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ASI's Learn About HVAC Duct Work and the Different Types

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Residential duct work the different types and materials used.

There are many varieties of duct work styles and materials used over the years but the basic idea has always remained the same. It creates an enclosed system that allows for air to be distributed.

Typical Duct Layout Residential
Duct Work in a Typical Home. Duct work on older homes usually consists of mostly sheet metal ducts fabricated from sheets of galvanized steel to various sizes as required for a particular system and air flow requirements.

These all sheet metal duct work systems are the most robust and durable and are not commonly found on more modern homes other than high end custom homes. While being the most durable and robust system of duct work what it is usually lacking in older homes is usually insulation.


Most older ducts were not insulated either on the inside or the outside due to the added costs. This provides homeowners with sheet metal ducts a great opportunity for energy savings.


As can be seen from the diagram flexible ducts are used normally in any unconditioned space such as an attic or crawl space. Any ducts inside the home itself where the space temperature is being conditioned the dust work does not require insulation by code or energy standards. However there are energy savings to be gained from insulating this duct but the return on the investment for a residential structure limits this to high end custom homes.


Sheet Metal Duct Work
More modern homes use a combination of sheet metal and flexible insulated duct, the use of the flexible insulated duct usually increases substantially as the cost of the new home itself gets cheaper. These variances in overall quality usually do effect a home's value after the first purchase however.

More often these days on tract homes or any affordable home you will find that the maximum extent of the sheet metal used in a home is limited to the equipment plenums (the sheet metal boxes connected at the return inlet and supply outlet of

Flexible Insulated Duct
the equipment) which normally extend no further than a few feet inside the crawl space or attic and maybe sheet metal duct work between floors or in walls. After that you get a giant octopus or spider legs of flexible insulated duct to each supply register.

This method usually works fine if it is implemented and designed correctly but normally on most homes what works best or usually becomes necessary in many

cases is to install small dampers inside the ducts to adjust the amount of air flow to each register.
  

Duct Board Insulated
One last type of duct work utilized today is usually called Duct Board, this type of duct work is simply made of fiberglass insulation usually sandwiched between protective layers of a type of fabric or foil. While not structurally very strong and while being prone to damage this type of less commonly used duct is highly efficient for energy consumption. Drawbacks are the same for any duct work with exposed fabric or insulation on the inside, which is the fact that the fibers collect dust and debris and is nearly impossible to clean properly.










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