How to Insulate Pipes

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Woodie's DIY will show you how to insulate pipes. This is a simple but important job to prevent pipes bursting and creating water damage in the home.

How to do it

Step 1

Begin by removing any dirt or grease from the pipes with a damp cloth and mild cleanser.

Step 2

Measure the length and diameter of all accessible water pipes to ensure you have enough insulation to complete the job.

Step 3

The most commonly used pipe insulation is the semi-split, which has a wall thickness of 13mm and is partly pre-slit to enable easy application.

Step 4

Cut your insulation & fit by separating the slit and fitting to the pipe.

Step 5

Secure the insulation with tape where the pieces of insulation meet and at 300-600mm intervals along the length of the insulation.

Step 6

Another option is to use an insulating spiral pipe wrap. To put this on, simply cut off a manageable length and wrap around the pipe as you go with the foil side of the insulation facing outwards. Overlap the foil by 15mm as you wrap. Secure at either end with duct tape or foil wrap tape. This foil bubble wrap is 4mm thick but has the thermal resistance equivalent to 30mm of polystyrene.