Air Ducts In Attic Problems

Flexible plastic air ducts are now common in many homes and are often found in your attic.

Air ducts in attic problems.

Twisted kinked crushed or torn insulated flexible plastic air ducts. 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. Why is this a problem. If you have insulated flexible ductwork check to make sure that is not kinked crushed torn or twisted.

Why is condensation on ductwork a problem. So water is condensing on your ac ducts. 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. Fibers may also work their way into closed system air handlers or ducts landing along duct work or circulating into the air in the rest of the house.

With hundreds of square feet of ductwork surface area in the attic and a δt of 75 f the air coming out of the vents in your home will be significantly higher than 55 f. 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. Contact a qualified hvac company to fix any of the following duct problems. Shawn an erv isn t the same as a heating or cooling system.

First the delta t across the exhaust duct doesn t matter because you re getting rid of that air. Diagnose cure hvac duct problems like weak air flow leaks noises condensation. Since the early 1970 s a significant increase in the use of flexible duct which generally is internally lined with plastic or some other type of material has occurred. However many modern residential air duct systems are constructed of fiber glass duct board or sheet metal ducts that are lined on the inside with fiber glass duct liner.

These restrictions in airflow cause your system to work harder to move air. The air moving through those ducts in the attic doesn t have anywhere near the temperature difference that heating or air conditioning ducts have. Install ductwork so that it is in direct contact with i e laying on the ceiling and or truss lower cords. If not enough cool air is provided by your air conditioner or if the air temperature is not cool enough or if you just can t get your a c unit running this article helps diagnose and correct the problem with step by step things to check and links to more detailed explanation when you need it.

Below are some commons signs of poorly installed ductwork. When water condenses and drips into your attic or home it can cause a some serious secondary problems.