own, and you’ll be surprised by how easy this job can be.
At Honor Trading Company, we have all the right materials you could need to make insulation as effortless and simplistic as possible. For example, we have Foam King insulating pipe covers for your copper pipes that are fire-retardant and durable.
Our covers will skim off some extra costs from your energy bill. That’s also not to mention the fact that it will protect your pipes from pressure build-up and unsafe temperature fluctuations. Check out all the different closed-cell foam wholesale construction products we have available for purchase today.
Installation Preparation
Wrapping your pipes with our foam covers is easy. But before you begin, you should know how to properly prepare for the job, as you’ll need a variety of tools. Firstly, ensure you wear safety gear, like goggles, gloves, and durable clothing, as an extra precaution. Then, you will want to gather these materials:
- Foam insulation covers
- Tape measure
- Utility knife
- Duct tape
Measuring Your Pipes
The next thing you should do is measure your copper pipes to ensure you choose the correct foam covers. We have half-inch, one-inch, and three-quarter-inch sizes available at three feet lengths in either four-pack or 12-pack quantities. Once you measure your pipes, you can pick the foam cover that will fit your pipes the best.
Installing Your Covers
Now the time has come for you to install your foam covers. Keep in mind that each of your pipes might vary in size, so it’s useful to measure them before application. That way, you can cut your cover with your utility knife so that it fits your pipes perfectly. Cutting your foam cover is particularly important when installing them near valves and T-joints. It’s useful to carve out that space beforehand to simplify the installation process.
The best part about installing our foam covers is that you don’t need to do any unnecessary work. Our foam covers already come with a slit, so you don’t have to worry about cutting one at all. This makes installation simple, as all you have to do is spread the slit of the noodle a little to wrap it around your copper pipe. Once you do that, your job is nearly done.
Securing Your Cover
Now that you have your foam covers applied to your pipes, you want to secure them with some duct tape. Your duct tape will help keep your covers adhered to the pipe, and it adds a little bit more temperature security to them. You should need only about two or three pieces of duct tape on each pipe to keep it comfortably adhered.
Protect Your Home
Was the job much easier than you thought it would be? At Honor Trading Company, we are passionate about making all types of jobs and crafts as easy for you to start and finish as possible. With your pipes completely insulated, you can enter the winter with confidence, knowing that you will stay warm and dry all season long.
