Hot water piping

Pahaska · 01-26-2003, 08:18 PM

I had a roll of hot water pipe insulation laying around the shop for several years. It is adhesive-backed foam about 1/8" thick faced with aluminum foil.

In the AS, the water heater is under the front dinette seat, quite far from the galley sink and bathroom. I insulated all of the hot water (red) PEX tubing under the front dinette seat and back along the wheel well to the bathroom. At that point, I ran out of the insulation, but I will buy another roll and do as much as I can underneath the bathroom sink and under the galley sink.

The instructions called for spiral wrapping the insulation. That is impractical in the confines, so I curled a strip like a "U", lengthwise around the tube and another strip around the top of the "U". I used cable ties about every 3" to bind the sandwich. I did undo some of the clamps holding the piping to apply the insulation.

I also applied several layers of the insulation in the big gap in the foam around the hot water tank where the piping enters and exits. That should keep water in the tank hotter longer.

The water at the bathroom seems hotter now and stays hotter between uses.

74Argosy24MH · 01-26-2003, 08:35 PM

You could also try foam insulation made for insulating water lines. Might be easier for hard to reach areas, you can cut the length you need and slip it over the line from one end.

John

Pahaska · 01-26-2003, 11:17 PM

Most places on the tubing, there are too many clamps and other obsticles to do much with the slip-on insulation.

I tried a piece of the slip-on stuff under the shower floor, but apparently the piping is clamped to the floor just out of my sight so that it will not slip far enough to make much difference. I do have a piece of the slip-on stuff on the vertical run to the bathroom faucet.

bhsl8 · 01-27-2003, 12:35 PM

John, I don't know if it makes any difference where you are and I don't even know if this is really an issue. But, it seems logical to me that those hot water pipes might disperse heat in the winter to keep other things warm which might benefit. I would guess this would be more important to me here in Wisconsin than you in Texas.

Brouck

Pahaska · 01-27-2003, 01:19 PM

The volume in the tubes is so small and the fact is that the water would not be hot except immediately after drawing water, so I doubt that it would make any appreciable difference.

Also, this is one of the new Internationals and does not have the full belly pan. It is not meant as a severe cold weather trailer, nor would I attempt to use it at lower temperatures than the mid-20s. One thing I would do is install a low-wattage 120v bulb to provide some heat under the shower pan to use it in marginal weather.

It made me think, though, that a small pump circulating water from the water heater could certainly be a freeze deterrent in a trailer used in severe cold weather.

There was a web site I saw sometime back that uses the water heater, a small radiator, a circulating pump, and a fan to heat the trailer. The author claims it is very successful.

bhsl8 · 01-27-2003, 02:51 PM

I was just wondering. I keep trying to figure out efficient ways to camp deeper into the season. I didn't realize that the internationals were somewhat panless. Does that make it easier to effect some maintainence/repairs etc.?
Brouck

Pahaska · 01-27-2003, 03:18 PM

Since I have no intention of using the International in severe cold weather, I'm just as glad there is no belly pan. I have overnighted in it at just about freezing and with the carpet and pad, the floor was quite warm.

I think long term, there will be a lot less to worry about underneath with full access to the frame and no insulation that could get wet. I have already strung some wires along the frame that would have been difficult with a belly pan.

**jcanavera** · 01-29-2003, 06:43 AM

That black foam tubing that you can use to insulate pipes also does a pretty good job in protecting the gas lines. I bought some of the larger diameter tubing and covered the gas lines that run exposed below the underbelly.

Jack

Pahaska · 01-29-2003, 07:19 AM

The exposed propane lines on my trailer are encased in a little tougher version of the foam pipe insulation for most of their length. They aren't covered where they branch out under the galley to go up through the floor. I have intentions of protecting that area, as well.