How to insulate a water pipe in an unheated room. Insulation of water pipes in the ground: materials, methods, step-by-step instructions

Once I told you about how to thaw water that has frozen in pipes in winter. I was asked to do this by my neighbor in the country, who was going to celebrate his anniversary there.

And recently, he, mindful of the advice that I gave him then, asked me to insulate water pipes in the ground on the street and inside the cottage. Probably does not want to face similar troubles next winter. It is right, because insulated pipes are a guarantee of the presence of water in the dwelling at any time of the year and at any time of the day.

Naturally, he had to pay me a considerable fee, although the price was quite consistent with the complexity of the work performed. And you have the ability to do everything do it yourself and "absolutely free of charge", as she said wise Owl in a famous cartoon. Will help in this compiled by me instruction, which I present below.

The need to insulate the water transport system (Article 1)

I think even those readers who do not know about my winter adventures (we are talking about the case when I defrosted pipes for a neighbor) understand the need to insulate pipes through which water flows from a well or well into the house.

Insulation may not be performed in only one case: when engineering communications are sufficiently deep into the ground, that is, they are below the level of soil freezing. Insulation in the ground may be needed only if the pipes are buried shallow.

So I recommend, if you haven't already done so, to protect your pipes from the cold. Moreover, the length of engineering communications on any private land plot not so great, and they are buried very shallow.

In addition to underground water pipes, you need to take care of utilities laid in unheated areas of the house (especially basements and attics). There, too, water can freeze, which will lead to the inoperability of the system as a whole.

Well, I hope I convinced you of the need for insulation work, it's time to decide what material to use for this. We'll talk about this in the next section.

Materials used

When I was little, my grandfather and I insulated a piece of pipeline (3 meters) that went from the well to the pantry. At that time, old military pea coats, soldier's blankets and other similar things were perfect for this (I think you guessed what my grandfather worked for).

However, there are currently many modern building materials, which will cope with the tasks assigned to them much better, and their purchase will not make a bottomless hole in your family budget.

On the other hand, some find it difficult not knowing what to choose. Before giving specific advice, I want to list the requirements that the insulation must meet so that you can use it for finishing pipes:

• have good heat-preserving properties that do not change under the influence of external conditions (humidity, temperature, mechanical stress, deformation, damage, and so on);
• have a long service life, resistance to chemicals and biocorrosion;
• have hydrophobic functions, do not change their specifications and operational properties when wet;
• it is good to endure exposure to high temperatures without changing the coefficient of thermal conductivity and service life.

I will talk about the most common options, and you already choose on your own:

1. Glass fiber insulation(glass wool). Best suited for metal finishing plastic pipes wires. I have worked with such heaters as Izover, URSA, Knauf Insulation and others. They differ slightly from each other in individual parameters, but they do not affect the efficiency of work.

Given that glass wool has a low density, when wrapping pipes with it, which you are then going to bury in the ground, you need to figure out how to protect it from mechanical stress. In my practice, I used roofing material, geotextiles or large sewer pipes.

In general, not the most convenient option, which requires a lot of time and effort.

1. Basalt heat insulator. The material is produced in the form of ready-made shells for a certain diameter of plumbing or sewer pipes. Thanks to this, they are very easy to install on engineering communications.

Suitable for pipe insulation private house, and underground, because it perfectly tolerates strong mechanical stress and high load. In some cases, in addition to a layer of basalt fiber, manufacturers protect their products from above with foil insulation or glassine, which further increases the performance properties of the material.

However, as you understand, we have to pay for all these pluses. The cost of the considered insulation can not be called affordable.

1. Styrofoam. This is the material I worked with the most. It differs from other products in affordable cost and a considerable range. There are varieties with and without an external protective layer, for installation on pipes of large and small diameters, and so on.

I insulated pipes with polystyrene foam in a ditch and in unheated rooms country houses. In both cases, the result was quite in line with expectations. None of the customers remembered any more freezing.

This material is designed for multiple use. If for some reason you need to disassemble the water supply, you can dismantle the polystyrene shells without violating their integrity, and then reinstall them. The main thing is that the diameter of the parts matches.

1. Thermal insulating paint. It is a thick mass of white color (although it can be tinted), which in its own way appearance And operational properties very similar to conventional coloring compositions. Except that even a thin layer of it significantly reduces the thermal conductivity of pipes.

Such material is produced on the basis of varnish or water, as well as acrylic and special filler. The latter is a microscopic hollow ceramic sphere containing air inside. It is thanks to them that the beauty keeps the pipes from freezing.

I used paint and quite happy with the result. Of course, it is better to do this with a special sprayer, although you can also use a brush. The more layers you apply, the more reliably protect the water supply from freezing water in severe frost.

Paint has other advantages:

• perfectly tolerates strong temperature fluctuations, therefore it is also suitable for heating pipes;
• has anti-corrosion properties, as a result of which it can be used to process metal water pipes;
• has a long service life and can act as decorative material if you add coloring pigments to it.

Of course, I would advise you to use only paint, but its cost is quite high, so for domestic use, buy yourself styrofoam shells. Although, there are other ways to prevent pipes from freezing, which I will discuss later.

Insulation of underground water pipes

Naturally, one of the most simple ways water pipe insulation is the use of heat-insulating materials. But that doesn't mean he's the only one. And, by the way, not always the most effective.

In my many years of practice, I had to resort to other methods. Perhaps some of you will find that they are easier to implement. Especially if the pipes are too deep to dig the ditch again, but not deep enough to keep out the winter.

I have compiled a small table to make it easier for you to navigate.

I made a brief review, now I will tell you about everything in more detail, so that you can independently insulate the pipes and not be afraid of the formation of ice in the plumbing system.

Method 1 - Use of thermal insulation materials

In my practice, most often glass wool or materials based on it were used to insulate water pipes. And although I do not consider this option the most effective and convenient, I will first talk about it.

The scheme of work is as follows:

1. We dig out pipes buried in the ground. Care must be taken not to damage the engineering system with a shovel. It is necessary to release not only the pipeline itself, but also take out a small amount of earth from below so that it can be convenient to work.

1. Then we wrap the pipes with glass wool heat insulator. Try to make sure that there are no gaps through which the plastic or metal of the pipe is visible. Otherwise, a cold bridge will form in this place, which will certainly cause the pipe to freeze.
2. The thermal insulation material can be secured with adhesive tape or plastic ties or other suitable method.
3. After that, we protect the heat insulator with a more durable material. The most commonly used ruberoid. It is the most accessible and has hydrophobic properties, that is, it does not allow the insulation to get wet.

In principle, everything is simple. But personally, I would not advise resorting to this method of finishing. I base my position on the following considerations:

1. By doing this insulation, you are doing the same job twice. First install glass wool, then protective layer. It turns out too long in time and quite tedious.
2. After backfilling the soil (especially with layer-by-layer tamping, which avoids soil movement), the insulation, due to its low density, shrinks. This negatively affects its heat-preserving properties, that is, the pipes will be insulated worse than you think.
3. Glass wool does not tolerate the effects of moisture, which will constantly seep through the soil to the insulation. Moistened glass wool does not hold heat so well and protects the engineering system from the cold. And it will be even worse if the insulator, wet after the autumn rains, also freezes.

I said all this to the fact that I advise you to choose ready-made thermal insulation cylinders made of expanded polystyrene or mineral fiber. You don't need to be a plumber to install them. Connect the two halves of the cylinder on the pipe and snap into place.

Just make sure there are no seams. Cylinder parts must be connected to each other with a slight offset (10 to 20 cm). If you are afraid that some kind of lost mole will damage your pipeline, then you can additionally strengthen the parts with adhesive tape.

To insulate fittings, valves, revision holes and other bulges on pipes, use specially made polystyrene foam shells.

As a result, your pipes will be insulated in the most reliable way. This is especially true for strength and water absorption. Backfilling the soil in no way affects the insulation, and the parts themselves absorb only 2% of the liquid from the volume of the material per day. That is, the insulation, one might say, does not get wet at all.

And best of all, a similar material can also be used when finishing pipelines passing inside a building in unheated rooms.

Method 2 - Installing the heating cable

Let's say for some reason you do not want to use thermal insulation. Then I can advise you to install a heating cable. I must say right away that he himself is not cheap and requires additional costs during operation (payment for electricity).

But in this way it is possible to lay a pipeline with a small depth. And if it does freeze, you can plug the cable into the network and wait for the ice to thaw.

I can name two ways of laying a heating cable:

1. Inside the pipe. You can understand the essence from the name. At self-manufacturing you will have to sweat a lot. In order not to create unnecessary problems for yourself, I advise you to buy water pipes with a heating cable already installed inside or with an empty cable channel that will facilitate installation engineering system.

1. Outside pipes. In this case, you can buy ordinary water pipes and cable, and then assemble everything into a finished system.

Most often, I had to resort to the second method, so I will dwell on it in more detail.

The advantage of this method is that it is not necessary to dig a ditch 2 meters deep. It is only necessary to go deep by 50 cm so that the pipes themselves are not destroyed by vehicles passing on the ground, and the cable will be responsible for the insulation.

In addition, you also need to buy a foil adhesive tape, a heater with hydrophobic properties (for example, basalt shells). After that, you can get down to business. The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. The pipe through which water flows from the water intake point (well or well) to the house must be pasted over with foil adhesive tape in a spiral. It is not necessary to place the turns too tightly, there should be a distance of about 10 cm between them.
2. Then wrap the pipe with a heating cable clearly along the resulting line. Make sure that you do not get any intersections, otherwise later a heating element can close.
3. Then you need to seal the pipe with the same adhesive tape. This will ensure that the heating cable is fixed exactly where you placed it.
4. After that, you should cut the basalt cylinders and install them on the pipe. Be sure to overlap the joints so that cold bridges do not appear. It is they who often cause excessive consumption of electrical energy when heating pipes.
5. We take another adhesive tape, plumbing, and wrap the entire pipe over the insulation, firmly fixing thermal insulation material. In addition, plumbing tape helps prevent water from leaking to the pipe if you left a gap in the insulation somewhere.

Pay special attention to the area where the pipeline enters the residential building. I advise you to make a good tin box in that place, which, after installing the pipe there, must be filled with a heat insulator and carefully protected with a film from water.

One more moment. I recommend installing temperature sensors along with the cable in several places of the pipeline, which are connected to the heating cable control system. In this case, when the temperature of the engineering system drops below the permissible level, the heating system will turn on independently or notify you of the need to take any action.

As I said, the minus of such a solution is the consumption of electricity for heating pipes. But if you know another way, which I will discuss below, you can heat pipes with free thermal energy. Don't know how? Listen.

Method 3 - Arrangement of the air gap

By insulating the pipeline, we kind of protect it from the cold from all possible sides - from above and below. However, as you know, the deeper the ditch, the more heat can be obtained directly from the ground. This heat can not be wasted, but used to heat the water supply.

In this case, it is not necessary to insulate the entire pipe, but only the upper part, creating a kind of thermal umbrella.

Another way is to lay a working water pipe inside a thicker pipeline. Then a kind of air gap is created between the parts, which protects the engineering system from freezing.

This method of laying, by the way, has several other advantages:

1. In the event of an emergency, you can easily stretch a flexible temporary hose through an impromptu main manifold or water pipe. To do this, during installation, I recommend throwing an emergency cable or wire there.
2. When a pipe fails, it can be replaced without excavation. That is, even in winter.
3. Possibility of arranging additional heating systems. For example, if a heating cable paired with a heater fails, you can melt the ice or heat the water supply with warm air supplied to the collector pipe.

There is another air heating circuit that I mounted several times. To do this, you need a house in which there is a basement or cellar, where all year round positive temperature is maintained. Then the thick pipe, in which the water supply is laid, is led out to the basement at one end, and at the other we equip the hood with a deflector.

The result is a kind of ventilation. Warm air comes out of the basement, passes through a thick pipe, heating the water supply, and then is removed through the deflector. It turns out free heating of the engineering system, and fresh air in the basement.

Method 4 - Using high pressure

Now let's turn to high technology. This is not about nanobots that will insulate your pipe, but about an ordinary powerful deep pump that pumps water into a home plumbing. The essence of this method is that the water under pressure in the pipe will not freeze. Which, in fact, we will use.

The downside here is that you have to turn the system on and off every time when you arrive at the dacha and leave for the city.

I will describe the scheme of such a solution:

1. A receiver must be inserted into the water pipe, which will help create excess pressure in the area connecting the well to the house. The water itself will be pumped submersible, the power of which is quite enough for this.
2. You will also need a check valve.

The procedure is as follows:

• in order to avoid freezing, you need to close the tap in front of the receiver and pump water into the pipe, reaching a pressure value of 5 atmospheres;
• upon arrival at the dacha, it is again necessary to release excess water from the pipe, bringing the water supply system into working condition.

Insulation of plumbing inside the building

With works on outdoors we slowly figured it out. Now let's move on to the issue of warming the water supply inside the house. Here everything is much simpler and easier. You can use the following materials:

1. Styrofoam. Buy heat-insulating cylinders of a suitable diameter and put them on pipes. It is better to take those varieties that are protected from mechanical stress from above. If there are none, wrap a layer of roofing material or something similar on top.
2. Glass wool. This material is mainly used for metal pipes. There is no particular difference between the installation of insulation in the house and on the street, so I will not describe everything in detail.
3. Basalt cylinders. Another great way insulation of water pipes in unheated rooms. Despite the strength, I still advise you to additionally protect the cylinders with glassine or foil insulation.

All the methods that I once used, I told you. I think this is enough to insulate pipes in your country house or in country house. And to make the work carried out as efficiently as possible, I will give a few tips:

1. When burying pipes in the ground, do not be too lazy to draw up an accurate diagram of the engineering system. Particular attention should be paid to the location of the connecting elements. It is at these points that pipes often fail when the water inside freezes.
2. It is necessary to insulate both internal and external communications at the same time. As a last resort, if you need to insulate a short section of the system (50-70 centimeters), cut a piece of pipe from the sewer, put it on the water supply and fill it with construction foam. Suitable as a temporary option.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I want to tell you that in no case should you neglect such an important stage in the construction of a water pipe as protecting it from freezing. Otherwise, you will have to thaw the ice later, as described in the video in this article. Do you need it?

A completely new way of warming is the use of special coloring compositions. Even a thin layer of such paint can replace yourself insulation 10-20 mm thick. And if you apply the composition in several layers, you can achieve much best results. Heat loss can be reduced by up to 40%, while the coating does not let water and moisture through, but remains "breathable". Liquid insulation is classified as energy-saving thermal paint K shortcomings include:

• The high cost of the composition;
• If you choose a foam composition as a heater, you will need to seek help from specialists to apply it. Which, as you know, provide their services only for large volumes of work. If you want to spray just a few meters of the pipeline, then you may simply not find a contractor.

10. Thermal insulation by high pressure

As a method of insulating a pipeline in a private house or in a country house, one can consider the creation and maintenance of high pressure in it. How it's done:

11. Air insulation

Understanding the features of soil freezing in winter, it is possible to apply the thermal insulation method when warm air and bowels earth. As you know, the soil freezes from top to bottom, while heat continues to flow from below at this time. When insulating shells are used, this heat is simply cut off and not used.
To get a little save on the number of insulating materials, you can create a design that will resemble an umbrella. And work on the same principle. The cold from above will be isolated, and the heat coming from below will be concentrated at the depth of the pipeline. This can be done using a flexible material with low thermal conductivity, which is laid in an arc over the pipe in the trench, and then simply covered with soil. Additionally, you can fill up more free space around the pipe.

Violation in the modes of functioning of life support systems of the population is called emergency. IN winter time most often there is a rupture of pipelines with hot and cold water due to freezing in some areas. This happens due to a violation of the pipe insulation technology or the destruction of the insulation. To prevent this from happening in your home, you need to know how and with what to insulate a water pipe on the street, using the latest developments in this area.

The main heat-insulating material at the dawn of the arrangement of engineering networks of settlements is the earth. Additional pipe insulation was used only for open laying. Subsequently, it turned out that such insulation did not live up to expectations. When the earth becomes wet more than 5 times, its specific thermal conductivity coefficient changes, from 0.2 to 1.1 units.

Soil freezing depth

In addition, laying pipelines in the ground without insulation has a number of disadvantages:

• it is necessary to carry out a large amount of work to prepare a trench with a depth of 20-30 cm more than the depth of soil freezing;
• the presence of moisture and active elements in the ground accelerates the corrosion processes taking place in pipes;
• a large layer of earth high blood pressure on the pipe walls, causing its deformation and destruction during long-term operation.

When laying pipes underground, in order to increase the level of thermal insulation, it is necessary to carry out layer-by-layer compaction of the laid soil. In some cases, pipe laying on great depth simply not feasible or economically viable. He hopes that a lot of snow will fall on time, and frosts will not exceed the climatic norm in the presence of insulating materials, the height of carelessness. It is necessary to carry out thermal insulation in order to increase the service life of pipelines and reduce energy consumption.

Necessary for high-quality insulation

For the insulation of water pipes on the street, the following materials are used:

• glass wool;
• basalt heaters;
• thermal insulation from expanded polystyrene;
• pipes made of foamed synthetic rubber.

Each of them has its pros and cons, both in the arrangement of insulation and in operation.

We use glass wool

Glass wool insulation was very popular, but the emergence of new heaters is gradually pushing it out of the market. Ease of use and low price cannot outweigh its shortcomings:

• low environmental cleanliness;
• insufficient physical density.

When laying, maximum protection of the skin and respiratory organs from contact with the material is necessary. A protective cover is required in order to prevent the reduction of the insulating layer under the weight of the earth. It will also be required when insulating a pipe laid open way in order to prevent the destruction of the insulation under the influence of water and wind, as well as to ensure the necessary safety of people.

Before insulating the pipe on the street (if the pipe is made of metal), it is necessary to paint it.

When laying in a trench, the pipe is wrapped with material, pre-fixing it with clamps. Then they wrap it with a layer of waterproofing, fixing it with turns of knitting wire, clamps. For this, roofing felt, roofing felt, metallized foil, fiberglass are used.

Provide protection of the insulation against compression by:

• laying it in a large-diameter pipe that is slightly susceptible to corrosion;
• covering with U-shaped or semicircular elements made of asbestos cement or concrete.

To separate thermal insulation from soil water, it is recommended to provide for the arrangement of a waterproofing layer of sand and gravel.

What should be the optimal insulation

The desire to reduce the cost of housing being built required the pipeline to be insulated with materials that have:

• low coefficient of thermal conductivity;
• long service life in adverse conditions;
• zero water absorption;
• the possibility of multiple use;
• low requirements for the qualification of the installer.

We use basalt fiber

The material is made from natural basalt stone, has high level fire, environmental and biological safety. Between the fibers there is a large amount of air that provides insulation.

Basalt fiber insulation for pipes on the street is produced in the form of half-cylinders and cylinders. The former are used when carrying out work on existing water pipelines, the latter - on newly constructed sites. To improve resistance to external influences, the products are covered with a thin layer of aluminum foil. For a reliable hermetic connection of adjacent pieces of insulation, a locking device is technologically provided.

In addition, he:

• has a high density
• UV resistant;
• operated for a long time;
• provides for reuse;
• easy to install.

The quality of thermal insulation is negatively affected by a high degree of water absorption, which is reduced by impregnating the material with hydrophobic compounds. After drying, the quality of insulation is restored. It is recommended to use when insulating an external water supply system on the street using waterproofing.

We use polystyrene foam

Foamed and extruded polystyrene foam is considered an almost ideal insulation for metal-plastic and plastic pipes. A material made of expanded polystyrene contains a large amount of gas in its volume in closed volumes. Possesses a high degree fire hazard, low chemical and biological activity. Environmentally friendly.

Available in the form of half-cylinders, providing ease of installation by non-professional installers. He possesses:

• low thermal conductivity;
• almost zero water absorption;
• high mechanical strength in compression and bending;
• service life of 50 years;
• the possibility of repeated use.

The main disadvantage is the low resistance to direct sunlight. It is recommended to use for hidden laying of pipes in the soil layer. Additional waterproofing is not required. Fastening is carried out using construction tape, clamps, wire. Filling the grooves is carried out with mounting foam, followed by painting.

Insulation in - one of the most convenient options to protect pipes.

We trust synthetic rubber

Pipe insulation using foamed synthetic rubber is the most effective method heat saving on engineering networks. It does not decompose over time, after stretching it restores its shape, does not require additional fixation during installation.

The thermal insulator is a flexible gray or black hose with a longitudinal slit and adhesive applied to it. Production in the form of hollow semi-cylinders with additional aluminum protection has been launched.

It has a number of undeniable advantages. The coefficient of thermal conductivity, decreasing with low temperatures, allows you to increase the heat-saving capacity. Low water absorption and zero vapor permeability protects pipes from corrosion. Long service life, ease of installation, repeated use, high mechanical density, resistance to tearing and sunlight distinguish rubber pipe insulation from a number of their own kind. A water column insulated with synthetic rubber will not freeze in the most severe frost.

Its use does not require additional measures before insulating a water pipe on the street. It is enough to remove the protective film from the adhesive layer, wrap the pipe with insulation, press the edges for a short time to glue.

Subject to the installation technology, knowledge of the operating conditions of heaters will allow to produce right choice material for plumbing, providing a warming effect for a long time.

Reliable water supply is the key to comfortable living!

Another alternative way of warming, see the video:

One of the main problems that owners of private houses or summer cottages face in winter is the freezing of the water supply and, as a result, the inability to use water. In addition, there is a danger of rupture of pipes when the ice in them begins to thaw.

The best way to solve this problem is by laying pipes that supply water to the house at a depth below the freezing zone of the soil. But how to insulate with your own hands sewer system when it is not possible to dig pipes deep into the ground? Let's talk about this in more detail.

Warming the water supply system to the house: alternative approaches

Create in pipes that provide water entry into the room, high pressure. As you know, water under pressure does not freeze when the temperature drops. In this regard, it is recommended to supplement the system with a receiver - a device that maintains constant pressure in water pipes.

Before leaving from suburban area turn on the receiver and set the pressure at 3 atmospheres. This will be enough to keep the contents of the pipes from freezing. In the new season, it will be necessary to release some of the pressure, and the water supply system will return to normal.

When using this method, pay particular attention to the uniformity of pressure throughout the system, and also make sure that the pipes have the necessary strength to withstand the increase in pressure without ruptures or other damage.

Pipe heating

Equip the heating of the pipes that provide the house with water using an electric wire. To insulate the water supply in this way, it is necessary to wrap the problem areas of the pipes with an electric cable and connect it to the mains. Under voltage, the cable will heat up, heat the pipe, which means that the water inside it will not freeze.

Main nuances this method insulation of water inlet - an increase in electricity costs and the impossibility of heating pipes in the absence of voltage in the network. Speaking about the first “but”, it should be noted that the overpayment for electricity will be much less significant than the laboriousness of the process of defrosting an icy water supply. The solution to the second problem can be the purchase of an autonomous generator.

Insulation

Supplying water to the house, air. When water pipes are deepened into the ground, they are affected by different temperatures: from above - cold air penetrating into the soil from its surface, from below - heat from the depths of the soil.

If the pipeline is insulated from all sides, then it will be insulated not only from cold, but also from heat, therefore, more suitable option in this case, there will be insulation with a casing in the form of an umbrella, so that the heat coming from below naturally heats the pipe.

Pipe in a pipe

Use the pipe-in-pipe method. To insulate in this way, water pipes should be placed inside other pipes of large diameter, and the voids should be filled with expanded clay, foam plastic, mineral wool, polyurethane foam or other heat insulator.

Hot air can also be pumped into the space between the pipes. With this method of plumbing equipment, your financial costs will not increase too much, since polypropylene pipes are inexpensive. The pipe in the pipe is laid directly into the ground or into a specially prepared brick tray (if the soil is loose or excessively wet).

What materials are best used to insulate the water supply system

It is possible to insulate water pipes by various means, but the first ones must necessarily meet the following requirements:

• to be durable in operation, that is, to provide reliable protection systems for introducing water into the premises without the need for frequent repairs;
• be easy to use, which is especially important for those who carry out insulation with their own hands and want to know for sure that the water supply system to the house will function stably and uninterruptedly;
• be waterproof, since a wet insulation is unable to fully perform its functions;
• have low thermal conductivity;
• be wear-resistant, especially in relation to aggressive environmental factors.

glass wool

Glass wool is a type of insulation based on fiberglass. The most famous brands are Knauf, Isover, Ursa.

With the help of glass wool, mainly metal-plastic pipes are insulated, designed to bring water into the house. Thermal insulation with glass wool requires additional external protection in the form of a layer of fiberglass or roofing felt.

Basalt fiber is delivered in the form of cylinders. Such thermal insulation is easy to install and can be laid directly into the ground. The protective cover of basalt fiber is folgoizol, roofing material or glassine. The only disadvantage of this material is its high cost.

Styrofoam

Expanded polystyrene is the most acceptable option both in terms of ease of use, and in terms of characteristics, and in terms of cost. The styrofoam "shell" can be mounted with or without a protective casing, and there is no need to lay the trays in trenches.

Expanded polystyrene thermal insulation can be used repeatedly, as it is not only easily attached to pipes, but also dismantled without any problems. Styrofoam provides effective insulation elements of the water supply system located in the ground, above the ground and in rooms without heating.

In order to lay the polystyrene "shell" on the water pipes, it is not necessary to have special skills and equipment. The halves of the “shell” selected according to the diameter of the pipe are mounted on the pipe with an offset of 100-200 mm relative to each other and fixed with ordinary adhesive tape. Such an "overlap" reduces the likelihood of cracks in the thermal insulation.

If it is necessary to repair or replace pipes, the dismantling of polystyrene foam is carried out in the reverse order.

Thermal insulation paint

Heat-insulating paint is a novelty in the market of heat-insulating products. This paint is based on water or varnish with the addition of fillers and acrylic dispersion. It is produced in the form of a thick paste-like mass of white or gray color.

By their own thermal insulation characteristics 1 mm of such paint corresponds to a 50 mm layer of mineral wool insulation.

Such a coating not only prevents the release of heat from pipes into the ground, but also returns up to 70% of infrared radiation back. Accordingly, the thicker the paint layer, the more reliable the pipe insulation.

Heat-insulating paint is not only an excellent insulator, but also a means for preventing corrosive changes in metal, and therefore it is recommended for insulating metal pipes for supplying water to a house. The service life of this material is from 15 to 40 years.

Heat-insulating paint is applied with a spray gun, and small sections of a water pipe with a complex configuration are processed manually with a brush or roller.

Today, almost every owner of a private or country house took care of its comfort and has its own plumbing system.

In summer, the use of water supply is only a pleasure, but with the advent of winter, it will be necessary to insulate the water supply pipes on the street, otherwise they will completely freeze and burst in just a week at a temperature below -5 degrees, leaving the owners without water.

Any material, even the most High Quality will not be able to withstand prolonged frosts in a harsh winter.

There are many options for how to make insulation and the choice of materials depends on the location and thermal insulation of the pipeline. According to separate methods, insulation is carried out for pipes installed indoors, in the ground or in the open air.

General information

How to insulate street water supply? Laying a water pipe in the ground to a depth of two meters does not guarantee that it will not freeze during severe frosts.

And the water inside the structure should never be allowed to freeze, otherwise it can break and disable the entire plumbing system.

Therefore, it is worth taking care in advance about protecting the water supply from freezing on the street and choosing the right insulation.

There are two weaknesses in the home plumbing system.

• The location of the pipeline on the street under a layer of earth.
• The pipeline is located in an unheated room.

If the insulation of water supply in a private house that is inside the premises is easier to carry out, then the water supply that is laid outside requires a more thoughtful approach. Basically, it all depends on the quality of the insulation used.

A good heater for water supply should have the following characteristics:

1. low thermal conductivity;
2. durability;
3. ease of installation;
4. resistance to aggressive environments;
5. must withstand the operating temperature of the environment;
6. fire safety and tightness;
7. low price with the possibility of repeated use

Based on these characteristics, the optimal thermal insulation for plumbing in a private house. Today, there are a large number of heaters. Below we will analyze some of them.

Requirements that the heater must meet

Since this material is intended to protect water pipes from frost, it must have a number of characteristics.

Before you insulate the water pipe on the street, you should know that, despite their diversity, each of them must meet the following requirements:

• minimum thermal conductivity to retain the maximum amount of heat;
• water-repellent properties that will provide airtight protection;
• antifungal properties that prevent putrefactive processes from developing;
• resistance to various aggressive environments that can affect a certain area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe structure;
• resistant to impact high temperatures and fire;
• long service life.

Before you insulate the water supply above the ground, think about when choosing a heater so that later there are no difficulties during the installation process.

If the work will be carried out by an unprofessional master, then it is desirable that the insulation process does not require the presence a large number tools.

Glass wool, mineral wool and expanded polystyrene

This type is made from the waste of the glass industry. The material has the appropriate properties and is most often used for insulating water supply on the street from plastic.

At the same time, it is relatively inexpensive and can be purchased directly in rolls. How to insulate water pipes with glass wool? To do this, the water supply (the part that is in the ground) is wrapped around, and then all this is fixed with soft thin wire or construction tape.

It can be assumed that the thermal insulation of water supply on the street has been implemented, however, this type of thermal insulation requires the use of an additional waterproofing method (roofing material coating), which increases the price of work due to the presence of a second layer.

Also, when working with glass wool, you need to use overalls, gloves and a mask. The fiber of this insulation is very thin, so it can easily penetrate under the skin or into the respiratory tract.

When choosing mineral wool , which is made on the basis of basalt fiber, before starting the insulation, you need to purchase special cylinders of a certain diameter and size.

They are also called "shells" in construction circles. They are easily cut with a regular knife.

These cylinders are often additionally covered with aluminum foil on the outside, which will provide additional protection against mechanical damage during operation.

Using a foil shell, you can quickly solve the problem of how to insulate the water supply above the ground and prevent heat loss.

In addition to ease of installation, basalt cylinders fit perfectly to the pipeline. Price this material higher than the price of glass wool, but it also requires protection from moisture, which is folgoizol or glassine.

Insulation of water supply on the street is an important point, for the implementation of which foam is most often used in practice. To insulate any highway, a shell of a suitable diameter is made.

They are both coated and uncoated. The foam shell can be used several times, which allows savings, while it has the most suitable operational and technical characteristics as a heater.

How to properly install the foam shell

How to insulate the water supply with foam? For correct installation shells do not need to have certain skills. Thermal insulation of water supply in this way can be done with your own hands in a short period of time.

The halves of the cylinder are put on the pipe and fastened with a special adhesive tape. Parts must overlap (at least 10 cm). Also, all joints are carefully sealed with adhesive tape and a protective layer is already applied to the adhesive tape.

Shaped shells are used for corner segments, knots and turns.

The dismantling of the insulation is carried out in the reverse order, the protective layer, adhesive tape, and then the shell itself are removed.

Thermal insulation Energoflex

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Alternative Methods

It is not always possible to effectively protect against freezing of water supply using only a heater. In severe frosts it may be necessary additional protection, from freezing, which can be carried out using special cables for heating or pressure.

Everyone knows that for every liquid there is a pressure at which it does not freeze. The thermal insulation of the water supply can also be associated with this rule. It is enough just to cut the receiver into the pipeline.

To ensure the same pressure throughout the pipeline, a check valve is installed near the pump. Then you should close the valve installed in front of the receiver and turn on the pump.

It is optimal to create a pressure of 3 to 5 atmospheres. The main thing is that all elements of the pipeline withstand such pressure. If the system can withstand such a pressure, then most likely it will not freeze in winter frosts.

With the onset of heat, it is enough to simply normalize the injected pressure and the water supply system can work as usual. Protection of water pipelines by this method is possible when using a submersible pump that can create pressure up to 5 atmospheres.

Insulation of the water supply in the ground can be carried out using special electrical cables. How to insulate it in this way? The wires are superimposed on the water pipe by a longitudinal method or in the form of a spiral and covered with a layer of insulation.

This method is very reliable if there is constant access to electricity. With this method, it is possible to heat the pipeline in one day.

Heating of underground water systems

To the question of how to insulate a water pipe under the floor, the answer is very simple. Most often they are wrapped with glass wool, which is fixed with wire or plastic winding.

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For outdoor use, this heating method is good, but when burying the water main with earth, it is required to cover the glass wool with a waterproofing layer.

Under the influence of the earth, the insulating material, the density of which is low, will gradually begin to collapse and the thermal insulation is broken.

Another method of thermal insulation is to use wire to heat water pipes.

This method of insulating the plumbing system will be more expensive, but if you install the cable yourself, you can save a lot.

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Such a system is turned on only in the coldest winter months and makes it possible to both insulate the water pipe under the floor and not dig it deep, it is enough to dig a trench half a meter deep.

You can place the wire for heating water pipes both on their inner side and on the outer side, the result will be good in each case.

But if you can attach the wire for heating the water supply on the outside on your own, then you need to call specialists for the internal location of the cable.

External fastening of the cable is carried out in two ways: longitudinal and spiral. You need to know in advance how far apart the wire for heating should be located and how many turns you need to install for the optimal operation of such a system.

Next to the cable, you will definitely need to install thermal sensors in order to be able to control the temperature. This method of insulation is not only the most effective, but also reliable.

Now it is easy to understand how to insulate a pipe under the floor or underground. Using an electric wire to heat pipes installed under a layer of insulation, it is possible to raise the temperature throughout the day to the optimum value, even in the most severe frosts.

The only disadvantage of this method is the complete dependence on the power supply, so you should not rely entirely on this option.

In the event of a power outage, the heating wire for the water supply will not be able to perform its function and you should always have a spare solution on hand.

Heating cable installation process

To install the wire, you will need to carry out the following manipulations:

1. pipes are dug out, the trench expands so that insulation work can be carried out freely;
2. a wire is wound on the pipe for heating by any of the above methods;
3. a layer of heat insulator (polystyrene foam or glass wool) is applied over the electrical cable;
4. installation protective coating(winding with fiberglass or sheet cloth), which is attached with a soft wire;
5. the ends of the cable are connected to the mains;
6. pipes fall asleep.

The result is a multi-layer protection, which consists of a cable, insulation, protective coating and a layer of earth.

It should be borne in mind that those parts of the plumbing system that are at an angle may not be insulated at all, in such places liquid stagnation and freezing are excluded.

And how to insulate the water supply above the ground is decided by the owner of the house himself. It is advisable to use a synthetic insulation that holds heat well and does not rot.

The right method of insulation, using a heating wire or ordinary insulation material, will save not only money, but also nerves.

You should not save on thermal insulation, because ruptures and replacement of damaged sections of the plumbing system will cost much more.

All work on insulation must be carried out in advance even in the warm season and should not be delayed until the first frost, when the first problems arise. Now you know how to insulate a water pipe on the street, and you are able to cope with this task yourself.

Even the biggest frosts are not terrible for the water supply in a private house, if the thermal insulation is made to last and from high-quality materials.

Even if all the rules are followed, some problems may appear. So that they do not scare you, it is worth remembering a few points that are widely described in the literature.

In addition to the fact that the thermal insulation of water pipes that are in the ground in a private house must be carried out correctly.

It can be broken due to the great attention of rodents who are looking for warm places in winter and can ruin the heat-insulating layer. They effortlessly gnaw through the insulation along with plastic and asbestos-cement pipes and make nests there.

Such a place is ideal for wintering rodents. To prevent their attack, it is worth wrapping the pipeline with a fine-grained metal mesh, which must be plastered with a solution mixed with broken glass.

It is important not only to insulate the water pipe on the street, but also the connecting fittings, couplings, etc. After all, if water freezes on them, they will simply burst over time, which will lead to the failure of the entire water delivery system.

More attention should be paid to those areas. water supply network, which are in the ground on the street and in an unheated room (for example, a basement). It is necessary to decide how to insulate pipes, which are most likely to suffer during the onset of frost.

If the heating system in a private house is carried out from a common heating main, then in no case should the boiler be turned off in winter, so as not to provoke cooling.

In this case, the water supply must be in contact with the outlet of the steam heating system, and they are also insulated together.

During the design of the plumbing system in a private house, engineers draw up an accurate plan for all underground structures. It is recommended to save it in order to know the exact location that will be needed during the protection of the water supply from freezing.

Now you know how to insulate the water supply that is installed in the ground in a private house correctly and efficiently.

And all the mistakes made during the insulation of water supply on the street in your house and savings on materials can provoke freezing and, as a result, breaks in certain areas.

Such problems are very difficult to solve in winter, if at all possible, so you should not save on insulation and electricity. It is better to lay an electrical wire under the insulation for additional heating than to regret that it is not there!