Most of the homes are either heated or cooled with ducted force air systems. Ducts play an important role in the furnace used for heating the homes. Duct system carries air from furnace to each room. They are made of sheet metal or fiberglass. The air ducts move conditioned air to warm or cool the room. They are placed within the walls, floors or ceilings. They are a great source of comfort during winter and summer. However, if the duct systems are not insulated or installed properly they can consume a lot of energy. The leakage in the ducts can add a huge figure to the energy bills.

How Ducts Function

The ducts deliver the warm or cool air from the furnace, heat pump or central air conditioner to the rooms. The fan in the furnace, heat pump or air conditioner pushes air through supply ducts. The conditioned air in the duct either cools or heats the rooms. The air in the duct will lose heat through walls, ceiling or floor if it is warmer than the temperature outside and gain the heat if the outside temperature is warmer than the air in the duct. In either case, the fan of the furnace, heat pump or the air conditioner pulls back the air through the return duct to recondition it. Ideally the ducts can supply conditioned air at minor temperature losses and also can be a clean and efficient part of the heating and air conditioning system. However, if not operated properly they can waste a lot of energy and raise the energy bills.

Sealing and Insulating Duct Systems

To prevent the unconditioned air from entering the duct system, check out for leaks. The ducts in the unconditioned spaces should be sealed and insulated using good sealing materials. It is advisable to seal the duct joints
using fiberglass tapes instead of cloth duct tapes as it becomes dry and brittle with time. It is highly recommended to insulate the basement walls and the ducts with heat reflecting coating. Both supply and return ducts need to be installed in the basement rooms if it has been converted into a living area. To prevent moisture built up, the slabs have a well-sealed vapor barrier outside the insulation of the cooling ducts.

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