Water Pipe Insulation, Duct Wrap Insulation, and Water Heater Insulation are Among the Most Important Ways to Prevent Heat Loss

How often have you thought about water pipe insulation, duct wrap insulation, or concrete slab insulation? Probably not very often. Usually, when we think of insulation in the home we think of walls, attics, and ceilings. But there is more to a house than meets the eye, and often the unseen inner workings of the house are what cause the greatest amount of heat loss.

Water Pipe Insulation

High quality insulation for your water pipes will reduce the amount of heat lost from most of the pipes in your home. Insulating your hot water pipes will also increase water temperature 2 to 4 degrees hotter than uninsulated pipes, which lets you use a lower water temperature setting. Insulating hot water pipes within 3 feet of the water heater conserves energy and water because it cuts the waiting time for hot water from the faucet or showerhead.

Commonly used water pipe insulation is fiberglass pipe insulation or closed cell pipe insulation (or foam pipe insulation). You can tape strips of fiberglass pipe insulation around all accessible pipes. Pipe sleeves are more commonly used for pipe insulation. Pipe sleeves are made from polyethylene or neoprene foam to form a snug fit around the diameter of the pipe. The closed cell pipe insulation acts as a vapor barrier against moisture and condensation.

Therma-Comfort is an excellent alternative to foam or fiberglass water pipe insulation which can be very difficult to install. Therma-Comfort is a reflective insulation uniquely designed from materials made of layers of insulating, heat sealed air bubbles encased by 99% pure aluminum foil outer surface. This specialized combination delivers a high performance insulation product excellent for conserving heat by reflecting hot water radiant heat.

Therma-Comfort is perfect for water pipe insulation: It is made with Foil Single Bubble Poly (FSBP). This foil increases the efficiency of your pipes which in turn increases the efficiency of your heating and cooling system. It comes only in rolls and it fits around the pipe.

Therma-Comfort Pipe Wrap fits the length of your pipe and leaves only one seam that can be quickly sealed with Therma-Comfort reflective tape.

Therma-Comfort is an excellent radiant barrier for water pipe insulation. An R-value cannot be assigned to the material because it is not a closed system. However, due to the emittance of foil surfaces (emittance of 0.03), Therma-Comfort does not absorb and re-emit a large amount of radiant energy. This translates into significantly increased comfort levels and energy savings.

Therma-Comfort is also an excellent water heater insulation. Properly installed hot water heater insulation can reduce monthly utility bills significantly, reflect hot water radiant heat, and conserve water.

Duct Wrap Insulation

Duct wrap insulation is an important element in general home insulation. Duct wrap encases the heating duct completely. It significantly reduces your heating and cooling costs by minimizing radiant energy loss. Poorly insulated ducts lose heat in the winter and consolidate heat in hot attics during the summer, runs down your air conditioner or furnace, and wastes energy which raises utility bills each month. It's interesting to think that we often fill our walls with six inches or more of insulation, yet the duct insulation that protects the precious hot or cool air is a measly one inch.

One application of Therma-Comfort Duct Wrap is made of Foil Double Bubble Foil (FDBF). First cut 2" spacer strips of Therma-Comfort and secure them every 2" to 3" with Therma-Comfort reflective tape to create the air space that will achieve an R-value of R-4.4 when the heat flow is up, R-8.2 when the heat flow is down, and R-5.7 when the heat flow is horizontal. Then wrap the Therma-Comfort FDBF securely around the duct and tape the seam tightly with Therma-Comfort reflective tape.

Another method of Therma-Comfort Duct Wrap is made of Foil Double Bubble Poly, like that used for the pipes. The duct is securely encompassed by the spiral duct wrap and then fastened to each end with Therma-Comfort reflective tape.

Heating duct insulation is invaluable as it conserves energy that is so often wasted in both summer and winter months.

Concrete Slab Insulation

Concrete slab insulation is often overlooked because we rarely look at it! Concrete slabs are stabilizers for homes and office buildings. Heat from the house or business seeps through the walls and through the floors and is lost forever. This is why basements and crawlspaces are often cold, dark, damp rooms.

Therma-Comfort Foil Double Bubble Poly is placed above the substructure of the building and underneath the concrete slab. The FDBP is applied on top of the gravel with the polyethylene side of the material facing towards the concrete slab. Ensure that all the seams are securely taped with Therma-Comfort reflective tape. At this point you can pour the concrete slab using approved construction methods.

The proper installation of water pipe insulation, duct wrap insulation, and concrete slab insulation with the appropriate materials such as Therma-Comfort reflective insulation will increase comfort in our homes and businesses, save us money on our monthly bills, and help us forget that pipes, ducting, and slabs even exist. When we turn on the water it will be hot, when we turn on the A/C it won't be a waste, and our feet won't be cold from heat lost to the ground outside. Therma-Comfort is a high quality reflective insulation that works to provide our customers with smart, simple, cost-effective solutions to the questions of energy loss and rising utility bills.

Call us for a price quote at (951) 675-1207, or if you have any questions or concerns about which insulation is best for you. We will assist you in making wise choices to save you time, energy, and money.