How To Insulate Duct In Attic
Bury the ducts deeply in insulation.
How to insulate duct in attic. If necessary switch the wires to reduce the blower to its lowest. This could and should have been done in the first place but now you have another chance to make it right. Look for signs of air leaks at seams or joints such as streams of dust. That s what happened to the ducts in the lead photo of this article.
How to insulate your central air heating ducts 1. Insulation itself keeps warm air in and prevents cold air from infiltrating. Purchase duct wrap insulation that complies with the 2009 international energy conservation code iecc standards. Sure up leaky duct joints.
Press a continuous strip of foil tape to all longitudinal seams along straight runs of duct. This isn t equivalent to bringing them into the conditioned space as you ll still have additional duct load but it s a lot better than having them in unconditioned attic space. Install loose fill insulation to cover the ducts and the attic floor to meet or exceed the code required r value for attic insulation. Inspect the span of ductwork to be insulated.
Wrap the insulation around the duct allowing the beginning edge to ride up slightly over the previous piece. How to insulate the attic air sealing the attic energy saving attic insulation duration. Energy saver dealers 204 202 views. Use the type of metallic foil duct tape recommended by the insulation manufacturer to seal and hold the insulation in place.
Use a paintbrush to apply duct mastic to the joints where an elbow. 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. Insulate and air seal to pull the attic inside the building. The next best option is to encapsulate the ducts.
Make sure the foil surface of the insulation is free of dust before applying the tape. If using this technique in a humid or marine climate the ducts must be encapsulated with spray foam before installing the blown insulation. 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. Measure and cut your duct insulation a little large to allow overlap at every seam both lengthwise and on the ends.
How to insulate your attic duct system step by step with video instructions assess current state of attic insulation. See recommendations for accomplishing this at the building america solution center.