Has anyone used “Reflectix” to……
Has anyone ever used “Reflectix” to insulate heating duct work?
I have 4 inch round heating ducts and would like to try insulating one of them.
The duct in question is the furthest from the furnace, and appears to blow air approximatley some 20 to 30 degress less than the other vents.
The ducts are run under the floor, on the basement ceiling. The radiated heat from the ducts actually warms the basement.
I saw Reflectix in the Home Depot, it looks like two pices of Aluminum foil with bubble wrap in the middle. It is about 1/4 inch thick and claims an R-4 value(?)!
Does this stuff actually work?
It is a bit expensive the experiment with! It will cost about $75 to do only the one vent, when you add up the Reflectix, aluminum sealing tape taxes etc!
Thanks for any advise,
Chris
Replies
Chris,
I have sealed ductwork with "astrofoil" a similar product. It seems to work well.
Make sure the duct is sealed with foil tape before you wrap it. I also tried a variation using sillseal strips to create an airspace between the duct and the foil. This should allow the foil to reflect back more heat.
Good luck
No. I have never Used Reflectix to insulate ducts. I have used it to insulate electric water heaters. It works pretty well.
Reason I use it is that it is easy to work with, takes up little room and seems to work adequately. You can save a bit by using any good brand of foil tape instead of the overpriced stuff Reflectix sells.
Tip: When working with foil tape use a nylon applicator, a rectangle or half-round of stiff nylon sheet stock that runs about 1$, to get enough pressure to fully engage and activate the adhesive. Press hard enough to bend it during the smoothing to assure a good bond. The semi-sharp square edge also makes tearing a lot easier and neater. I had a duct man show me this trick. Once you get used to using it you will never go back. Makes the job go faster, neater and gives better quality.
Saves wear on fingernails and those tiny foil cuts that can be so very annoying. These small sheets of nylon make dandy applicators for body filler, epoxy, resins and drywall mud on small jobs. They clean up easy, bend and rinse usually, and conform to surfaces making a smooth job easier. Worse case your out a dollar.