Lagging CH pipes under floor

[Paintguy]

Hi all,

New carpets are immanent so I've got the old ones up to do a few jobs. I found an access panel so had a look under the suspended timber ground floor and it seems the CH pipes under there are hardly insulated. They just have a bit of that felt stuff wrapped around them (badly).

It'll be a devil of a job as there's only just enough room for me to crawl about under there, but is it worthwhile putting some proper foam lagging on them to prevent heat loss in the cold space under the house? And if so, would the cheap thin stuff be sufficient or will I really notice enough difference with the correct thick stuff to justify the much higher price?

Thanks,
Andy.

 

[gaspro1981]

If its on the ground floor and the floor space is ventilated then it would be beneficial to get them insulated to stop the potential of the pipes from freezing the hair felt lagging that is on the pipes already must be doing its job tho as I presume you have had no issues with burst/split pipes
Armaflex and climatube are the most common and decent makes of pipe lagging for domestic pipework

 

[Paintguy]

Thanks.

No we've never had any problem with the pipes freezing (famous last words..), but I guess they are pumping plenty of heat into the under floor space, and thus the outside world.

Maybe it's me that's responsible for global warming?

 

[JohnD]

Climaflex and similar can usually be pushed under through the lifted boards, and will slide along the pipe until it hits a pipe clip. If the original installers did not climb under the floor there may not be any pipe clips.

It is definitely worth doing.

 

[Agile]

I do have to say that I would have thought the cheap stuff from Wickes at about £1 a metre would be the best compromise and save at least 90% of the heat loss.

Dont forget that the heat lost there will probably partly go towards the house anyway.

If you want to make a real difference the think about underfloor insulation! That can make a real difference to a room!

To go underfloor get a boiler suit, gloves and some kind of head protection so you can lie with you head on the ground otherwise its very hard work keeping you head off the ground. 300 mm below joists is about the minimum for an average size person and 450 mm much more comfortable. Even more a luxury!

There is a bit of a knack to actually getting down in the beginning!

Tony

 

[Paintguy]

Thanks Tony, that's kind of what I was thinking. There's supposedly only a 5% improvement with the thick stuff but it's several times the price!

I have another topic open that I started a while ago about insulating under the floor. Now I know I can get under there I'm planning to do that too. I reckon I've got 350-400mm to work with so it's going to be tight! Plus I only have a small gap to get down through. 4 boards have been removed and there's only 11" between the joist with the aforementioned CH pipes running through that. Might have to get the wife to do it

 

[Nige F]

If its on the ground floor and the floor space is ventilated then it would be beneficial to get them insulated to stop the potential of the pipes from freezing the hair felt lagging that is on the pipes already must be doing its job tho as I presume you have had no issues with burst/split pipes
Armaflex and climatube are the most common and decent makes of pipe lagging for domestic pipework

The only hair felt that could possibly be doing any sort of a job is the real old thick hessian backed stuff that was carefully wound and wired on - like wot I dun when I was a apprentice . Any yet @ 6 foot 2 tall I used to get under floors like yours ( OK I was only 12 stone then )- but I was KEEN

 

[Paintguy]

I tried to get under last night and there's no way! I'm no racing snake but still reasonably slim, however with only an 11" gap and two CH pipes it's just not happening.

I'll wait until I've got the dining room carpet up and see if there's any access that way. If not it's out with the circular saw and cut up a few more boards