Insulating Heat Ducts In Attic

Unfortunately so many houses especially newer homes end up with ductwork running through the attic.

Insulating heat ducts in attic.

Use a paintbrush to apply duct mastic to the joints where an elbow. Plan to pull up the flooring and layer new insulation on top of the old. Because the moving air is in the ductwork for only a short period of time it does not need the insulation r value the attic floor requires. Sometimes the insulation is inside the ductwork.

Check the speed of the blower motor on the furnace. Other times insulation may be on the outside. The greater the temperature extreme between the air inside the duct and the air surrounding the ductwork the greater your need for duct insulation. When insulating hvac ductwork use a foil faced fiberglass insulation with an r 6 or higher r value.

Our team follows a rigorous process for replacing ductwork. Because the simplest and cheapest way to insulate an attic is to add material to the floor. Wrap fiberglass duct insulation around the ducts and tape the seams together. Out with the old in with the new.

Acute temperatures in these areas contribute to thermal loss in metal ductwork. If necessary switch the wires to reduce the blower to its lowest. So logically the ducts deserve more not less insulation. After all most new homes have r 49 insulation on the attic floor holladay continues.

But if the floor is covered in plywood you can t stuff enough insulation beneath it to do the job sufficiently not even in warm climates. First consider the duct location. Flexible ductwork comes with different insulation r values. A metal duct conveying cool conditioned air through a broiling attic in summer or warm air through a chilly crawl.

Press a continuous strip of foil tape to all longitudinal seams along straight runs of duct. Use the type of metallic foil duct tape recommended by the insulation manufacturer to seal and hold the insulation in place. But the air in the ducts is facing a delta t of maybe 100 f or 120 f a greater delta t. Replacing your ducts is another option when you ve got old uninsulated ones.

But whether you hire us or somebody else be sure your contractor follows these steps. 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. Of course you might also consider replacing your old ducts. Make sure the foil surface of the insulation is free of dust before applying the tape.

Install ductwork so that it is in direct contact with i e laying on the ceiling and or truss lower cords.