Insulate Your Duct Work
Save 20-30% on Heating and Cooling Bills with this Easy 'Sweat-Equity'
Project
Your home's duct system carries the air from your furnace and central air
conditioner or heat pump to each room. These ducts are typically made of sheet
metal, fiber glass, or other materials that easily conduct heat. Ducts are also
usually located in unconditioned spaces and unfortunately, many duct systems are
poorly insulated, or not insulated at all.
- 10 - 30 % of the energy used to heat and cool the air in your home is lost
to conduction through duct surfaces.
- Poorly insulated ductwork results in hard to maintain temperatures in rooms
served by long duct runs and can add hundreds of dollars a year to your heating
and cooling expenses.
Start by downloading the instructions & materials list (pdf) and then watch this four-part instructional video series.
Three Easy Steps to Enjoy the Benefits of
Insulated Ductwork
- Start by cutting the polyisocyanurate sheathing to wrap around the supply
and return trunks’ sides and bottoms. Tape the cut pieces of sheathing to the
trunks and adjacent sheathing using the foil faced duct tape.
- Wrap the 6 inch round distribution ducts with fiberglass batts. Keep in
place using staples and string. Zigzag the string back and forth across the
length of the fiberglass insulation batt and staple it to the joists or
underside of the floor. Wrap or stuff fiberglass insulation around the sheet
metal “boot” that connects the 6 inch pipe to the register.
- Cut the fiberglass batts to size and place on top of the supply trunks,
between the floor joists.
 ENERGY STAR® suggests these
benefits for insulating your ductwork.
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- Improve Comfort: Duct insulation
minimizes conductive heat losses and gains, allowing supply air to be delivered
closer to desired temperatures. In winter, leaks of heated air will be reduced
in rooms supplied with long duct runs. This can result in quicker recovery from
night-time setbacks and a more consistent level of comfort throughout a
house.
- Save Money: The average homeowner
spends over $600 per year on heating and cooling. Leaky ducts can reduce heating
and cooling system efficiency by as much as 20 percent. Sealing and insulating
ducts increases efficiency, lowers your energy bills, and can often pay for
itself in energy savings.
- Protect the Environment: Energy used
in our homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which
contributes to smog, acid rain, and global warming. Simply put, the less energy
we use in our homes, the less air pollution we generate. By sealing your ducts
and reducing the amount of energy necessary to comfortably heat or cool your
home, you can reduce the amount of air pollution generated.
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