One who lives in a private house and has his own running water running along the street is probably wondering how to insulate water pipes in the ground to avoid problems in the winter season.
At present, it is difficult to imagine that in a private house or in a cottage there was no constant water supply.
Today, water in a private house is an obligatory attribute of comfortable living.
It is delivered to the house through the water supply system, which in most cases runs from the well down the street under the ground.
As you know, water has the property of freezing at negative temperatures, and if you do not conduct the proper warming of the water pipe that passes under the ground along the street, then in the winter season it can simply fail.
It should be noted that often enough as a result of the freezing of the water pipe, the pipe is completely ruptured, which means that the system will have to be completely changed.
All these problems can be avoided if the water pipes are correctly and correctly insulated, even those that pass under the floor in the basement.
This work requires certain knowledge and costs, but it is mandatory in any private house and cottage in the country.
- Contents:
- Insulation principles and materials
- Thermal insulation methods
- Insulation procedure for thermal insulation materials
- Advice and recommendations
Insulation principles and materials
It is known that the minimum depth of a trench for laying a water pipe is half a meter, and the deeper it is, the fewer risks that pipeswinter freezes.
However, in any case, in order not to remain without water in winter, it is still better to conduct additional insulation of all pipes using specially designed materials for this purpose.
Special attention should be given to the most vulnerable places, which include the territory near the well, pumps, as well as in wells and so on.
Do not forget about those pipes that are held in the basement of the house, especially if it is not heated.
If earlier trenches with pipes were insulated with various materials, for example, wadding beds, blankets, etc., nowadays it is possible to freely purchase all kinds of insulating materials specially designed for these purposes.
Despite the abundance of different heaters, it is necessary, first of all, to pay attention to their main characteristics and quality.
Any insulation for a water pipe must necessarily have a minimum level of thermal conductivity, be durable and resistant to external influences, and in addition, have water-repellent properties.
So, the most popular insulation for a water pipe is glass wool.
It is especially effective for metal plastic pipes, but you will additionally need to use materials such as roofing paper or fiberglass.
Good indicators are the basalt insulation, which is available in the form of cylinders, which facilitates the laying process.
Also often enough trenches with pipes are insulated with polystyrene foam, which has high thermal insulation characteristics and can be used several times.
Recently, a special heat-insulating paint has appeared, which is a paste-like mass applied to the surface of pipes.
You can also note the microflex pipes, which initially come with heat insulation protection.
For more details on how to properly insulate the pipes going from the well to the house, see the video below.
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Ways of warming
In order to ensure the quality of the pipes from the well to the house under the ground, it is better to do this even at the stage of laying the water supply. Otherwise, we'll have to dig a trench again, lay a heater and so on.
This process takes away not only a lot of effort and time, but also quite costly for finance.
Of course, when laying a water pipe from the well to the house, you can use special microflex pipes that are already equipped with protection, but it often happens that you have to insulate the already laid water main.
In this case, there are several alternative ways, allowing with minimal effort and cost to heat the outdoor water supply.
So, in order to ensure that in winter the water pipe does not freeze, it can be insulated with a heating cable.
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In this case, when the cable is turned on, the surface of the pipe itself is heated, which eliminates the freezing of water.
Water pipes can also be insulated with air.
In this case it is necessary to create a kind of umbrella with the help of expanded polystyrene or basalt insulation, which will keep warm air coming from the ground.
You can try to heat the water pipe with high pressure.
For this, a special receiver and check valve must be inserted into the system, which will be responsible for the pressure in the pipes.
This method is especially relevant for a water pipe coming from a well, since in this case a submersible pump is installed in the system, capable of creating the necessary pressure.
In any case, before deciding on the principle of thermal insulation of outdoor water supply, it is necessary to carefully study the properties of each method and choose the most suitable one.
More details on the warming of the water pipeline, which is underground, is described in the video below.
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Insulation procedure for thermal insulation materials
In the event that microflex pipes are not used for the water pipe, it is necessary to conduct their insulation with appropriate materials as soon as possible.
As a material, you can take glass fiber, which should tightly wrap all the pipes.
Further waterproofing is additionally arranged, and for this purpose it is recommended to use a roofing material which will act as a kind of protective casing.
In this case, the insulation should be made in several layers in order to exclude all possible risks of freezing the water pipeline that passes under the ground.
It should be noted that the layer of heat-insulating material will have to withstand the ground, because under the influence of earth it will be subject to compression.
For more details on this method of water pipe insulation, see the video below.
The most optimal insulation for pipes passing under the ground are special heat-insulating shells, which can be made both from basalt fiber and from expanded polystyrene.
Their installation on the pipe itself is carried out quickly enough and does not require much physical effort.
After the material is applied to the entire surface of the pipe, it must be additionally bonded with adhesive tape.
In the event that the water supply has corners and knots, their insulation is carried out using special shaped shells.
Advantage of this method of insulation is that when filling the trench with earth, the insulation will not shrink, and also get wet.
In any case, it is better to use microflex pipes for the water supply system, which already have additional protection against freezing.
On how to properly insulate the water pipe below the ground, described in the video below.
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Tips and tricks
An effective way to insulate water pipes is to use a special heating cable. It can be laid, both in the inner space of the pipe, and outside.
This method allows not only to qualitatively insulate the water supply, but also allows it to unfreeze when the water in the system has already frozen.
Before connecting the cable itself, the entire pipe surface must be glued with foil tape.
Next, the cable itself is laid, which is also glued on top with foil tape and covered with a protective layer.
After that, it remains only to make a correct connection.
Some ways of warming the aqueduct can be seen on the video below.
In any case, before making a warm water pipe or laying a microflex pipe, it is recommended to draw up a detailed diagram of all communications.
During the work, special attention should be paid to the various connecting elements located on the system.
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Pipes should be insulated and protected from corrosion throughout their entire length.
If all the work is done correctly and in a timely manner, then there will be no problems with providing water to a private house in the winter season.
More details on how to independently insulate the water pipes underground are told on the video.
