subject: Sealing and Insulating Hvac Ducts inside your home to Increase Efficiency [print this page] Sealing and Insulating Hvac Ducts inside your home to Increase Efficiency
Air leaks inside your attic and basement can definitely drive up home heating costs if left unattended. This information provides some do-it-yourself tips about how to seal and insulate air conditioning ducts.
One of the most energy efficient methods to make your home feel more comfortable is by sealing and insulating your duct system.
With regards to comfort, leaky air affects us most during the winter. While drafty doors and windows contribute to the situation, most significant air leaks in homes originate from attics and basements.
If lowering your winter heating bill is really a top priority, then leaving basement and attic leaks unaltered can be a major mistake. Heat generated by homes through the winter naturally rises to the attic. Leaky attics allow heat to exit the house, providing cold air to be able to enter in the process.
Repairing basement and attic leaks are very important to maintaining a comfortable home. In houses with forced-air heating and cooling systems, ducts distribute conditioned air in your home. In a typical house, however, many of the air that moves over the duct system is lost because of leaks and poorly sealed connections. This leads to higher utility bills and difficulty keeping your home comfortable; no matter how high the thermostat is placed.
Since some ducts are concealed in walls and between floors, repairing them can be hard. However, exposed ducts in attics, basements, crawlspaces and garages can be repaired by sealing the leaks with duct sealant.
In addition, insulating ducts running through spaces very often become hot in summer or cold in winter for instance attics, garages and crawlspaces can conserve significant energy.
In the event the areas needing sealing and insulation are accessible, then finding a contractor to remedy the issue could be avoided by doing the work yourself.
The first step toward fully-insulated ducts is sealing all of the points within the duct run to control air loss and drops in temperature. This is achieved with a mastic or sealant which is brushed on and left to dry for around 24 hours. How quickly the air moves with the ducts determines how well it will hold temperature.
Well-sealed joints let the ducts to hold air on the set temperature. Mastic is employed because it is not going to degrade or shrink from the joint. Duct tape mustn't be used for this purpose, since it degrades and decomposes, leaving the joint leaky and unprotected.
After the ducts are actually sealed, an insulating jacket needs to be wrapped round the duct. Duct insulation is commonly made of fiberglass. Insulators may use rigid insulation or faced fiberglass. The fiberglass surface faces in toward the duct while the foil protects the surface of the wrap, preventing heat loss and protecting the fiberglass inside. The insulation is applied in sheets which can be cut to suit and seamed.
After the ducts are properly sealed, you will enjoy more peace of mind in your home while spending less on energy costs.
