Do you need to insulate an outside rubber/plastic pipe?

toasterman

Hi,
My house has several splitters on the cold water connector under the sink. One pipe goes to the washing machine, one to the dishwasher, and one goes through a hole in the wall, outside.

It's basically one of these: http://www.screwfix.com/p/washing-machine-inlet-hose-blue-2-5m-x/10955 with a variety of fixings on it, a shutoff valve thing (like this: http://www.screwfix.com/p/15mm-x-washing-machine-valve-without-check-valve/51231 ), and then a tap adapter thing on the end to connect a hosepipe.

Does this need insulating, to protect it from freezing? Or should the fact that it's rubber/plastic mean it's not prone to splitting/other winter damage?

I've had a look online, but most pipe insulation seems to refer to copper pipes. Do plastic/rubber ones not need protecting?

missprice

Short answer is yes its better to insulate.
Long answer will have to wait til later when I can find a PDF I have somewhere about it.

27col

If you are not going to be using the outside tap during the winter, then isolate it under the sink and just leave the outside tap in the open position.

toasterman

27col wrote: »

If you are not going to be using the outside tap during the winter, then isolate it under the sink and just leave the outside tap in the open position.

Sadly, there's no cutoff just for it under the sink. I'd have to buy/fit one (and I'd rather not).
Under the sink there's just a Y splitter off of another Y splitter, so if I turn it off, it cuts off the dishwasher and washing machine too.

anotherbaldrick

You can get polystyrene insulating hoods which secure over the tap fitting , these work well in stopping the tap freezing and rupturing.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STORMGUARD-OUTSIDE-TAP-COVER-INSULATED-FROST-PROTECTION-OUTDOOR-GARDEN-SHED-/180975004522


http://www.wickes.co.uk/Stormguard-Outside-Tap-Frost-Cover/p/104168

toasterman

anotherbaldrick wrote: »

You can get polystyrene insulating hoods which secure over the tap fitting , these work well in stopping the tap freezing and rupturing.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STORMGUARD-OUTSIDE-TAP-COVER-INSULATED-FROST-PROTECTION-OUTDOOR-GARDEN-SHED-/180975004522

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Stormguard-Outside-Tap-Frost-Cover/p/104168

That's a good idea but I don't have a tap fitting. The other end of the pipe isn't even attached to the wall. It's just a rubber/plastic hose that goes through the wall, and has one of these on the end: http://www.screwfix.com/p/15mm-x-washing-machine-valve-without-check-valve/51231 (and an adapter to connect a hosepipe). No tap mechanism as such.

zaax

Any old vest will do, but it will freeze and cause horrendous problems when it de frosts

andrew-b

sounds a right bodge. disconnect it...then rip it out and put in a proper outside bib tap with isolating valve. That's what i'd do if it was my house anyway.

cyclonebri1

andrew-b wrote: »

sounds a right bodge. disconnect it...then rip it out and put in a proper outside bib tap with isolating valve. That's what i'd do if it was my house anyway.

It ain't what he has outside that's the problem.

There is no internal isolation, critical to anyone who remembers pre 80's cold weather.

Outside taps should be left drained over winter, unless in need of use daily.