Insulating Hvac Ducts In Attic

Duct insulation keeps air that s supposed to be cool cool and air that s supposed to be warm warm.

Insulating hvac ducts in attic.

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. Apply a long strip of foil tape along the seam in the insulation. 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. 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. Make sure the foil surface of the insulation is free of dust before applying the tape. Putting a furnace in an attic is not ideal but will happen.

Let s look for constantly improving methods through sharing. Inspect the span of ductwork to be insulated. Unfortunately so many houses especially newer homes end up with ductwork running through the attic. The duct insulation should include a vapor barrier cover.

Hvac ducts should be buried under insulation hard covered too. All the ducts are in the attic. Looking at the cooling side only the additional load would be. Put it in an attic full of blown insulation and you re forcing it to work harder to vent its heat.

First consider the duct location. How to insulate your central air heating ducts. If your ducts aren t insulated you re probably paying way more than you should to cool and heat your home. Look for signs of air leaks at seams or joints such.

To install preformed duct insulation start by disconnecting an elbow to expose the end of the duct. Insulating hvac ductwork when insulating hvac ductwork use a foil faced fiberglass insulation with an r 6 or higher r value. Secure the insulation with short strips of foil tape. In addition to making the unit hard to get to for service high attic heat can trigger the.

When hvac ducts are installed in a vented attic in a dry climate bury the ducts in attic insulation to protect them from temperature extremes in the unconditioned attic space. This of course is a good thing. The greater the temperature extreme between the air inside the duct and the air surrounding the ductwork the greater your need for duct insulation. Snap a plastic cap onto the duct end then slip the preformed insulation over the duct.

Install ductwork so that it is in direct contact with i e laying on the ceiling and or truss lower cords. Insulated ducts have been the standard for decades now. Use metal flex or fiber board ducts that are insulated to code.