Best Insulation For Attic Ductwork

The department of energy claims that the average us home loses hundreds of dollars a year in heating and cooling costs.

Best insulation for attic ductwork.

Made from 1 to 2 inch thick sheets of rigid glass fiber and coated with an aluminum laminate for a moisture air barrier duct board comes in. Air ducts supply conditioned air from heating or air conditioning equipment into the living spaces of your home. Close to 25 of the energy you use to heat and cool your home disappears through leaky ductwork. Granted the insulation on that duct has surpassed it life expectancy and my duct resides in the unconditioned attic.

The ducting currently rests on the attic joist which causes any residual r value from disintegrating insulation to be non existent. When insulating hvac ductwork use a foil faced fiberglass insulation with an r 6 or higher r value. These ducts are usually made out of thin sheet of metal that easily conduct heat. To install preformed duct insulation start by disconnecting an elbow to expose the end of the duct.

I called out the original hvac company and they took a look and said they saw no water. The fiberglass duct board is by far the most effective. You don t want to end up with the wrong type of insulation for your air ducts. Apply a long strip of foil tape along the seam in the insulation.

For an added layer of protection you can apply duct mastic to the tape and duct. You can find formaldehyde free insulation that also has an acrylic coating. Duct liner isn t generally a diy installation and if your ducts already have liner you don t need to insulate the exterior. Recently i had another hvac company come out and put in a new bathroom vent and they told me they believed the duct work was full of water.

Proper duct insulation is a major key to ensuring your home s energy efficiency. Table 1 shows effective r values for 8 inch round ducts at three attic insulation levels and three duct insulation levels r 4 2 r 6 and r 8. It was new when the ac was put in 7 years ago. Repeat to insulate the remaining ducts.

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. Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Secure the insulation with short strips of foil tape. Duct board much like the duct liner is also a fiberglass product.

Find your zone on the map and then use the chart to determine the level of insulation you need to properly insulate your attic walls floors and crawlspaces. Each job may require a different form of insulation. Insulate ducts located on roofs and on unconditioned spaces like the attic garage crawlspace or unfinished basement.