Good water supply to houses is a very important condition for comfortable living of people in them. But it happens that the residents of private houses, when the cold comes, face a huge problem - this is freezing of the water supply. This happens especially often if tenants live in the house all year round. Only the correct selection of materials and high-quality insulation of the water supply in the house will help to get away from all sorts of problems.
Why is insulation necessary
Insulation of the water supply is not always required, however strange it may sound. Many and many factors influence this. For example, what climatic conditions, how water was laid, how often residents live in the house. If the residents of the house are in it only in the warm season, then there is no great need for insulation. It is enough to preserve the system, properly preparing it for the winter. Also, there is no need for insulation if the water supply is laid at a sufficient depth from the surface of the earth. It is quite easy to calculate: add 0.5 meters to the soil freezing depth. Observing this norm, you will save yourself from unnecessary problems in remaking the water supply system.
The depth of freezing near the soil in different regions is different. The north the region is located, the greater this depth will be, and it can reach up to 2-2.5 meters. Such situations happen that it is not always possible to lay a trench to the desired depth. In such cases, one can not do without quality insulation of the water supply. Another important element of insulation is the area where the pipe enters the room and the well itself. It is necessary to pay attention in advance to the warming of this place.
Warming Methods
There are different ways to insulate pipes. It is worth highlighting:
- Thermal insulation material.
- Laying the water supply below 0.5 meters of the level of freezing.
- Using a cable to heat.
- Supply air gap.
- Buying a finished pipe with insulation.
The climate in different regions of the country is different. Given this, some homeowners use more than one way of warming. After all, everyone has their own shortcomings, and there are pluses. Also, some households choose alternative methods. But it is worth noting that alternative methods are not suitable for everyone, they only warn against bad consequences. If you live in a house not all year round, but only in the summer, for example, in a country house, you can simply pump water out of the pipes. You can use the option with a slightly ajar tap. The constant circulation of water prevents it from stagnating in one place and freezing. But this method is very inefficient. Excessive waste of water, plus everything for a long open tap, should not be left unattended.
Also, to increase the pressure, instead of an open tap, a special pump can be used. To create additional pressure, you can use another device - the receiver. The operation of the receiver protects the system from freezing, maintaining the pressure in the pipeline.
Materials for insulation and their installation
When the water supply elements are on the surface, they must be insulated, correctly selecting the necessary insulation material. Now there are a lot of different options for materials. All of them differ in price, quality. You can divide them into several groups:
- Fiberglass. Not the most reliable and best option. The installation is very simple material: the pipes are wrapped and simply tied with a special tape, or a bundle. Needs additional waterproofing with roofing material, foil. Of the advantages, we can distinguish that does not lose its properties even underground, can be reused.
- Polyurethane foam. It can be found both in liquid and solid state.The most commonly used version of insulation. Installation takes place in the form of spraying white foam onto pipes. It can be applied to any freezing surface.
- The made foam polyethylene. It performs its functions well, it is very simple to mount.
- Styrofoam. As a heater, it is used quite rarely, it is a very fragile and brittle material.
- Special paint. It is worth noting immediately that this is not ordinary, but heat-insulating paint. It is applied with a special gun in several layers to the surface of the pipe for better insulation. Before applying the pipe, it is necessary to clean and apply a primer for better adhesion to them. We can say this group is new to the market of insulation materials. In addition to the main functions, warming, it performs excellently and additional ones, namely it protects metal pipes from corrosion. Of the minuses, we can distinguish the high cost of the material.
But it is worth remembering that the quality of the insulation material is not something to save on, so that in the future you do not have to throw money away to fix problems, re-install the water supply, and also re-warming. In a limited budget, it is better to save on the installation of insulation, and try to do everything with your own efforts. Indeed, the installation of insulation does not require any professional qualities or skills. In such cases, it is worth choosing polyurethane foam and polyethylene.
Installation process and errors
The process of installing fiberglass is not time-consuming and does not require special skills, as mentioned above. The water pipe is wrapped directly with the insulation itself, and on top of it is strengthened with a plait, tape. However, during its installation, the main thing is to prevent some errors:
- A second protective layer must be applied. If this is not done, fiberglass can be damaged by weather conditions, rodents. When working with glass wool, it is necessary to wear special clothing. If you do not use it, you can get cuts or the fiber can get into the respiratory tract. If you are engaged in the installation of this type of insulation, do not make such mistakes.
- The installation process of basalt or foam is also not time-consuming. Two halves of the insulation are put on the pipe and all joints are glued with tape. The only critical error that can be made during installation is that the insulation itself does not protect against moisture and external factors. Dismantling is as simple as mounting itself. Everything is done in the reverse order.
- Installation of heating cable can be of two types. If you can do the external option yourself, simply by wrapping the cable around the water supply, or by attaching it with either bundles or tape. Then it’s already better to invite a specialist to the internal version. For the price it will be more expensive, but it is one of the most effective ways of pipe insulation. The only factor that plays a negative role in this type of insulation is the dependence on the constant supply of electric current. If prolonged power outages are likely, then you need to add another way of insulation.
Typically, people make the main mistakes in warming a water supply system even before the process of warming. Typical errors are not observing the depth of the water supply. Negligent insulation of surface elements. They begin to engage in warming even when cold weather sets in. They do not protect the insulation from rodents, which in the cold season search for warm places themselves, they simply attack the water supply insulation. Compliance with all standards and the absence of these errors will warn you of problems.
Conclusion
Incorrect calculation of the insulation layer or the wrong choice of material can lead to freezing. The most important thing is to approach the issue of water supply insulation very responsibly. Indeed, in winter, no one would like to be left without such an important element in our life as water.
