Replacing Sensors on Your HVAC System

Three Things You Need to Know About Putting Ductwork in Attics

13 April 2017 by Olivia Morris

If you are thinking about putting in heating ducts, the attic may seem like the perfect place. There's space up there, and you can easily vent the ducts into the ceilings of the rooms below. However, before you make a final decision, there are several facts about ducts in the attic that you may want to consider.

1. The Ductwork May Need Extra Insulation

Although ducts carry hot air to different areas of your home, that doesn't mean that the hot air only comes out of the vents. In some cases, the heat will bleed out the sides of the ductwork. In an attic space, this lost heat is simply wasted. Beyond that, the heat that seeps out from the ducts can make the sides of the ducts warmer than the rest of the air in your attic. That, in turn, can lead to condensation.

Ultimately, all that moisture in your attic can lead to damage of your floor boards. To prevent this from happening, you may want to add extra insulation to the ducts in your area.

2. The Attic May Need Extra Insulation

In addition to insulating the ducts themslves, you may also want to add extra insulation to your attic. The attic, generally, is not considered part of the home's main envelope. As a result, this area generally has hotter or cooler temps than the rest of the house.

When you put all the extra heat associated with heating ducts into your attic, that can send unwanted heat to your roof. When it's snowy, the heat may cause the snow on the roof to melt quickly. The melting snow will rush toward the eaves, and there (because the eaves are generally not as warm as the rest of the roof because they are further away from the ductwork), the snow will refreeze. That process is called damming, and it can damage your roof or gutters. To prevent this from happening, you need to keep the heat inside your home vis a vis attic insulation.

3. Contractors May Need Extra Training

Finally it's also important to consider how easy it is going to be to keep the ductwork up. In most cases, attics are considered confined spaces, and in Australia, workers need special certifications to work in confined spaces. Ultimately, that may mean that you need to hire a specialist or look around for someone with that level of training.

To talk more about the benefits and drawbacks of putting heating ducts in your attic, contact a ducting installation expert. They can also help you come up with alternatives if you want to put the ducts somewhere else.

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