Ducting Explored - Key considerations when insulating air ducts
Duct insulation helps in optimising energy efficiency and lowering the overall noise levels within a building. But why does this matter? If we spend as much as 90% of our time indoors, we would want a comfortable environment to live and work in, while not burning a hole in our pockets.
When choosing the right insulation material for your ducting systems, we recommend taking note of these three points:
(a) Condensation control
The right insulation material helps prevent condensation from occurring on the air duct. This reduces the opportunity for mould and fungi to grow, limiting the potential for air contaminants to pollute and circulate indoors.
(b) Drive energy-efficiency
When there is heat gain along the duct, cooling systems use more energy to cool the supply air. This affects the long-term performance of the system and drives up energy bills. The right insulation material, when correctly installed, will help to prevent heat gain efficiently.
(c) Acoustic benefits
Air ducts provide a pathway for sound to travel. Insulation that has good sound-absorbing properties can dampen the noise so occupants do not hear the whooshing airflow noise or the loud steps of someone walking along a corridor.
Talk to us when you are planning your next project. Our technical experts can help you make the right and informed decision quickly leaving you time for everything else.
Explore all our entries in our five-part series
How do we stay comfortable indoors? As a start, we can consider insulating our air ducts to keep us healthy while consuming less energy. Read on for the 3 key considerations when insulating air ducts.
Condensation can have an impact on the health and safety of a person spending long hours indoors. To understand why it should be an important consideration in insulating air ducts, read more about it here.
Did you know that air ducts are also insulated to drive energy efficiency? Part 3 will look at how a ventilation system becomes energy efficient when air ducts are insulated. Read more about it here.
Is it too noisy in your building? Consider insulating your air ducts to absorb these noises to stay comfortable indoors for longer periods. Read more about acoustic comfort here.
Have you thought about which material to use to insulate your air ducts? We made a quick overview of two commonly used materials to make it easier for you to make an informed decision.
