Duct Insulation : Don’t Let Your Cool Air (or Money) Leak Out!
You’ve probably seen HVAC ducts at some point in your life. Those silver space-age looking tubes that deliver hot and cold air to a home or building. But did you know that ductwork insulation is a major key in getting them to properly do their job? Ductwork insulation is important because it ensures that the air traveling through the ductwork will stay at the desired temperature and that the air won’t “leak” out. If the air is leaking out then there is unnecessary energy loss, which means that your HVAC system will have to work even harder to deliver the air you want into your home. This will cause higher energy bills and a huge waste of energy, which is not good for you or the environment. In other words, without proper ductwork insulation, the air leaks out into places where there is no reason for it to, while the targeted areas receive less cooling or heating. Without proper ductwork insulation, it’s estimated that you could be losing 10-30% of the energy used to heat or cool your home. A good level of ductwork insulation can prevent this, as well as leaks, temperature drops and condensation buildup.
Before adding ductwork insulation, it is highly recommended to first seal leaks in the ductwork. Contact an HVAC contractor to seal the ductwork, specifically all of the points in the duct run. The proper way to seal is to use a material called mastic that is brushed on and then left to dry for about a day. Mastic is used because it does not deteriorate or shrink away from the joints. Keep in mind that duct tape should not be used for sealing ductwork, as it could deteriorate and decompose and cease to be effective to seal the leaks, leaving you with a sticky, useless mess on the ductwork itself.
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