I am adding a 2nd bath on the oppisite end of my rancher home, cold water is not a problem, to get hot water to the area I need to run in the attice space, I plan to use pex, I need comments on insulating the pipe.

HI Oddman...

I'm not a big fan of running water pipes in unheated spaces, but if you must run the hot water PEX up in the attic, keep the PEX tubing down tight to the ceiling and encapsulate in foam tubing insulation. Then take the attic insulation and put that on top of everything with the vapor barrier toward the ceiling and that should be OK for you... ;)

Questions? Let me know, OK?

Mark

My suggestion would be to install a tankless instant water heater for the bath. If you run a hot water feed a long distance, you waste heated water that is laying in the pipe when done drawing hot water. A tankless heater would prevent that and you won't have to wait for hot water either, which is another waste of water.

Thanks for the input Mark, I have been toying with this solution but I was thinking maybe there is another solution as my home is about 40 years old with 6" to 8" blown insulation over R13 batts under retrofitted hard pipe HVAC duct work with most of it laying on the joist. Back to the think tank, but I do thank you for your input.
Oddman

Sorry Handyman, I could not answer your input where it should be because an advertisement covered the space but any way, I am total electric and would have to upgrade service, panel, etc. For me not an option.
Thanks for the input.
Oddman

I don't understand your response. You are total electric? I don't understand what that means.

What about using propane at that location. It is much cheaper than electricity and much more efficient.
My biggest concern for you is that wasted hot water. You are going to be heating water then letting it cool off. The cost of that alone would pay for a tankless heater and the propane.

I tend to agree with Handyman. A totally electric home is wasting a lot of money, electrcity is about as expensive as it can get. Bottle porpane or NG may not exits but are a good option. Is there no gas in your area? Bottle propane is available almost everywhere. I did a tankless heater in my fishing cabin and run propane. Some run flue gases so cool they exhaust via PVC