Condensation on copper pipes.

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ZE496

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Greetings.

Just bought a place built in '47, out in the sticks. There's a lot to be done, but I love it.

There's a partial basement, concrete floor & block walls. One side is open to an approx. 2' high red dirt crawlspace. Well water. The 3/4 supply copper pipe is condensating something fierce. I plan to insulate with foam tubing(open cell?). Foam is more economical than the rubber, however, is foam up to the task? Secondly, I plan to run a towel over the pipe to dry prior to insulating, but the pipes are dark from mildew and/or oxidation, no green I've yet to encounter. Is there harm to insulating without first removing the oxidation?

I suspect there is a leak or something further down the line(s) as for instance a branch line going to a seldom used outdoor faucet is not sweating due to the water inside reaching ambient temperature, although that's a layman's assumption. Also the pump cycles on periodically as pressure drops. If I shut off water to the house pressure is maintained, so I hope I am correct that this would indicate a problem inside/under the house rather than the well.

Further details as needed, but primarily at this time is it okay to move forward with insulating without first removing oxidation?

Thanks. I love this site, a wealth of knowledge.
 
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Terry

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Do you have a toilet that is constantly refilling? Those are often the source of pipes having condensation.
We normally use the closed cell pipe wraps.
 

ZE496

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Thanks Terry.

There is a half bath at the far end of the line(s). I shut the toilet off, but do suspect the valve might have a slow leak and needs replacing.

What is your opinion on the foam insulation?.I am possibly considering to replace copper with pex at some point. But I am currently putting out fires so to speak, so it won't be soon.

Any harm if I don't clean the pipes of oxidation(mildew or whatever) prior to insulation? I'm not sure if trapping that stuff under there could cause a problem of which I am unaware.
 

ZE496

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It's an addition where that bath is plumbed, so sort of a separate (spooky) crawl I'm beginning to clear of misc junk.

Just checked that 1/2 bath I have rarely occasioned since closing on the house. Closed the shutoff, still can hear a slight water flow. Open the shutoff nothing really changes, slow trickle. Lift the float in the tank, still same slow trickle. I suppose a first solution is to change the guts in the tank. Shutoff currently comes up through the floor. Which I do not find acceptable and will have to be relocated inside and stubbed out of the wall.

Decision now to sweat copper(with limited experience) or go with cutting the copper and continuing the run with PEX. Shark bite an okay transition coupling. I don't know much about PEX.....yet.
 

Terry

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I don't mind Sharkbites where they are accessible. By code you can use them anywhere.
I normally solder copper, or use expansion PEX.

With the toilet shut off and the tank flushed, the tank should remain empty unless the shutoff at the wall is also not good.
 
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