Insulating exposed hydronic piping within basement and conditioned attic.

PeterOrion

Hello Again,

This follows a post from a while ago about weatherizing a home with hydronic piping run down a few exterior wall cavities in Climate Zone 6. Thanks so much to each and everyone that responded. All of the comments were very helpful and much appreciated. A second concern has come up regarding insulating any exposed piping in the basement and what is now a conditioned attic space. For reference, the home is a bit like a mullet. A 1952 cape on slab in the front with a single story ranch over basement in the rear. 1872 sqft with a 125K 82% Utica Boiler that seems way oversized. Our field guide and work specifications suggest insulating any exposed piping in the basement and other non living areas. The question/concern is whether insulating a considerable amount of piping in said areas would lower the efficiency. In other words, would it create or exacerbate a short cycle?

Jamie Hall

Depends on whether you want the heat from the pipe in those spaces, or in the rest of the house where the radiation is.

Won't hurt anything to insulate. Won't change your efficiency any. Probably won't do much to cycle time either…

PeterOrion

Thanks for your insight. It's hard not to wonder about how the unit will operate after a gamut of weatherization upgrades. We will monitor the attic temps and humidity levels to be safe. I will check back with a comparison of NG usage for anyone interested or following this. Happy New Year!!