Ducts and why we need to insulate them
Ducts are pipes with vents that run through the entire building to maintain a particular temperature. They adjust, circulate and ventilate the air flow in the room. These are usually made of steel, metals, non-metal materials like fabric glass. They are required to be sealed properly. Any kind of space or crevice or leakage can cause loss of energy, moisture and mold infestations. One can often notice if the ducts are not insulated properly the walls get spoiled due to moisture. Loss of energy will lead to the required temperature not being maintained. Also energy loss would lead to over load on the air conditioner or the air heater which in turn would also result in higher utility bills. Hence keeping in mind all these disadvantages one needs to be very particular about the insulation of the duct. It is thus required that these seals the building with the Traditional insulation of duct leaves spaces, seams, crevices. Insulation by spray foam technique
Methods to insulate Duct pipes
While traditionally fabric glass, aluminium and many other polymer materials have been used to insulate the duct however they have not really proven to be efficient. During the process of ductwork in a building the aim is to insulate the duct pipes as efficiently as possible. This is where the spray foam insulator plays an important role.
Spray Foam Insulation
Spray foam insulation is now a widely used technique to insulate houses. Spray foam insulation can be done for the roofs, walls as well as the ducts of a building. The cell structure of this material is tight and with small or no air gaps. There are two types of spray foam insulation open and closed, the difference being that the former has some air gaps in its structure while the latter’s cell structure is taut with minimal or no air gaps. Ideally for duct insulation it is advised to use closed spray foam insulation.
Closed Spray Foam Insulation
Closed spray foam insulation is one of the best and most unbeatable technique today. As mentioned above because of the almost non-existent or no air gaps it acts as an excellent insulator. Due to the tight structure it does not leave any spaces, holes, crevices or seams. This in turn takes care of the following:
Stops air Leakage: Since the pipes are tightly sealed and there are no gaps in the structure the there is no gas / air leakage.
Stops Moisture: The closed spray foam insulation is known for a moisture proof insulation. This insulation allows proper functioning of the air conditioners and heaters there by allowing no moisture to enter the premises. Hence one also notices that there is no humidity, mold formation and spoilage of walls of the building.
Energy Efficiency: Since there is no leakage there is minimum energy loss. Also the material of the spray foam insulator ensures that there is minimum heat dissipated, that is the temperature of the air in the ducts is maintained as there is minimum heat transfer. These in turn result in maintenance of the room temperature without over loading the air conditioner or the air heater.
Cost Efficiency: Closed spray foam insulation is a long term cost effective investment. As discussed earlier, it helps in conservation of energy which has a direct impact on reducing the utility bills.