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  • To lag or not to lag

    From AnthonyL@21:1/5 to All on Sat Jun 28 09:33:07 2025
    Outside tap is against the wall of a utility room extension the other
    side of which is the boiler in a cupboard.

    The feed to the tap, on the inside, is against the outside wall and
    has always been lagged until some work done yesterday.

    Seems to me that the pipe is better left unlagged as it will stand
    less chance of freezing if exposed to any warmth from around the
    boiler. Sound logic?


    --
    AnthonyL

    Why ever wait to finish a job before starting the next?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Spike@21:1/5 to AnthonyL on Sat Jun 28 12:11:39 2025
    AnthonyL <nospam@please.invalid> wrote:

    Outside tap is against the wall of a utility room extension the other
    side of which is the boiler in a cupboard.

    The feed to the tap, on the inside, is against the outside wall and
    has always been lagged until some work done yesterday.

    Seems to me that the pipe is better left unlagged as it will stand
    less chance of freezing if exposed to any warmth from around the
    boiler. Sound logic?

    The short pipe feeding our wall-mounted outside tap emerges behind the
    built-in washing machine in the futility room. In winter I leave the door
    to the washing machine cupboard open at night, to let the heat in the house keep said pipe warm. Experience has found that the outside tap will just
    start to freeze when the outside nighttime temperature falls to -6degC,
    which is a rarity here. Should it look like getting that low, I merely wrap
    a plastic shopping bag around the tap as temporary protection.

    --
    Spike

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  • From Peter Johnson@21:1/5 to All on Sat Jun 28 15:44:30 2025
    On Sat, 28 Jun 2025 09:33:07 GMT, nospam@please.invalid (AnthonyL)
    wrote:

    Outside tap is against the wall of a utility room extension the other
    side of which is the boiler in a cupboard.

    The feed to the tap, on the inside, is against the outside wall and
    has always been lagged until some work done yesterday.

    Seems to me that the pipe is better left unlagged as it will stand
    less chance of freezing if exposed to any warmth from around the
    boiler. Sound logic?

    That's worked for me for nearly 30 years, and the current water heater
    puts our less radiant heat than its predecessor did.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Theo@21:1/5 to AnthonyL on Sun Jun 29 12:04:03 2025
    AnthonyL <nospam@please.invalid> wrote:
    Outside tap is against the wall of a utility room extension the other
    side of which is the boiler in a cupboard.

    The feed to the tap, on the inside, is against the outside wall and
    has always been lagged until some work done yesterday.

    Seems to me that the pipe is better left unlagged as it will stand
    less chance of freezing if exposed to any warmth from around the
    boiler. Sound logic?

    Makes sense, but two things to note:

    1. The pipe will be a cold bridge making the room cooler than before, or, if the room is heated with a thermostat, cost more money. The heat from the boiler may not be free, in other words. You're paying for it all the time,
    not just when it's frosty outside.

    2. A cold pipe may cause condensation especially if the room is humid. eg
    if you have a tumble dryer in there the humidity level can shoot up which
    would cause condensation on the cold pipe. If for an extended period this
    can drip and cause damp issues.

    Theo

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  • From AnthonyL@21:1/5 to theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk on Sun Jun 29 12:25:23 2025
    On 29 Jun 2025 12:04:03 +0100 (BST), Theo
    <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

    AnthonyL <nospam@please.invalid> wrote:
    Outside tap is against the wall of a utility room extension the other
    side of which is the boiler in a cupboard.

    The feed to the tap, on the inside, is against the outside wall and
    has always been lagged until some work done yesterday.

    Seems to me that the pipe is better left unlagged as it will stand
    less chance of freezing if exposed to any warmth from around the
    boiler. Sound logic?

    Makes sense, but two things to note:

    1. The pipe will be a cold bridge making the room cooler than before, or, if >the room is heated with a thermostat, cost more money. The heat from the >boiler may not be free, in other words. You're paying for it all the time, >not just when it's frosty outside.


    2. A cold pipe may cause condensation especially if the room is humid. eg >if you have a tumble dryer in there the humidity level can shoot up which >would cause condensation on the cold pipe. If for an extended period this >can drip and cause damp issues.


    Good points. As I've had no issues with it being lagged in the 10
    years I've been here I'll put it back on.

    --
    AnthonyL

    Why ever wait to finish a job before starting the next?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)