My father in law swore by duct tape for pipe wraps, he was flat wrong

He told me last winter that duct tape would hold the foam insulation on my outdoor spigot pipes. Said he had done it for 20 years. By March the tape had peeled off and the foam was hanging like a wet sock. Water got in and I ended up replacing a cracked valve, cost me about $110 in parts and a Saturday. I should have just used zip ties or proper pipe clamps from the start. Has anyone else had a relative's shortcut turn into a bigger repair?

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2 Comments

jessica1302mo ago

Haha, duct tape is definitely not waterproof in the long run, but honestly it's more about the cold getting to the pipe than the tape letting go, foam only does so much if the valve itself isn't drained.

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lewis.terry2mo ago

Man, that stings. Duct tape is great for a lot of stuff, but it's not made for weather and water like that. It's basically just strong cloth with a sticky back, and once it gets wet, it lets go every time. Zip ties or even a couple of hose clamps would've held that foam tight for years. Your father in law probably never had a bad winter like the one you got, so his trick just never got tested.

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