Insulating Metal Ductwork In Attic

For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices.

Insulating metal ductwork in attic.

The department of energy claims that the average us home loses hundreds of dollars a year in heating and cooling costs. Youtube insulating attic ductwork. Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation. Gaps of inch or less can be sealed with fire blocking caulk 3m fire block sealant.

Metal flashing or scrap plywood to create a safety gap of at least 3 inches all around fixtures. Think about it if you touch the metal side of a frying pan on the stove you get burned right. The 1 800 square foot brick ranch in climate zone 4 dates from the 1960s but the previous owner installed both a furnace and ductwork in the attic just four years ago. Proper duct insulation is a major key to ensuring your home s energy efficiency.

Repeat to insulate the remaining ducts. Apply a long strip of foil tape along the seam in the insulation. Secure the insulation with short strips of foil tape. The existing metal ductwork in an older home may or may not have insulation.

Wires exhaust fans and ducts. This is because metal is very good at transferring heat and also why it is a horrible insulator. To install preformed duct insulation start by disconnecting an elbow to expose the end of the duct. Sometimes metal ducts are lined with duct liner a 1 inch thick fiberglass board that insulates the interior of the duct rather than the exterior.

Duct liner isn t generally a diy installation and if your ducts already have liner you don t need to insulate the exterior. Use the type of metallic foil duct tape recommended by the insulation manufacturer to seal and hold the insulation in place. When insulating hvac ductwork use a foil faced fiberglass insulation with an r 6 or higher r value. Although both the attic floor and the ductwork are insulated ted recognizes the situation isn t ideal.

Effect of inadequate insulation on ductwork. Sometimes the insulation is inside the ductwork. Insulation works because it is very inefficient at transferring heat. Close to 25 of the energy you use to heat and cool your home disappears through leaky ductwork.

The effective r value of a buried duct installation depends on the size of the ducts the r value of the duct insulation and the depth of the loose fill insulation. You can cover metal ductwork with blown in insulation if you take two steps first. Other times insulation may be on the outside. But our erv ducts stand alone system not tied in w heat pump and 2 jumper ducts for pressure balancing from bedrooms are suspended above the insulation in our vented attic.

Ted also has inherited a powered attic ventilator.