Attic Duct Return Installation

If testing of ducts returns was code this would be a step in the right direction.

Attic duct return installation.

You want to run it so it covers up all the holes you cut in the panning. If the supply ducts are in the floor then the return air should be located up high. The return air vent openings need to be on the opposite side of the room so the conditioned air is pulled across the room. At least with the other one they had two inches of overlap.

This allows the air to get into the return air duct. The flex duct liner inside wasn t connected. Install the square return air duct perpendicular to the joists. My 1948 ranch house has supply ducts in the crawlspace return ducts in the attic.

Hard ducts without proper mooring will be unbalanced and unbalanced ductwork might be to blame for a number of hvac problems. The duct insulation should include a vapor barrier cover. So that duct was sucking in attic air and sending it to the house. Next areas to address are oversized supply box pentrations supply boxes that lift off the attic floor when supply grill is installed and return air leakage.

This is an especially relevant tip for flex ducts more on that in a minute but you need to make sure any ducts in your attic have proper support. Cut holes in the top of the return air duct to match the holes in the panning. When hvac ducts are installed in a vented attic in a dry climate bury the ducts in attic insulation to protect them from temperature extremes in the unconditioned attic space. I ve read a bunch of articles here and on bsc s site concerning ducts in the attic.

Here the two liners weren t even touching. The photo here shows one in a return duct. Install ductwork so that it is in direct contact with i e laying on the ceiling and or truss lower cords. The ducts are installed strategically in these locations to help battle this heat loss or heat gain.

Give your ducts the proper support. Improperly supported flex. This pulls the air across your body. And this is just one of the reasons that the return ducts need to be installed directly across from the supply vents.

As difficult to achieve as getting hvac companies to actually train their workers how to install ducts. When installed in this fashion it will allow the system to suck the air throughout the entire room. He d add open cell foam below the roof deck to give the assembly the required r value but the bids range from 40 000 to 60 000. The tape on the duct liner wasn t sealed.

Use metal flex or fiber board ducts that are insulated to code. It comes down to three options the first of which is to convert his attic into a conditioned space by installing 4 1 2 inches of polyiso insulation above the roof deck and then adding a new standing seam metal roof. Return ducts in my attic.