Things to Look for When Inspecting Your Furnace Hard Pipe Ducting to Decrease Your Heating Bill
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Once in the attic, look for insulation falling off the ducting and exposing the metal of the pipe or ducting. The insulation usually cannot be repaired. It needs to be replaced. Installation is pretty easy. If it looks like the insulation has recently fallen off the pipe, you can just rewrap the insulation around the pipe. Use some sort of wire and wrap about every 4 feet to keep the insulation close to the pipe. Taping will not work. It will not stick to the fiberglass. If the insulation is off and the ductwork is exposed,check for black marks like something is blowing through the joint of the pipe. A dirty spot at the joint means that this joint is leaking. An quick fix to this is to clean off the joint. Then apply duct tape to seal the pipe. A more permanent fix is to use duct sealant. You can buy it by the gallon at your favorite home improvement store. Apply with a cheap paint brush, let dry and then re-wrap the insulation around the joint. This is a permanent repair.
Get insulation at your favorite home improvement store. Use regular fiberglass insulation that goes into attics between the joists. One- to two-inch thick batting is perfectly fine. The R value can be less than 11. Most duct work insulation has an R value of 4.
Handling the insulation should be done with gloves and long-sleeved shirts. Don't forget to use ventilation masks made for fiberglass handling. Don't stay in the attic more than 15 minutes at any one time. The other caution is to watch your head on the nails coming through the roof sheeting. It is very easy to get stabbed in the head. And be sure to walk only on the roof joints. You will fall through the drywall.
Hard pipe ducting should inspected every year. Doing the inspection and these small maintenance tasks will save you hundreds of dollars a year as opposed to having a contractor doing the work for you.
Once in the attic, look for insulation falling off the ducting and exposing the metal of the pipe or ducting. The insulation usually cannot be repaired. It needs to be replaced. Installation is pretty easy. If it looks like the insulation has recently fallen off the pipe, you can just rewrap the insulation around the pipe. Use some sort of wire and wrap about every 4 feet to keep the insulation close to the pipe. Taping will not work. It will not stick to the fiberglass. If the insulation is off and the ductwork is exposed,check for black marks like something is blowing through the joint of the pipe. A dirty spot at the joint means that this joint is leaking. An quick fix to this is to clean off the joint. Then apply duct tape to seal the pipe. A more permanent fix is to use duct sealant. You can buy it by the gallon at your favorite home improvement store. Apply with a cheap paint brush, let dry and then re-wrap the insulation around the joint. This is a permanent repair.
Get insulation at your favorite home improvement store. Use regular fiberglass insulation that goes into attics between the joists. One- to two-inch thick batting is perfectly fine. The R value can be less than 11. Most duct work insulation has an R value of 4.
Handling the insulation should be done with gloves and long-sleeved shirts. Don't forget to use ventilation masks made for fiberglass handling. Don't stay in the attic more than 15 minutes at any one time. The other caution is to watch your head on the nails coming through the roof sheeting. It is very easy to get stabbed in the head. And be sure to walk only on the roof joints. You will fall through the drywall.
Hard pipe ducting should inspected every year. Doing the inspection and these small maintenance tasks will save you hundreds of dollars a year as opposed to having a contractor doing the work for you.
