Insulating Hvac Ducts In Attic

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.

Insulating hvac ducts in attic.

When the attic is 20 f that insulation is addressing a delta t of 50 f. Insulating hvac ductwork when insulating hvac ductwork use a foil faced fiberglass insulation with an r 6 or higher r value. 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. Snap a plastic cap onto the duct end then slip the preformed insulation over the duct.

R 8 duct insulation 5 227 btu hour. Purchase duct wrap insulation that complies with the 2009 international energy conservation code iecc standards that specify an r value of 8. To install preformed duct insulation start by disconnecting an elbow to expose the end of the duct. The duct insulation should include a vapor barrier cover.

Made from 1 to 2 inch thick sheets of rigid glass fiber and coated with an aluminum laminate for a moisture air barrier duct board comes in sections that fit together like metal ducts. Use metal flex or fiber board ducts that are insulated to code. 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. Duct insulation keeps air that s supposed to be cool cool and air that s supposed to be warm warm.

Secure the insulation with short strips of foil tape. 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. If your ducts aren t insulated you re probably paying way more than you should to cool and heat your home. Put it in an attic full of blown insulation and you re forcing it to work harder to vent its heat.

All the ducts are in the attic. Use the type of metallic foil duct tape recommended by the insulation manufacturer to seal and hold the insulation in place. So logically the ducts deserve more not less insulation. Install ductwork so that it is in direct contact with i e laying on the ceiling and or truss lower cords.

Obviously it s hard to install r 60 duct insulation. In addition to making the unit hard to get to for service high attic heat can trigger the. Make sure the foil surface of the insulation is free of dust before applying the tape. Inspect the span of ductwork to be insulated.

How to insulate your central air heating ducts. 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. But the air in the ducts is facing a delta t of maybe 100 f or 120 f a greater delta t. Look for signs of air leaks at seams or joints such.

Duct board much like the duct liner is also a fiberglass product. Apply a long strip of foil tape along the seam in the insulation. Looking at the cooling side only the additional load would be. This of course is a good thing.