I cannot tell you how often, in the course of home inspections at King of the House, I find all of the various types of air-handling ducts that are loose. These might be the newer flex ducts from furnaces or exhaust fans, or it might even be metal ducting. When it is a dryer duct, that loose duct can lead to a big mess of lint in the crawl space or the attic. All of the humidity, being sent into the crawl space or the attic, is a bad thing too. And if it is a heat duct that is loose, you are not getting much heat from the disconnected duct. Sometimes the duct that is loose is metal, often a furnace duct or a dryer duct. Then there are the flex ducts that are so common today. Often, when a duct has come loose, it is because someone made the original connection, or made a repair, with duct tape. While called duct tape, it is one of the worst things to use to fasten ducts to one another. Home Energy magazine said: So what do you do? The answer is that it depends. Typically, on flex ducts, a cinch connector made of metal or nylon is used. A simple run from an exhaust fan, or a rigid metal heat duct, might utilize a single "short" sheet metal screw at each joint. Now, dryer ducts are tricky. You are not supposed to use screws, they catch lint. So many appliance professionals suggest, instead, using longer sections of metal ducting so the run has fewer joints. Then they suggest securing the joints with metal foil tape. In a related matter, those short sections of flex duct, often in place behind dryers, are NOT designed to pass through a floor or a wall. They are simply meant to be a short, inside the house, transition piece. Air-handling ducts, other than the already insulated flex ducts (center photo above), should be wrapped with insulation where they pass through attic or crawl space areas. This is another often neglected installation detail with air-handling ducts and you can read more about the issue here. Thanks for stopping by, Steven L. Smith
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Now that you mention it, I wonder how many of the homes here in the PNW have heated craw spaces?
So, it seems that duct tape is not good for ducts... I have seen some pretty cool prom dresses made from the stuff.
Isn't it funny how we see the same stuff over and over and over in home inspection results...
Agree with Dava. Duct tape has so many great uses - but ironically not for ducts!
I like to make sure that I have all my ducts in a row, I don't know about you...
And think about the utility bills they are paying to heat the attic.
In my book, "Did Monkeys Invent The Monkey Wrench," there is an excellent history of duct tape.
Probably the one thing that could be remedied in most homes.
Oh Mr Charles,
That quackers is so stupid. We was talkin' ducts, not ducts.
Nutsy
Dryer ducts again! You know I can't get under the house to check my ducts. grumble, grumble....
Great blog, Steven. I encounter that all the time. Do people run out of the insulated tape or do they not know the difference?? Have a great week.
Eldon