I’ve actually tried those denim sleeves once, when I was helping my uncle redo his old farmhouse pipes. They’re a bit trickier to fit around tight bends compared to foam, but they do seem less “plasticky” in the air, if that makes sense. As for the water heater, I noticed it didn’t kick on as often after we finished—could be the insulation or just wishful thinking like you said. Either way, it’s a win not having to hear those pipes banging around all night.
I’ve run into the same thing with denim sleeves—they’re definitely more stubborn around elbows and tight corners. I usually end up cutting a slit and patching it back together, which isn’t ideal but gets the job done. Foam’s easier, but I agree, it can feel a bit cheap sometimes. Noticing the water heater running less is interesting… I’ve seen that too, though it’s hard to say if it’s just the insulation or maybe the weather shifting. Either way, quieter pipes are always worth the hassle.
Honestly, I’d push back a bit on the denim sleeves—if you’re dealing with elbows and tight spots, have you tried split foam with adhesive edges? It’s not as cheap-feeling as the basic stuff, and you don’t have to hack up your wrap every time. Cutting and patching can sometimes create cold spots or even lead to condensation issues down the line. Just something to think about… Also, water heater cycling less could just be milder temps lately. Hard to pin it just on insulation unless you’re tracking usage pretty closely.
Tackling noisy pipes is way more satisfying than people give it credit for—seriously, that moment when things finally quiet down is kind of magical. I totally get the denim sleeve appeal, especially if you’re trying to go eco-friendly or just like the feel of something a little heftier. But yeah, elbows and weird corners make any wrap job a pain.
I’ve had mixed results with split foam too, but I’ll admit, the adhesive edge style is so much less fiddly than the old-school stuff. One thing I noticed when I switched: if you line up the seams carefully and really press them closed, you don’t get those cold spots around the bends. I did have to patch a couple spots where my cuts weren’t perfect, but honestly, it still beat wrestling with thick denim in a crawlspace.
The point about condensation is spot on. I once tried to patch a gap with leftover fiberglass and ended up with a damp mess after a few months—lesson learned. If you’re not keeping an eye on it, those little shortcuts can come back to haunt you.
As for water heater cycling, it’s tricky, right? Everyone wants to see instant results from insulation, but there’s so many variables—outside temps, how often you’re running hot water, even how much sunlight hits your basement wall. Tracking usage is kind of a hassle unless you’re already into that sort of thing.
Either way, getting rid of the noise means you did something right. Even if it’s not all about saving energy or perfect insulation, having peace and quiet is its own reward. Sometimes it’s just about making your house feel more comfortable—nothing wrong with that at all.
if you line up the seams carefully and really press them closed, you don’t get those cold spots around the bends.
That’s been my experience too, but I’ll admit, I’m still a bit skeptical about how long those adhesive seams actually hold up. Seen a few jobs where they started peeling after a couple seasons—maybe it’s just the cheap stuff, who knows. I’ve also run into those “damp mess” situations with fiberglass more times than I care to remember. Sometimes it feels like you’re just trading one headache for another.
Noise-wise, though, you nailed it. There’s nothing quite like that moment when the banging or rattling finally stops and you realize you can actually hear yourself think again. Makes crawling around in the dust almost worth it... almost.
