Insulating water pipes in loft?

[lateintheday]

Hiya, I've lived in this property for 5 months now and with Winter fast approaching I'm concerned about the bare pipes in my loft.

It's only a 1 bedroom maisonette so there isn't too much up there and it's only the radiator pipes, the tap pipes just go through walls from the boiler.

Should I buy this stuff and cover as much pipes as I can?

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p48736

Am I write in thinking that the 13mm is the thickness of the foam, and the 15mm & 22mm are the pipe diameters?

Do they need to be zip tied onto the pipes? Or can they just sit loose?


I'm looking at getting my main loft insulation increased soon (is currently 100mm), if I get this up to 300mm is the pipe foam even needed?

Some of the pipes run dead parallel to each other so I think I'm going to struggle to get foam around them individually?
A couple of random pics (it's pitch black up there)...






Thanks for reading

 

[MickyP10]

An insulation expert will no doubt be along soon but I would stick on the pipe foam surrounds, then top up the loft insulation. The foam tubes for a small property won't cost much but will give extra peace of mind.

 

[JohnD]

With parallel pipes, you can shave a flat on the side of the pipe insulation with a serrated knife. If you do it on the side with the slit, the insulation will not fall apart.

You should be using Regulations pipe lagging in an unheated loft anyway, which is thicker.

Lift the loft insulation from under the pipes and flop it over the top so they get the benefit of heat leakage through the ceiling.

 

[Newboy]

Fit the thickest insulation you can afford - it's always cheaper than a burst pipe!


http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Con...ipe+Insulation+15mm+x+25mm/d210/sd2738/p15527

 

[lateintheday]

Thanks for the replies.

So should I zip tie them or will they stay in place by themselves?


JohnD I think I get what you mean, like this cross-section I've badly drawn? (the black being the foam)...

 

[JohnD]

yes

you can get sticky tape to suit, is usually black or light green. You must overlap it as it does not stick reliably to foam.

 

[lateintheday]

I've only managed to find this tape online but it's expensive...

http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/pipe-insulation-fixing-tape-562628

Couldn't I just use normal Duct Tape from the pound shop and roll it around on itself like you said?


Also am I ok to leave the corners exposed on these pipes or do I have to awkwardly bend the foam around them?

 

[Terry lambert]

It's basically duct/gaffa tape

Or if you have to tie two lengths together where you have trimmed the side, you could just join two cable ties together, tape the joints or use 45 degree cuts

 

[JohnD]

it is especially important to insulate elbows and bends very well.

Mitre the lengths, cut generously not meanly or there will be a gap, and tape well.

 

[BigSnoopy01]

25mm thick is recommended but if your adding 200mm of fibreglass over the top i would think 13mm would be suitable.

 

[lateintheday]

Right then everyone I've finally measured up! thanks for all your help so far.

I've got roughly 9 metres of 22mm pipe.
And 29 metres of 15mm pipe.


I've done some rough sums on Toolstation and it looks like it's going to be £60 for the 15mm and £11 for the 22mm. £71 in total! Link again...
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Con...ipe+Insulation+15mm+x+25mm/d210/sd2738/p15527



Do I really need to go for this thicker stuff? As the economy stuff comes to about £25 in total which is a massive price difference!

As I said I do plan on increasing the actual loft insulation ASAP.
And obviously these pipes have been unwrapped for years and I would assume not burst yet!

 

[lateintheday]

Winter will be over and I still wouldn't have made my mind up which ones to go for lol!

 

[Terry7556]

seeing as they have not burst before ( to your knowledge) and you intend to cover them with roof insulation as well, then surely the cheaper one will be ok.

 

[lateintheday]

I suppose the only other option is to say s*d it and just leave them as they are with nothing on them as I can't make my mind up, but that's just silly really lol. £20 improvement is better than nothing at all.

But then am I going to be home as much as the previous couple? ie: They would have had the heating on a lot more than me.

Getting annoyed thinking about this now (as you can tell i'm rubbish with decisions).