Should I Replace Flex Duct With Rigid

This is a great decision.

Should i replace flex duct with rigid. He charges 5 000. All ducts whether rigid or flexible should be sealed with ul 181 rated duct mastic. Long poorly supported runs of flex duct sag stress and separate rigid ducting systems often called hard pipe are prone to their own brand of installer pitfalls particularly extra duct length if cutting off is awkward or just too time consuming unnecessary dead end extents are sometimes capped off and left. When ducts are located outside the conditioned space they should be sealed to prevent loss of conditioned air and also insulated to prevent thermal loss or gain from the ambient air.

These are rigid ductwork and flex ductwork. Flex ductwork is easy to install but it s a treacherous road should your contractor have taken it. This in theory is what flex duct should be used for. There are many pitfalls unbeknownst to many hvac contractors on the implications of their work.

Often pricing per duct run ranges between 150 and 250 from air duct professionals. Now there are two major types of air ducts that you can choose depending on what you want and need. Flex duct should pulled tight to reduce inner air resistance. Flex duct in short amounts 4 feet or less is perfectly fine for quality and performance.

During our energy audits here is a short list of pitfalls green id typically finds in a home s ductwork. It should be supported with straps that are a minimum 1 5 wide. To support flex duct properly use straps that are at least 1 5 inches wide. Jim hoover owner of hvac2u in warrenton virginia specializes in new construction but can also install new ductwork or replace ductwork for customers in his area.

One of the main aspects of duct design is the type that will be used either flexible or rigid. Flexible also known as flex ducts can be easily molded to fit a variety of positions. As you would expect rigid ducts are created in a fixed position usually made of metal and can t be bent or curved without damaging it. Mack explains that a typical single family home may need 6 10 duct runs.

Duct tape has many uses but sealing ducts isn t one of them. You mentioned that you were considering re insulating your current metal duct work. How to replace a metal duct with a flexible duct. We have talked about ducts being a channel from your hvac system throughout your home.

Most often flex duct is used to reduce cost or in places where metal duct work will not fit. If your budget allows you may want to consider resealing your duct work with a mastic product. More than likely. The photo at right shows such a strap.

Both types of ductwork have specific features pros cons and specifications. It originates at your air handler or furnace and ends at wall floor or ceiling vents. Rigid and flex ductwork. If you can replace all flex duct do so but accepting 1 or 2 feet of flex at the end of a pipe run is acceptable.