Insulating Hvac Ducts In Attic
Insulated ducts have been the standard for decades now.
Insulating hvac ducts in attic. R 8 duct insulation 5 227 btu hour. All the ducts are in the attic. The duct insulation should include a vapor barrier cover. Put it in an attic full of blown insulation and you re forcing it to work harder to vent its heat.
Make sure the foil surface of the insulation is free of dust before applying the tape. Let s look for constantly improving methods through sharing. To install preformed duct insulation start by disconnecting an elbow to expose the end of the duct. Most attic ducts are insulated flex ducts that is flex ducts with r 6 or r 8 fiberglass insulation along with an exterior polyethylene jacket.
Putting a furnace in an attic is not ideal but will happen. In addition to making the unit hard to get to for service high attic heat can trigger the. Apply a long strip of foil tape along the seam in the insulation. Look for signs of air leaks at seams or joints such.
Install ductwork so that it is in direct contact with i e laying on the ceiling and or truss lower cords. Insulating hvac ductwork when insulating hvac ductwork use a foil faced fiberglass insulation with an r 6 or higher r value. Use the type of metallic foil duct tape recommended by the insulation manufacturer to seal and hold the insulation in place. Purchase duct wrap insulation that complies with the 2009 international energy conservation code iecc standards that specify an r value of 8.
When these ducts are exposed to exterior air the plastic jacket never gets cold enough to permit condensation because the hot attic air keeps the plastic jacket warm. Repeat to insulate the remaining ducts. No building inspector worth his or her salt is going to let any builder or hvac contractor get away with installing ducts that aren t insulated. Inspect the span of ductwork to be insulated.
Use metal flex or fiber board ducts that are insulated to code. The greater the temperature extreme between the air inside the duct and the air surrounding the ductwork the greater your need for duct insulation. This of course is a good thing. Duct insulation keeps air that s supposed to be cool cool and air that s supposed to be warm warm.
How to insulate your central air heating ducts. Unfortunately so many houses especially newer homes end up with ductwork running through the attic. First consider the duct location. Snap a plastic cap onto the duct end then slip the preformed insulation over the duct.
Looking at the cooling side only the additional load would be. According to rightsuite the software we use the supply ducts have about 560 square feet of surface area and the return ducts 101 square feet. Secure the insulation with short strips of foil tape.