Why should I insulate my tank or pipes?
Insulating your hot water tank (cylinder) and pipes is probably the cheapest and easiest way to improve the insulation in your home.
Why should you bother? Well, an uninsulated cylinder or pipe constantly radiates heat, so it’s like having a big, unnecessary radiator in your cupboard, loft or basement. The more heat you lose, the more energy your boiler uses trying to keep the water up to temperature, so it costs you money for no good reason.
How do I insulate my pipes?
Insulating your hot water pipes is a genuinely simple DIY job:
- Pipe insulation is a foam tube with a slit all the way along it. You can buy pipe insulation in any DIY store, or try this economy pipe insulation from Screwfix.
- You’ll need a Stanley knife or a strong pair of scissors to cut it to length.
- Then just pop it around the pipe, like in the picture above.
- Corners are a bit more difficult, but you just need to cut a chunk out of the foam tube so it bends to match the pipe.
- Then fix it in place with duct tape.
- Even if you don’t do the tricky bits like the corners, you’ve still made a difference.
How do I insulate my hot water tank?
Insulating your hot water tank is pretty easy too:
- A tank jacket is a very thick glass fibre “blanket” with a flame-retardant cover. You can buy tank jackets in any DIY store, or try this cheap, 80mm thick hot water cylinder jacket from Screwfix.
- It’s easiest if you buy one that comes in several pieces, so there are gaps for all the pipes that come out of your hot water tank.
- Look for one that’s 80mm thick so it’s really efficient.
- Wrap the tank jacket around the tank.
- Secure it with cable ties.
- Tape up the gaps with duct tape.
Job done!
Image credit: Kate Spencer