Duct work

[DanW13]

Just curious as to how many of your guys seal all the connections in the duct work after your done installing a heating and or a heat/cooling system as part of the install or do most some or all of you leave that to the home owner to do???

[John Culpepper]

Shouldn't be Home Owners job.

[dan sw fl]

Obviously, the mechanical contractors Responsibility.

Duct leakage testing will become more prevalent with changes in residential requirements enacted by state laws and encouraged in the Green Building / Energy Star/ ... processes.

http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/building_america/pdfs/30506_better_ducts.pdf

http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/publications/pdf/FSEC-PF-430-07.pdf

[diesel65]

I hope your not implying your contractor told you to do it !!

All ductwork for heat or cool (and in most cases exhaust) should be sealed when installed, it is part of the job not an extra and certainly not left for the customer to do.

[tinknocker service tech]

sealed and in most cases wrapped

got luv that bubble wrap insulation wooohooooooooo:D

[Mstrav]

matt

[DanW13]

I was just curious if it is part of the install when someone has a new system installed. My system is existing and was never sealed and insulated. But I was at the local Menards yesterday and they had that plastice bubble wrap on sale and I wasn't sure if that material was acceptable to use on the heat side of the furnace due to combustionible reason, but I see in one of the post here I am guessing it is ok to use this material to insulate the ducting in your home without having to worry that it will melt or cause fire.

[tinknocker service tech]

I was just curious if it is part of the install when someone has a new system installed. My system is existing and was never sealed and insulated. But I was at the local Menards yesterday and they had that plastice bubble wrap on sale and I wasn't sure if that material was acceptable to use on the heat side of the furnace due to combustionible reason, but I see in one of the post here I am guessing it is ok to use this material to insulate the ducting in your home without having to worry that it will melt or cause fire.


all ducts should be sealed at the seams before they are wrapped
wrap is only the help
keep the heat or cool in the duct and to
keep it from sweatting in an unconditioned space

seal it first
if you want it wrapped then use insulated duct wrap
bubble wrap has to be put on a certain way and with the ducts already in you cant do it right in most cases. Foil faced insulated duct wrap can be done before or after ducts are in and will in your case work much better
just wear a mask when working with it and take a cold shower after you are done.