Ted has more than a few cobwebs in his attic.
Attic hvac ducts.
Why is condensation on ductwork a problem.
Why is this a problem.
The air ducts for a central hvac systems are typically located above a home in the attic or upper crawl space or underneath a home in the space between the foundation and the floor so.
Attic hvac systems also require shorter ducts.
The next most typical type of duct systems is made of flexible duct.
Here are the itemized costs for the most common types of ductwork and supplies needed to complete installation.
When water condenses and drips into your attic or home it can cause a some serious secondary problems.
Most updated central air conditioned homes have a new air conditioner split system meaning the ac is broken up into parts.
Flex ducts themselves do not sweat however if the.
All ducts are at risk for this type of leakage.
So water is condensing on your ac ducts.
Use the type of.
Here s why that is a good thing.
1 10 5 25 per foot insulated flexible duct 4 to 16 diameters used as branches or in radial duct attic systems 2 30 13 00 per foot round and oval sheet metal duct 3 to 8 diameters typically used for trunks in small homes and.
In the 70 s and 80 s in slab hvac ductwork was commonplace and took advantage of the relatively stable temperature of the slab at or near the ground.
Don t use standard cloth duct tape on hvac ductwork since the adhesive won t hold up to extreme temperatures.
First water dripping off of your ducts and onto your insulation can cause the insulation to compress which decreases it s r value or ability to insulate.
So why put an hvac system up in the attic at all.
Install ductwork so that it is in direct contact with i e laying on the ceiling and or truss lower cords.
Well mainly it s a way to save space.
For an added layer of protection you can apply duct mastic to the tape and duct.
Cost of installation supplies.
Attic hvac systems save space.
The really bad news is that with old metal duct systems the only option is replacement of the ducts to stop the rain in the attic.
With newer foundation systems involving embedded rebar or tension cables making in slab hvac ductwork nearly impossible there s little other option but to move it to the attic.
An outdoor unit which houses the fan condenser and compressor and an indoor unit which holds the evaporator and fan.
There will be less duct leakage.
Duct leakage causes a lot of problems including less.
Sometimes air conditioned air will seep right through your ducts and become useless instead of heating and cooling your home.
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.
When insulating hvac ductwork use a foil faced fiberglass insulation with an r 6 or higher r value.
Flexible duct is a plastic tube that is reinforced with wire and then insulated on the outside.
When hvac ducts are installed in a vented attic in a dry climate bury the ducts in attic insulation to protect them from temperature extremes in the unconditioned attic space.