Contractor forgot to insulate the pipes
My contractor neglected to insulate our pipes with standard foam insulation, which I’ve been told is NYC code. As a result it takes 3 or so minutes of running the water before actual hot water comes out of the faucet on the third floor. The walls are all tiled and closed up and the job is done, and so it is too late to insulate the pipes now without a lot of headache and expense.
At the moment I’m in (hopefully) final negotiations as to what I owe him for his last payment. I feel like I should be entitled to a large credit since the pipes were not insulated and it’s going to cost me lots of money over the long run in terms of increased water heating costs, as well as increased water bill – for years and years to come. In addition, there were a few other shoddily done items, such as a bathtub positioned under a window with no insulation done underneath, leading the bathtub to be ice cold all winter.
Do you think it’s fair that I should get a credit for these thi ngs, and if so – for how much? Is there any danger of him taking legal action in case he insists on getting the full amount that I owe?

Guest User | 2 years and 9 months ago
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Guest User | 2 years and 9 months ago
string(1) "3" string(6) "200737"
@cate It was in the scope of work for him to insulate exterior walls, and he did everywhere else… just not under the window where the bathtub was, and come to think of it, maybe there was no insulation anywhere below the bathtub “line” all along the exterior wall . The bathtub was installed way before the insulation was put onto the walls in the bathroom. So yeah, not sure if that is the architect’s fault for not specifying or the GC’s fault for not insulating the lower part of the exterior wall before the bathtub was installed.

cate | 2 years and 9 months ago
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Speaking very generally, if insulation was not in the scope of work, I wouldn’t expect a contractor to insulate.

Guest User | 2 years and 9 months ago
string(1) "3" string(6) "200737"
@Eman137 this looks good!

Guest User | 2 years and 9 months ago
string(1) "3" string(6) "201692"
was not

Guest User | 2 years and 9 months ago
string(1) "3" string(6) "201692"
it also looks like any lack of insulation is due to your architect….if it was specified on the drawings, it is not your gc’s problem

Guest User | 2 years and 9 months ago
string(1) "3" string(6) "201692"
look into a grundfos comfort system recirculation pump….
https://www.yoursupplystop.com/products/grundfos-595916-up15-10su7p-tlc-comfort-hot-water-recirculation-pump?variant=32825461801014¤cy=USD&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Pmax+Test&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=1443296460&hsa_cam=17296842181&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItJbBorCT-wIVBq_ICh3eBw3_EAQYAiABEgIXOfD_BwE

justinromeu26 | 2 years and 9 months ago
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A return line has to be put in from the fixture back to the heat source. One of those things i wish i had done in my own house. In my house though, i can get one to the first floor kitchen which would cut the time i wait for hot water in the upstairs bathroom in half.

Guest User | 2 years and 9 months ago
string(1) "3" string(6) "200737"
@cate the pipes are along the wall I share with my neighbor, so not an outside wall. I’m not withholding $ from the plumber, but from my GC. I wouldn’t expect the plumber to insulate under the window by the bathtub (and maybe also under the bathtub, which is enameled metal of some sort) – but shouldn’t the GC have? Or if he shouldn’t have known to do it, shouldn’t the architect have specified this? The tub is ice cold in the winter, very unpleasant to stand in. As a person with no experience with renovations, I had no way of knowing it would turn out this way.
@homeinspector good idea w the recirc on a timer… can this be done without installing a another line? if so, it would be too late for that… Good idea to at least insulate the pipes in our unheated cellar. Right now they’re behind a drywall ceiling tho but maybe it’d be possible.

cate | 2 years and 9 months ago
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I don’t think lack of insulation is the cause of waiting three minutes for hot water on the top floor. That is standard. Nor is it the plumber’s responsibility to insulate a wall under a window next to a tub. However, if you have plumbing on an outside wall, and the plumbing isn’t insulated, it is likely to freeze. Was insulating the pipes in the contract? Seems to me none of this is a reason to withhold payment from the plumber.

justinromeu26 | 2 years and 9 months ago
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I would agree with Green. Eventually most of the water will cool almost back to ambient. insulation would keep it warm longer between periods of use during the day but not overnight or for long periods. if they failed to insulate the pipe in the basement and especially if your basement is unheated, have them do this, it might help a little (or at least water sitting in the pipe over night in the basement will not get as cold as the ambient air).
one thing i notice about my uninsulated pipes is that when we run a lot of hot water the heat from that pipe warms the water in the nearby cold water pipe. for that reason, i wish i had insulation on the hot pipe.
it may be too late to install now but some of my customers have hot water recirculation lines which continuously feed hot water to the far away fixtures and bring it back to the heat source to rewarm it. some of these are set on timers and they turn the circulator on early in the morning.

GreenThinker | 2 years and 9 months ago
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Generally, it’s going to take 3 or so minutes of running the water once you’re talking about the 3rd floor. Insulated or not, the water is going to eventually get cold. At which point you have 30+ linear feet of cold water sitting in your pipe that needs to be drained out. A hot water recirculating pump is the only way to go if you want instant hot water.
I wouldn’t say it’s going to cost you lots of money over the long run. After all, most of that water is in the insulated water heater, being kept at 120 degrees 24/7. I agree there should be insulation underneath the window. Unless you mean there’s no insulation around the underside of the acrylic bathtub. Which in that case, it’s good practice to do so, but it needs to be specified, cause it’s not something most contractors do as a standard practice.
I believe you should get a credit for the pipes. Cause it was specified work that the contractor ended up not doing. Labor and materials wouldn’t be more than $1000 though. He can always put a lien on your home. Best try to have a civil conversation.