Funny you mention the vent cover—I once spent an hour tracing a cold draft, only to find it was sneaking in through a tiny gap behind a pipe. Those little leaks really add up. I’d also double-check any old caulking around the joints; sometimes it looks fine but isn’t doing much anymore. Mice are persistent, but heat loss is sneakier.
Mice are persistent, but heat loss is sneakier.
Ain’t that the truth. I swear, I’ve spent more time chasing drafts than actually fixing stuff. Those little leaks around pipes and vents are like the ninjas of heat loss—totally invisible until your toes start freezing. I’d also peek behind any baseboards if you haven’t already. Found a whole arctic breeze coming through one corner in my basement last winter... made a huge difference once I sealed it up. Sometimes it’s the stuff you can’t see that’s costing you the most hot water.
Honestly, I thought I’d done a pretty good job with caulking and weatherstripping, but reading your post makes me think I might’ve overlooked the baseboards. Never would’ve guessed there’d be that much airflow hiding back there—guess it’s time to grab the infrared thermometer and poke around a bit more.
For my solar setup, I’ve been trying to track down every possible spot where heat might be escaping. Here’s what I’ve checked so far, in case it helps anyone else:
1. Wrapped the hot water pipes with foam insulation sleeves (the kind that split open and just snap on).
2. Added extra insulation around the tank itself—used a water heater blanket rated for solar units.
3. Double-checked all the vent penetrations and sealed up any obvious gaps with expanding foam.
But now I’m wondering if there’s something less obvious I’m missing. Has anyone looked into insulating the actual wall behind their tank? Mine sits against an exterior wall in a utility closet, and I haven’t pulled the drywall yet to see what’s going on back there. Is that overkill, or does it actually help?
Also, for those of you who’ve had luck tracking down sneaky drafts, did you use smoke pencils or just go by feel? Sometimes my hands aren’t sensitive enough to catch the really faint leaks, especially when it’s not super cold out.
Curious if anyone’s found a difference between pipe wrap types too—are those foil-backed ones worth it compared to basic foam? Always feels like there’s some little detail I’m missing that could bump up my hot water output just a bit more...
Insulating the wall behind the tank is actually one of those “hidden gems” that makes a bigger difference than you’d think—especially if it’s an exterior wall. I did it in one of my rentals after a tenant complained the water never seemed hot enough. Pulled the drywall, stuffed in some rock wool, and patched it up. Not glamorous, but it definitely cut down on heat loss. I wouldn’t call it overkill if you’re already chasing every BTU.
As for tracking drafts, I’ve tried the smoke pencil route, but honestly, half the time I just use a cheap incense stick. Works fine, and my place smells less like a science experiment. The foil-backed pipe wrap is a little stiffer to work with, but I’ve noticed it holds up better in weird crawlspace spots. Not a game-changer, but if you’re already this deep in the rabbit hole, why not?
Funny how you can seal every obvious gap and still find cold air sneaking in from somewhere. Houses are basically Swiss cheese, just fancier.
Insulating behind the tank is such a sneaky upgrade. I did something similar but used rigid foam board instead of rock wool—mainly because I had some scraps lying around. Not sure it made a night-and-day difference, but it definitely helped.
Funny how you can seal every obvious gap and still find cold air sneaking in from somewhere. Houses are basically Swiss cheese, just fancier.
This is painfully true. I spent a weekend with an incense stick and a notepad, crawling around like a detective, and still missed a draft behind the baseboard. If you’re chasing every BTU, don’t forget to check the attic hatch too—mine was basically a wind tunnel.
