How To Unglue Metal Hvac Floor Returns

Top framing to sheet metal return plenum at top of the return paint mastic to seal sheetrock to concrete floor of return air.

How to unglue metal hvac floor returns.

Cut two holes one in the stud cavity and the other one into the existing return image 2. It maintains the most efficient characteristics for airflow and is common throughout the country. Use plastic cable ties to secure the ducting. Panned joist return ducts are almost always terribly leaky.

Running a metal cold air return duct between studs requires knowledge of both hvac systems and the components involved in framing. In fact leaky ducts can result in the loss of 20 to 30 percent of the air that runs through your hvac system according to energy star. A hole in. Secure start collars image 3 into both holes.

By code building cavities used for air return can only convey air from one floor level back to the hvac blower 2006 and 2009 irc m1601 1 1 7. Duct leakage does not just lower the efficiency of your home s hvac system but it can also release dust and debris from areas surrounding your ducts into your air and increase monthly energy bills. First building codes in many areas require that the cold air return line gets external insulation and therefore you will need to leave a gap for the insulation around the duct return line. Install the square return air duct perpendicular to the joists.

Use non insulated flexible ducting to connect the two returns image 4. Nail a piece of sheet metal onto the back of a stud cavity. Occasionally i see panned returns where the hvac company actually tried to seal it up. Otherwise i d have had to cut sheetrock mastic seal it in the wall cavities around the r a filter grill.

Yet field measurements in typical homes indicate that second floor return air ducts relying on building cavities for air transport are often so leaky that they returned little air to the hvac blower. Those junctions between wood and metal are difficult to seal and the thermal expansion and contraction of the wood will often cause sealing materials to fail. You want to run it so it covers up all the holes you cut in the panning. In this tutorial i am happy to show you how to properly install flexible duct to a register can for all you heating air conditioning ventilation do it your.

Heating ventilation and air air conditioning hvac ducts are generally made of lightweight sheet metal whether they are the solid or flexible type. Luckily the cut through the wall for the return air filter grill was framed so it only required air sealing. Master flow metal pipe is available in a master flow metal pipe is available in a variety of common lengths diameters and gauges to help make your next hvac project a success. This allows the air to get into the return air duct.

Round pipe can be used as a main trunk line or branch line as well as in return air situations.