Sub-freezing days are common during the winter in Central Maine. In unprotected homes, frozen pipes are always a possibility during this time. Frozen pipes can be an inconvenience at best, or result in disastrous and expensive water damage at worst. Taking steps to prevent them is essential for all homeowners in the region.
Insulation is one of the best lines of defense against frozen pipes. But how does it help, and where should you add it? Below, we answer these questions and explain how you can receive up to $8,000 in rebates for your insulation upgrade with Lakewood Home Energy’s help.
How Does Insulation Prevent Frozen Pipes?
Insulation serves as a thermal barrier, helping slow the dissipation of heat from the water inside the pipes to the cold environment around them. Insulation does not prevent frozen pipes entirely; it retains heat rather than creating it, so it simply provides more time until the water reaches the freezing point. The colder it is, the quicker the pipes can freeze.
There are two ways to add insulation to prevent freezing: around the pipes themselves and in the home’s construction. In Central Maine’s cold winters, both are important. When someone has a problem with pipes that frequently freeze, they usually jump to adding more pipe insulation. But many times, adding insulation to the home itself is the best course of action.
The Best Places to Add Insulation to Prevent Frozen Pipes
Water pipes run throughout the home. They usually begin in the basement or crawl space where water enters (either through a well or city supply). From there, the pipes run to appliances like water heaters, boilers, sinks, showers, dishwashers, and clothes washers. They can be out in the open in the basement, run vertically through floorboards, or even up along exterior walls.
The best place to add insulation is usually in the basement or crawl space. This is one of the coldest areas of the home in the winter, and it has the largest concentration of exposed pipes. By strategically adding spray foam insulation to key areas, you can maintain higher temperatures and prevent freezing. These areas include:
- Windows and Plumbing Penetrations: Old basement windows and service entrances are often underinsulated. Adding material here can make a big difference.
- Gaps Around Pipes: There’s usually open space around pipes where they enter into the home and exterior walls. These gaps are important to fill.Â
- Along Rim Joists: If you have a basement, one of the most effective places to add insulation is on top of the foundation where it meets the home’s framing. Insulating here prevents cold from seeping into the basement.
Adding Insulation to Walls
If you have consistent problems with frozen pipes in the wall, a different approach is needed. Many homeowners feel like there’s nothing they can do to improve the insulation in this space. With blown-in, dense-pack cellulose/wood fiber insulation, however, the wall cavity can be filled. Your insulation contractor will create a small hole in the drywall and, using a specialized machine, blow insulation into any uninsulated portions.
You can also add rockwool, fiberglass, or wood fiber batt insulation panels to the walls. However, this requires a more involved approach. These panels are perfectly sized to fit between the studs, so the framing has to be exposed. However, if you’ve been considering remodeling or you’re building an addition, this is a good opportunity to upgrade your insulation
Don’t Forget Air Sealing
Air sealing is just as important as insulation. If you have large air gaps in the home, cold winter air has a direct pathway in, making pipes more susceptible to freezing. It’s common to have air leaks in the basement around the rim joists and utility entrance points. The attic often has air leaks as well, and while there aren’t normally pipes up there, the intrusion of cold air can affect the rest of the home.
Luckily, spray foam can be used in most applications to insulate and air seal at the same time. It’s one of the most versatile types of insulation and has the highest R-value.
Qualify for Insulation Rebates Through Efficiency Maine
Homeowners in Maine have a unique opportunity for insulation and air sealing upgrades. Efficiency Maine provides up to $8,000 in rebates (or 80% of project costs) to all families, with the highest amounts available to low and moderate-income households. To receive these rebates, you’ll need to work with a Residential Registered Vendor, which Lakewood Home Energy is proud to be.
We are a local, family-owned company serving homes from Carrabassett Valley and Rangeley to Gardiner and Skowhegan. If you’d like to make your home more resilient against frozen pipes this winter, our insulation company is happy to lend a hand. With hundreds of insulation jobs completed, you can trust our BPI-certified contractors to have the expertise you’re looking for.