Dose the rubber insulation rap help the pipes from freezing and if so how much, what is the R factor. Also there is two types, Soft and ridget what is the best and why

Hmmmm...

Here's my take on insulation wrap/tape.

Insulation keeps cold things cold and hot things hot longer than if there was not insulation present. Insulation will also keep the cold water pipes from condensating as it reduces the temperature difference between the pipe and the environment outside the pipe.

In terms of cold water pipes, you can't just insulate a cold water pipe that is, say exposed to freezing conditions and expect that the insulation will keep the pipe from freezing. In fact, the insulation wrap will just keep the pipe cold until it finally keeps it so cold that the pipe freezes and bursts. In these cases, insulation should be used ONLY after a heat tape has been run along the length of the pipe in question and then the insulation wrap gets wrapped. The insulation in this case acts to reduce heat loss from the heat tape and keeps it from turning on as frequently as it would need to without the insulation.

In terms of hot water pipes, insulation wrap acts to reduce HEAT LOSS. Depending on the length of the run of hot water pipes you may or may not want to insulate the hot water lines. For example, the greatest heat loss from a water heater will be through the first 10 feet of hot water piping. After ten feet, the heat loss is considered negligible, so most manufacturers recommend that you insulate only the first 10 feet of hot water pipe off the water heater. You could insulate a long run of hot water pipe, or a recirculating hot water line to reduce heat loss, for sure, but most people will not let me when we start to discuss material and labor costs... ;)

Anyway, insulation is useful as mentioned above. It is NOT used to prevent freezing pipes by itself. The thicker, heavier version will be a better insulator (hold heat longer).

Let me know if you want to discuss more...

MARK