I have a very old house with a rock foundation basement (we call them Michigan basements) Not much is down their just HW heater, water softener and the boiler. Boiler system is just a couple years old pipes and all. The small basement stays much warmer during the winter than the rest of the house.
After that lengthy intro I was wondering if it would do any good to insulate the supply lines running in the basement?
In other words would the effort involved be much of a benefit of heat output upstairs?
Scott R.
Edited 12/7/2002 8:56:32 AM ET by Scott R.
Replies
So what you are saying is that there would be none? Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
Primal screamers make better lovers.
"So what you are saying is that there would be none?"
No, I think that he is saying the the benifits would be undescribable!
Ya, that was my thoughts. Post #2 from Cairo came up blank on my screen. Musta been a finger slip or seemed too obvious to warrant a comment.
. Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
Primal screamers make better lovers.
Edited 12/7/2002 3:38:03 PM ET by rez
It was so obvious, I thought words were unnecessary. Or maybe I hit the "Post" button while reaching for the single malt. You decide.
Scott: probably would help, be sure to use insulation rated for hot water heat.
BTW, where are you located? "Michigan basements" in my area (NW Ohio) are houses with dug out crawls with a wide "concrete shelf" at what was the bottom of the original crawlspace foundation.
I've heard that they are called that because the main co that did that way back when was the "Michigan Basement Company" but I haven't been able to confirm that.
________________________________________________
"I may have said the same thing before... But my explanation, I am sure, will always be different." Oscar Wilde
Bob, I've never heard that explanation before. Interesting!
Actually I'm in Michigan and the designation of a Michigan basement around here has become a catchall title for any low headroom, rock/boulder foundation basement.
Scott R.
Insulating all the heating pipes, supply and return, is always recommended. The construction of the foundation is irrelevent. Domestic hot water pipes should be insulated as well.
As mentioned in an earlier reply, use the correct insulation.
If you go to Home Dump or Lowes, you will usually find two different pipe insulation tubes.
One is the brown/grayish styrofoam looking stuff, which is what you DON'T want to use.
Go with the (more costly) black, high density foam stuff (maybe labeled Rubatex) that has the peel away adhesive strip.
This is also available as a roll wrap in a box.
Some of the pipes closest to your boiler may require 2+" diameter insualtion tubes which may not be available at home centers. Plumbling supply houses should have the larger sizes and may actually offer competetive pricing on the smaller sizes as well.
Don't be deterred by the cost of the tubes - they are very easy to cut and install and well worth the effort at least in the satisfaction department. Actual savings in heat I don't know how to quantify.
All supply and return runs near our boiler is insulated and at every opportunity I wrap additional runs, such as when a wall is removed and exposes a heating pipe run.
Also, if there are long runs of un-finned pipes behind a baseboard section, I insulated those as well. (But you may have radiators.)
All of the above should apply to domestic hotwater.
And finally, in a damp or humid climate, it may be a good idea to wrap the cold domestic water lines as well, maybe with the less expensive styrofoamy tubes.
I speak not as an expert....but as a DIY'ing fool.
Yes but one day DIYers will rule the world. Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.