HH Homeowner's Handbook
Home / Plumbing / Insulate exposed pipes
TASK NO. 019 Preventive

Insulate exposed pipes

Plumbing
Trigger
Before winter / cold climates
Who does it
DIY
Est. time
30-60 min
Est. cost
$20-50
Difficulty
●○○○○
Step by step
  1. Identify pipes in unheated areas: crawlspace, garage, exterior walls.

  2. Measure pipe diameter and buy matching foam pipe insulation sleeves.

  3. Slide sleeves over straight runs; use tape at seams and joints.

  4. Use pre-formed elbow pieces or extra tape at bends.

  5. Focus first on any pipe that has frozen before.

Video guide
Search: 'how to insulate exposed pipes'
Watch this guide
This link is a suggested starting point and hasn't been individually re-checked recently — search the title to confirm it still matches before relying on it.
Community editing (coming soon)

See a better technique, a broken link, or a regional building-code note? Contributions will work like a wiki once accounts and review are live.