Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
F
35
items My water line burst two Januaries ago and the repair bill was over $2,000. After that nightmare, I spent weeks researching every type of pipe insulation, heat tape, and freeze protection product I could find. This is the full lineup that got me throu...
Sections
7
oam Pipe Insulation for Exposed Indoor Pipes
Outdoor Pipe Wrap and Weatherproof Insulation
Heat Tape and Heat Cable for Freeze-Prone Pipes
Faucet Covers and Hose Bib Protectors
Pipe Insulation Tape and Sealants
Crawl Space and Under-House Insulation Products
oam Pipe Insulation for Exposed Indoor Pipes
The pipes running through my unheated basement were ice cold to the touch every morning. After wrapping them with these, the hot water actually stayed hot by the time it reached the upstairs bathroom.
Grab these for any copper or PVC lines in your basement. Before I installed them, my hot water took forever to reach the second floor. Now it's there in seconds and my water heater runs less.
Frost King 1 in. X 6 ft. L Foam Pipe Insulation
Use this for the smaller diameter lines near your water heater. Slides right on with the pre-slit opening. Took me about 20 minutes to cover every pipe in the utility room.
M-D Building Products 50225 1/2 in. Wall x 1-1/8 in. x 6 ft.
The self-sealing strip on this one is clutch if you hate dealing with tape. Perfect for anyone who has pipes in tight spots where getting both hands around the pipe is basically impossible.
Everbilt 1/2 in. Rubber Self-Seal Pipe Insulation 6 ft. R
Switch to this thicker version for pipes near exterior walls. My kitchen supply line runs along an outside wall and kept getting dangerously cold. This added enough buffer to keep things flowing even at 5 degrees.
Tundra Pipe Insulation 3/4 " Case of 17
Keep a few of these on hand for quick patches. I found two short sections I'd missed in November and was glad I had extras in the garage instead of scrambling to the store.
Thermwell P11 4-Pack 3-Ft. Pre-slit Foam Pipe Insulation
Outdoor Pipe Wrap and Weatherproof Insulation
My exterior hose bibs and the pipe run along the north side of the house were the weak spots that caused the burst. These outdoor-rated wraps survived rain, snow, and wind all season.
Wrap this around any pipe that's directly exposed to the elements. I used it on the line running to my detached garage. Stayed put through three ice storms and didn't degrade at all.
Frost King Fiberglass Pipe Wrap Kits, 3"x1/2"x25'
Pair this with some weatherproof tape for outdoor runs. My neighbor lost a pipe last year in the same spot I protected with this stuff. The fiberglass material handles moisture way better than foam.
Duck Brand 12 ft. Long Foam Pipe Cover, 0.75 in. x 3 ft.
Try this if you need something that reflects radiant heat back toward the pipe. I used it in my crawl space where temperatures dropped below freezing for weeks straight. Held up without sagging.
Frost King® SP42XA Foil Backed Fiberglass Pipe Wrap 3
Get this kit for a complete outdoor wrap job. Comes with everything so you're not making separate trips for tape and ties. Saved me about an hour compared to piecing things together myself.
Thermwell Products SP50 Fiberglass Pipe Insulation Kit
Use the foil backing on pipes near dryer vents or heat sources. It bounces warmth toward the pipe instead of letting it escape. For anyone with plumbing in an attached but unheated garage, this is the move.
M-D Building Products 02378 1/8 in. x 2 in x 15 ft. Foam
Heat Tape and Heat Cable for Freeze-Prone Pipes
Insulation alone wasn't enough for my most vulnerable pipes. Adding heat cable to the supply line in my crawl space was the difference between flowing water and a frozen disaster at 10 below.
Wrap this around the pipe before adding insulation on top. My crawl space line froze twice the winter before. After installing this cable, zero issues even during the polar vortex week.
Frost King® HC24A 24 feet long Electric Heat Cable Kits
Grab the shorter length for individual problem spots. I had one elbow joint near my foundation that always froze first. Six feet was exactly enough to protect that section without wasting cable.
Easy Heat AHB016 Heating Cable For Water Pipe
The thermostat on this one kicks in automatically when temps drop below 38 degrees. Set it and forget it. Perfect for anyone who travels in winter and can't babysit their plumbing.
Frost King® HC30A 30 feet long Electric Heat Cable Kit
Use the 40-foot version if you have a long exterior run. I needed to cover the full length from my well pump to the house. The built-in thermostat means it only draws power when it actually needs to.
Easy Heat AHB-140 40' Foot Automatic Water Pipe
Try this brand if you want a thinner cable that sits flatter under insulation. Worked great on my PVC drain line where the thicker cables were too bulky to wrap neatly around fittings.
Wrap-On 31018 18Foot 36W 120V Pipe Heating Cable
Faucet Covers and Hose Bib Protectors
Forgot to cover one outdoor faucet two years ago and that's literally the one that burst. Now every single hose bib on my house gets covered the day after I disconnect the garden hoses.
Toss these on every outdoor spigot once you disconnect your hoses in fall. They're cheap enough to put on every faucet and the Styrofoam shell actually traps enough warmth to prevent freezing down to about zero.
Frost King FC1 Outdoor Foam Faucet Cover
Swap to these if you want something softer that conforms to odd-shaped spigots. My anti-siphon valve stuck out at a weird angle and the rigid covers wouldn't fit. These stretched right over it.
Duck Brand, 7.5 Inch X 8.75 Inch Black Flexible Faucet
Keep one of these in your garage for the faucet you always forget about. The slip-on design takes literally five seconds. No straps, no ties. For the person who puts off winterizing until the last minute.
Frost King® FC3 2-1/4-inch Sock Faucet Protector
Use this fabric style on faucets that are under an overhang and don't get direct wind. Lighter duty than the hard shell covers but way easier to store when spring comes. I use them on my south-facing spigots.
Frost King® FC1 Outdoor Foam Faucet Cover, Oval
Get the oval version for those larger commercial-style outdoor faucets. My backyard spigot has a vacuum breaker that makes it twice the size of a normal bib. This was the only cover that actually fit over it.
Frost King® FC1 Outdoor Foam Faucet Cover, Oval
Pipe Insulation Tape and Sealants
Gaps between insulation pieces are where cold air sneaks in and causes problems. I learned this after finding ice crystals forming right at the seams where two foam tubes met.
Seal every seam and joint with this. Regular duct tape peeled off in the cold after two weeks. This foil tape stayed stuck all winter and created an actual vapor barrier at each connection point.
Nashua 322 1541239 1.89" x 50 Yard Roll Of Silver HVAC
Wrap this over foam insulation for an extra layer at vulnerable spots. I doubled up at every elbow and T-joint. Those are the spots that freeze first because the insulation never fits perfectly around bends.
Frost King® All Season® Pipe Wrap Insulation Tape 15 ft
Use this professional-grade tape if you want something that won't budge for years. Applied it in my crawl space two winters ago and it still looks brand new. Worth the few extra dollars over cheap alternatives.
3M™ Aluminum Foil Tape 3381, Silver, 1.88 in x 50 yd
Try the rubber version for wrapping irregular shapes. Had a section with three pipes running close together and foam tubes wouldn't fit. Wrapping them individually with this tape solved it completely.
Frost King® All Season® Pipe Wrap Insulation Tape 15 ft
Pair this with fiberglass wrap for a reflective outer layer. Bounces heat back in and keeps moisture out. I used it on the crawl space pipes and the surface temperature of the insulation stayed noticeably warmer.
Reflectix 2 in. W x 30 ft. L Reflective Radiant Barrier Foil
Crawl Space and Under-House Insulation Products
Half my frozen pipe problems came from wind blowing through gaps in my crawl space vents. Sealing and insulating that space dropped the temperature swing down there by almost 20 degrees.
Snap these over your foundation vents before November. Cold air was blowing directly onto my pipes through open vents. Blocking them cut the wind chill factor under the house dramatically.
Frost King Magnetic Vent Covers, 8" Wide x 15" Long, White
Staple this to the underside of your floor joists in the crawl space. My floors used to be freezing to walk on barefoot. After adding this, the floor stays comfortable and the pipes stay warmer too.
SmartSHIELD, Reflective Insulation Roll, 48" x 10ft, Silver
Stick these on any interior vents that blow cold air into spaces near plumbing. I had a floor register right next to where pipes came up through the slab. Covering it in winter kept that corner from getting dangerously cold.
(2 pack) Frost King® 5.5 Inches Wide X 12
Run this around the edges of crawl space access doors. Mine had a quarter-inch gap all the way around that was basically an open invitation for freezing air. Took ten minutes to seal and made a huge difference.
Duck Brand, 0.75 Inch X 0.375 Inch X 10 Feet Black Foam
Wrap this around ductwork and pipes together in your crawl space for maximum protection. The double-sided reflective surface works in both directions. For anyone with a vented crawl space in a cold climate, stock up before October.
24 in. x 25 ft. Double Reflective Insulation Radiant Barrier
Pipe Freeze Prevention Accessories and Tools
A few small additions made the whole system work better. The pipe thermometer alone saved me one night when I caught temperatures dropping faster than the forecast predicted.
Stick one of these in your crawl space or garage so you can check the temperature without crawling under the house. I glance at mine every cold morning. Caught a 28-degree reading once that sent me running to open the faucets.
TempPro, Digital Thermometer Indoor Hygrometer, S, White
Swap out any old gate valves near exterior walls with these quarter-turn shutoffs. When I needed to kill water to one section fast during a cold snap, the old valve was seized. Never again.
Brasscraft 1/2 in. FPT x 1/2 in. MPT Brass Shut-Off Valve
Use this for any exposed water line that runs to an outbuilding or RV hookup. My detached workshop water line froze every single winter until I replaced the regular hose with this heated version. Problem solved overnight.
Camco 25-Foot Heated Water Hose for RV
Get this if you're tired of waiting three minutes for hot water. Less time running the faucet means less chance of pipes cooling down during extreme cold. Bonus, it saves water too. Paid for itself in about six months.
Watts Heat H2O Hot Water Recirculation System
Keep these handy for the nights when you need to let faucets drip but don't want to waste water. Controls the flow to just enough movement to prevent freezing. Saved me from a guilty conscience on those single-digit nights.
Danco, Faucet Aerator, Extra Water Saving, Chrome