Your ductwork system carries conditioned air throughout your home to maintain your desired comfort level. Any areas where insulation is torn can affect the efficiency of your furnace system, making your furnace work harder. This equates to higher energy costs and lower efficiency. And during the warmer season, moisture condensation buildup can actually damage the duct system itself.
By taking a few minutes to look over your system, you can complete a simple do-it-yourself home improvement project. If you repair torn duct insulation now, you can save considerable money in the long-run.
What You Will Need:
- Utility knife
- HVAC foil insulation tape
- Mastic for ductwork
- Brush
- Fiberglass insulation (loose)
Repair Torn Ductwork Easily
Turn off your furnace before attempting a repair to limit air leakage and making your job more difficult. Then, probe the area where insulation is missing to ensure your duct is not punctured. If it is, pull back the surrounding insulation and perform a quick repair.
There’s no need to pull off the wrapping, simply spread the punctured area apart before cutting a piece of HVAC foil insulation tape to place over the damage. If the hole is larger, consider replacing the duct pipe.
Then, fill the hole with loose fiberglass insulation so it’s compacted with the same thickness and density as the surrounding wrap. Shift the outer duct insulation shield to cover the repair as much as possible, then cut a piece of foil insulation tape to seal in the repair. Once placed, use a paintbrush to layer a thin covering of mastic to help seal the repair. Finally, turn your furnace back on, and simply check your work.
For more expert advice on how to repair torn duct insulation in your Fresno home, please contact Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning. We’ve been serving our neighbors in the Fresno area with superior service for nearly 40 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Fresno, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).