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.

If your ducts aren t insulated you re probably paying way more than you should to cool and heat your home. 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. Duct insulation keeps air that s supposed to be cool cool and air that s supposed to be warm warm. 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.

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. Inspect the span of ductwork to be insulated. Make sure the foil surface of the insulation is free of dust before applying the tape. Insulated ducts have been the standard for decades now.

Install ductwork so that it is in direct contact with i e laying on the ceiling and or truss lower cords. Looking at the cooling side only the additional load would be. The duct insulation should include a vapor barrier cover. How to insulate your central air heating ducts.

So logically the ducts deserve more not less insulation. Obviously it s hard to install r 60 duct insulation. To install preformed duct insulation start by disconnecting an elbow to expose the end of the duct. All the ducts are in the attic.

But the air in the ducts is facing a delta t of maybe 100 f or 120 f a greater delta t. 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. Purchase duct wrap insulation that complies with the 2009 international energy conservation code iecc standards that specify an r value of 8.

Secure the insulation with short strips of foil tape. This of course is a good thing. Put it in an attic full of blown insulation and you re forcing it to work harder to vent its heat. R 8 duct insulation 5 227 btu hour.

Use metal flex or fiber board ducts that are insulated to code. Duct liner isn t generally a diy installation and if your ducts already have liner you don t need to insulate the exterior. Repeat to insulate the remaining 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.

Apply a long strip of foil tape along the seam in the insulation. Use the type of metallic foil duct tape recommended by the insulation manufacturer to seal and hold the insulation in place. Insulating hvac ductwork when insulating hvac ductwork use a foil faced fiberglass insulation with an r 6 or higher r value. Look for signs of air leaks at seams or joints such.