DIY Network

Home Energy Savings -- Basement, Water Heater and Pipes From "Home Energy Savings" episode HES-103

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Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure D Figure E Figure F Figure G Figure H Figure I

In this segment, host Paul Ryan follows up the earlier attic-insulation projects with some miscellaneous insulation on specific problem areas.

Insulating a Rim Joist

One area that a lot of people overlook when insulating can be found in the basement or crawlspace -- the area on top of the foundation where the floor joists meet the rim joist (figure A). This is commonly a place for outside air to infiltrate your home. Fortunately, it's an easy fix.

Materials:

Fiberglass insulation
Utility knife
Putty knife
Particle mask, rated for fiberglass
OSHA-approved protective goggles

Steps:

• Cut a short piece of fiberglass batt to fit the area. In our demonstration, the joists were 16", on center. The fiberglass piece was cut to 14" to fit between the joists.

• Lay in the insulation, and make sure that it fits snugly (figure B). Using a putty knife can help here to wedge the insulation in evenly.

• Be careful not to compress the insulation too much because that removes the air pocket and reduces the overall R-value.

Insulating a Water-Heater Tank and Water Pipes

Heat escaping from a water heater (figure C) is another source of lost energy and wasted money. To trap the heat inside, a water-heater insulating blanket can be installed. The pipes leading from the tank are also insulated.

Materials:

Water-heater blanket
Self-stick insulation tape
Foam pipe-sleeves
Utility knife
Duct tape
Fine-toothed saw

Steps:

• Insulation should begin where pipes leave the tank (figure D). Using self-stick insulation tape, cover the vertical rise of the pipe for the first 5' of horizontal pipe -- or the length of the pipe until it enters the wall, whichever is shortest. Wrap the tape around the pipe just like a bandage, overlapping as you wrap (figure E).

• Wrap both the cold- and hot-water pipes entering the tank. When hot water is stored, heat rises to the top of the tank and travels up both the cold- and hot-water pipes -- resulting in heat loss. Insulation helps reduce this heat loss.

• For circular tanks, insulation jackets are available in a range of standard sizes. Wrap the blanket around the heater and tape in place at the top, middle and bottom (figure F).

• Cut openings in the blanket for access to the water-heater controls.

• Tape the seam from the top to the bottom. Finally, tape the top of the blanket to the top of the heater (figure G).

• To insulate other water pipes in the basement, use foam tubes designed to fit right around the pipes.

• Simply slip foam pipe-sleeves around the water pipes (figure H) using the slit in the sleeve, and tape the ends with duct tape (figure I) to ensure a tight fit.

  Tip: The tubing can be cut using a fine-toothed saw at 45 degrees (or other angles) so that two pieces cover any bend. When installed, the ends should be taped to ensure a tight fit.

Remember that by investing in insulation now, you'll reap dividends for years to come -- in energy savings as well as comfort.

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