Chapter 8: Duct Design and Sealing

To be used with the Guide to Building Energy Efficient

Homes in Kentucky
 Ductwork

Poorly sealed ductwork is

• Common
• An easily solved problem

Image Courtesy of Energy Services Group

 Ductwork

Duct leakage
• Increases heating and cooling loads
• Diminishes comfort

Duct leaks = 10-30% of

heating/cooling loads
 Location of Ducts

• Locating ducts in conditioned space eliminates

many problems with leakage.
• Ducts are often installed in chases.
• It is critical to seal chases and other hidden
areas completely from unconditioned spaces.
Duct Leaks and Air Leakage
Effective materials for
sealing:
• Duct sealing mastic with
mesh tape
• Rated tapes that are UL-
labeled

UL Labeled

UL Listed
Duct Tightness Test
 Balanced Systems

Forced-air
heating and
cooling
systems
should be Supply Return Supply
balanced.
Return
 Pressure Imbalances

Pressure imbalances can create dangerous air quality in

homes including:
• Potential backdrafting of combustion appliances
• Increasing air leakage from the crawl space to the
home
• Pulling pollutants into the air handling system via
return leaks
 Pressure Imbalances

Typical causes and concerns of

pressure imbalances:
• HVAC systems with excessive
supply leaks can cause homes
to become depressurized.
• HVAC systems with excessive
return leaks can cause homes
to become pressurized and
create negative pressures
around the air handling unit.
 Pressure Imbalances
Typical causes and concerns of
pressure imbalances:
• Homes with central returns
can have pressure
imbalances when the
interior doors to individual
rooms are closed.
• Tighter homes with effective
exhaust fans may experience
negative pressures when
these ventilation devices
operate.
• Large kitchen exhaust fans
can create large pressure
imbalances.
Testing for Duct Leakage
• The best method to
ensure airtight ducts is to
pressure test the entire
duct system.
• In most test procedures, a
technician temporarily
seals the ducts by taping
over the supply registers
and return grilles.
Leakage Inspection for Air Ducts
Blower Door Test
Sealing Air Distribution Systems
Duct leakage should be eliminated.

UL-181 A
 Sealing Air Distribution Systems
Sealed and insulated ducts prevent conditioned
air from leaking into unconditioned space.

mastic sealant
Upgraded Exhaust Ventilation
Dislodged Boot in Floor Space
Where do you seal the air
distribution system?

EVERYWHERE!
 High Priority Leaks

Areas that have the highest priority for sealing:

• Disconnected components
− Takeoffs that are not fully inserted
− Plenums or ducts that have been dislodged
− Tears in flex-duct
− Strained connections between ductwork
Disconnected Ducts
Dislodged Boot
 High Priority Leaks
Areas that have the highest priority for sealing:
• Connections between the air handling
unit and the supply and return plenums
• All of the seams in the air handling unit,
plenums, and rectangular ductwork
− Look particularly under components and in
tight areas
− Seal the holes for the refrigerant,
thermostat, and condensate lines
− Almost all air handling cabinets come from
the factory with leaks
Sealing Leaks in Air Handler Unit
 High Priority Leaks

Areas with the highest priority for sealing:

• Condensate lines of many systems contain a
trap with a vertical vent that freely leaks air
– If the vent is needed, it can be reduced in size by
drilling a hole in a standard plumbing cap and
placing the cap on the open vent
 High Priority Leaks

Areas for the highest priority for sealing:

• The return takeoffs, elbows, boots, and other
connections
• The takeoffs from the main supply plenum
and trunk lines
• Any framing in the building used as ductwork
 Moderate Priority Leaks

• Connections near the supply registers

• Joints between sections of the branch ductwork
Seal All Duct Leaks
Seal Leaky Boots
 Low Priority Leaks

Seal these low priority leaks:

• Longitudinal seams in round metal ductwork
 Duct Design

Duct Materials
• Three common types of duct material
used in home construction:
– Metal
– Fiberglass duct board
– Flexible duct
Duct Material
 Duct Materials
• Flexible duct
– Long, continuous pieces between the register and plenum
box, the plenum box and air handler, or between the
register and air handler
– Long flexible duct runs can severely restrict air flow, so
they should be sized and installed carefully
• Metal duct
– Round and rectangular
– Must be sealed with mastic and insulated during
installation
– Used for plenums and larger trunk duct runs, are often
insulated with duct liner
 Duct Materials
Metal ducts
• Use fiberglass insulation having an attached
metal foil vapor retarder
• The duct insulation should be at least R-8
• The vapor retarder should be installed to the
outside of the insulation—facing away from the
duct
• The seams in the insulation are usually stapled
together around the duct and then taped
 Sizing and Layout

The proper duct size depends on:

• The estimated heating and cooling load for
each room in the house
• The length, type, and shape of the duct
• The operating characteristics of the HVAC
system
Duct Configuration Flow Rates
 Sizing and Layout

• The lower temperature of the heated air

affects the placement of the registers.
• In standard duct placement and design, supply
registers are almost always located on outside
walls under or above windows.
– Return registers are placed towards the
interior, typically in a central hallway.
 Sizing and Layout
• Some energy efficient builders are able to trim
both labor and material costs for ductwork by
locating supply and return ducts near the core
of the house.

• In standard duct design, virtually all supply

ducts are 6-inch flex-duct or round metal pipe.
– Most standard designs have only one
return for each floor.
 Sizing and Layout

Keeping all ducts a standard size may work for

some homes, but can create operating problems
for others, including:
• Too much heating and cooling supplied to small
rooms
• Inadequate airflow
• Over pressurization of rooms when interior doors are
closed
Standard Duct Installation
 Ductwork Summary

Supply

Size Number

5” 3

6” 5

7” 7

10” 1
Summary

Ductwork is
• Out of sight, but not out of mind
• Hidden, but not forgotten
Summary