Pipe insulation and heat tape for Minnetonka homes

Start with any line that has frozen before. Then look at pipes in exterior walls, especially under kitchen and bathroom sinks, lines along the rim joist where the floor meets the foundation, supply lines in crawl spaces, pipes in attached garages and anything running to a three-season porch or bump-out.

In many Minnetonka ramblers and split-levels, the laundry or kitchen sits on an outside wall and the supply lines run up through a cold cavity. Additions built over crawl spaces are another common trouble spot. A walk-through with a flashlight on a cold day will often show you where the frost forms.

Foam pipe sleeves are inexpensive and easy to install on exposed pipe in basements and crawl spaces. Slide them over the pipe, seal the seams with the built-in adhesive or tape, and cover elbows and valves as well as the straight runs.

Insulation slows heat loss, but it does not create heat. If cold air is blowing directly on a pipe through a gap in the rim joist or around a dryer vent, seal the gap first with foam or caulk. In an exterior wall, the goal is to keep the pipe on the warm side of the insulation, between the insulation and the heated room, not between the insulation and the outside.

Heat cable wraps or runs along a pipe and adds a small amount of heat when it is cold. Self-regulating cable is the safer modern choice because it adjusts its output on its own. Use a product listed for use on water pipes, follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly, and plug it into a GFCI-protected outlet.

Old heat tape can be a fire hazard. If yours is cracked, brittle, discolored or more than a few years old, replace it. Do not overlap cable unless the instructions allow it, and do not cover it with insulation that the manufacturer says is not compatible. Check that the indicator light or the cable itself is working each fall.

Some pipes are simply in the wrong place. If a line runs through a cold wall that can't be insulated well, a plumber can often reroute it through an interior wall, a heated soffit or the basement ceiling. It costs more up front than heat cable, but it removes the risk instead of managing it.

Rerouting is worth discussing if a line has frozen more than once, if it has already burst, or if the wall is due to be opened for a remodel anyway. Ask for a written scope that explains which fixtures are affected and what the plumber will open.

Outdoor faucets are one of the most common sources of a burst pipe, often found in spring when the hose is turned on and water sprays into the basement. Older spigots should be shut off at the inside valve and drained each fall. A frost-free sillcock, which closes the valve inside the heated wall, is a common upgrade.

Lines in attached garages need extra attention because garage doors open and close all winter. If you would like a plumber near you to look over vulnerable lines before the cold arrives, call and a local plumber serving Minnetonka will call you back to set up a time.