Best Way To Insulate Ducts In Attic

Bury the ducts deeply in insulation.

Best way to insulate ducts in attic. Use a paintbrush to apply duct mastic to the joints where an elbow. Ted also has inherited a powered attic ventilator. Before you insulate the ducts you need to seal the ducts. Plan to pull up the flooring and layer new insulation on top of the old.

When insulating hvac ductwork use a foil faced fiberglass insulation with an r 6 or higher r value. Mechanically fasten and mastic seal all duct connections. That s what happened to the ducts in the lead photo of this article. How to insulate the ductwork determining the right r value.

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. If necessary switch the wires to reduce the blower to its lowest. Although both the attic floor and the ductwork are insulated ted recognizes the situation isn t ideal. Energy saver dealers 204 202 views.

In last week s blog i discussed the practice of burying attic ducts in deep insulation since burying ducts is simply one of several ways to address the energy waste associated with the decision to locate ducts in a vented unconditioned attic it s worth taking a fresh look at all of the possible solutions to the attic duct problem. Make sure the foil surface of the insulation is free of dust before applying the tape. Because the simplest and cheapest way to insulate an attic is to add material to the floor. To fit your ducts simply cut the sleeve to length with a sharp pair of scissors.

Use the type of metallic foil duct tape recommended by the insulation manufacturer to seal and hold the insulation in place. It gets an assigned r value. The duct insulation should include a vapor barrier cover. Like any other insulation use additional layers to provide better insulation power.

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. Insulation is rated in terms of its thermal resistance. Install loose fill insulation to cover the ducts and the attic floor to meet or exceed the code required r value for attic insulation. Test total duct leakage.

Installs easily and wraps around irregular ductwork areas well. Add additional sealant if necessary. Check the speed of the blower motor on the furnace. Sealing before you insulate.

Choosing the type of duct. Foil backed self adhesive foam duct insulation. Press a continuous strip of foil tape to all longitudinal seams along straight runs of duct.