Gas Water Heater Pipe Insulation

In this case you ll need to buy a fiberglas pipe wrap without facing.

Gas water heater pipe insulation.

If you have a gas water heater. For gas heaters the safest choice is fiberglass pipe wrap if your pipes are within 8 inches from the flue. Here s how to wrap your water heater with an insulation blanket. Determine the type of insulation to use.

If pipes are within 8 inches of the flue your safest choice is to use fiberglass pipe wrap at least 1 inch thick without a facing. Don t worry if the blanket seems a bit short. With the pipes attached to the top of the tank hot water in the tank moves up into the pipes by thermosiphon. This is a result of poor design in american water heaters.

For electric water heaters pipe sleeves made with polyethylene or neoprene foam are the most commonly used. There is one part of the hot water pipes that should always be insulated. Dave mars shows you how to insulate an electric or gas water heater to save energy and money. Gas water heaters need to be wrapped differently since insulation is flammable.

Hot water in the tank often floats into the pipes when hot water isn t being used. Gas water heater draft hoods come in different sizes and if you are replacing water heater make sure that the draft hood and the water heater vent pipe match each other. Wrap your gas water heater all the way around and from the top to just below the controller. For electric water heaters pipe sleeves made with polyethylene or neoprene foam are the most commonly used insulation.

In some cases hot water pipes may be installed closer to the flue than eight feet. On gas water heaters insulation should be kept at least 6 inches from the flue. Insulation and pipe sleeves should be kept a minimum of six feet away from the flue. The bottom of the tank is several inches above the very bottom of the water heater a couple of inches below the drain valve.