Pipes in loft-no insulation beneath them (like water tanks)?

[DIYNotIan]

Morning all...!

I've looked into this before, but been given different answers in the past. So I was hoping today to find out once and for all what's best.

I have a small loft above the one storey utility room at the end of my house. Four pipes rise from the boiler in the utility room, and then run through the loft into the rest of the house. They all run quite close together.

The loft is all boarded out, EXCEPT for where the pipes run - there is no boarding beneath them. See pictures for an illustration.

Untitled

• DIYNotIan
• 16 Jan 2012
• 1

Untitled

• DIYNotIan
• 16 Jan 2012
• 1

I'm going to box the pipes in so that they do not get knocked when putting things in/taking things out of the loft. My question is whether I should wrap the pipes up fully in insulation OR whether I should put insulation at the sides and on top of the pipes, but NOT beneath them (so that the warmer air from the room below will rise to them - as it does for water tanks in lofts).

Hope that makes sense.

Any help would be really appreciated.

Cheers

Max

 

[mointainwalker]

Since one/some of these pipes should be hot, the best thing would be to surround them with insulation. In the circumstances shown, it's not going to make any real difference if you insulate below them or not, so your choice.

 

[DIYNotIan]

Thanks for the reply. Just to clarify - with the hot water only on, two of the pipes get hot. When the heating is on, all four pipes get hot.

I should also that due to the work we do, etc. the hot water/heating is not used as much as it is in the average home. We may go several days at a time without using either. So the purpose of the insulation is mainly to prevent freezing, although if it makes that the system more effective and energy efficient that is a bonus too!

Cheers.

 

[DIYNotIan]

Seems I'm getting mixed opinions on this one (I have posted elsewhere too). Some say yes, others no...

Perhaps I can do either then? Would be great to hear what other people think though so I can at least see which idea is most popular!!!!

Cheers

Max

 

[Lower]

Insulating over the top of them will be the easiest and will be perfectly effective.

 

[DIYNotIan]

Hi all

Still got very mixed opinions on this one. However, I think I'm going to wrap them as advised and that's for a couple of reasons:

1. They were originally wrapped and have been since the house was built in 1993, with no problems.

2. I have not thought of this reason until just now..... When the heating is on, all the pipes are hot anyway. So the heat from the room below rising to prevent freezing is totally irrelevant! When the heating has been off for a while, the room below is pretty damn cold anyhow (as it's a utility room at the end of the house with a back door and double window).

Thanks for all the help and time from you guys. It's hugely appreciated.

Max


PS - Just out of curiosity (I know very little about such things), would central heating pipes always be full of water even when the heating is off?

 

[mointainwalker]

P

S - Just out of curiosity (I know very little about such things), would central heating pipes always be full of water even when the heating is off

Max. You really set new standards. Bravo

The answer is yes.

 

[DIYNotIan]

Max. You really set new standards. Bravo

Hahaha - do I get an award?

 

[mointainwalker]

Well Max, I suggest you leave the electrickery alone or it might be of the Darwin type .