Uncle Buck's Tips and Bits

  If you own a home with an attic, a crawl space, or a pier and beam foundation, you’ve probably looked at those exposed pipes and wondered: “Should I be wrapping those up?” Usually, this thought occurs to homeowners at two specific times: when the weatherman predicts a hard freeze, or when they notice their energy bill creeping up. As a plumbing professional, I get asked about pipe insulation constantly. Is it a magic bullet against freezing? Is it worth the money? Does it actually help with hot water delivery? The short answer is: Yes, you should do it. But the long answer is a bit more complicated. Insulation isn’t a heat source, and if done incorrectly, it can actually hide problems. Today, we are going to strip back the marketing and look at the real-world pros and cons of insulating pipes in the most vulnerable areas of your home. The Landscape: Where Are Your Pipes Exposed? Before we get into the good and the bad, we need to talk about where we are insulating. In modern sl...