replacing flexible duct
Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 9:26 am
Hi-
I'm a newbie to this site and mobile homes, so thanks for your help. I went to a friend of my mom's trailer and noticed that her trailer was freezing. I asked her how long she had been without heat and she answered "months". Gulp. It's been down to 12 degrees on several nights where she lives. I asked her how much her heating bill was and she said $200 a month Gulpx2
I crawled under the trailer and sure enough, it was probably 80 degrees down there. I noticed that the flexible duct had fallen out of the intake collar from the trailer floor and the duct was ripped to shreds by stray animals. Upon closer inspection of the intake grille, I noticed what a horrible job the installer did. he attached the duct to the collar using metal wires tied to drywall screws which were screwed into the collar. I was horrified. Also, the flexible duct was super thin and uninsulated. I felt so sorry for her. She got ripped off bad.
I was looking for some basic advice as to the type of insulated duct I should buy, the type of collar attachments and what to do to prevent animals from attacking the line (she lives in the countryside, it will be a frequent problem). it is a 12-inch diameter vent line.
As a temporary fix, I reattached the existing line and patched it as best I could. I then used duct tape and zip ties to attach the line back. It looks horrible, but it is a 1000 times better than what she had before. Obviously though, I am looking to perform a more permanent fix. I am a handy guy and have worked on basic home repair, installed a plumbing line or two, but I'm not a big HVAC kind of person. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
I'm a newbie to this site and mobile homes, so thanks for your help. I went to a friend of my mom's trailer and noticed that her trailer was freezing. I asked her how long she had been without heat and she answered "months". Gulp. It's been down to 12 degrees on several nights where she lives. I asked her how much her heating bill was and she said $200 a month Gulpx2
I crawled under the trailer and sure enough, it was probably 80 degrees down there. I noticed that the flexible duct had fallen out of the intake collar from the trailer floor and the duct was ripped to shreds by stray animals. Upon closer inspection of the intake grille, I noticed what a horrible job the installer did. he attached the duct to the collar using metal wires tied to drywall screws which were screwed into the collar. I was horrified. Also, the flexible duct was super thin and uninsulated. I felt so sorry for her. She got ripped off bad.
I was looking for some basic advice as to the type of insulated duct I should buy, the type of collar attachments and what to do to prevent animals from attacking the line (she lives in the countryside, it will be a frequent problem). it is a 12-inch diameter vent line.
As a temporary fix, I reattached the existing line and patched it as best I could. I then used duct tape and zip ties to attach the line back. It looks horrible, but it is a 1000 times better than what she had before. Obviously though, I am looking to perform a more permanent fix. I am a handy guy and have worked on basic home repair, installed a plumbing line or two, but I'm not a big HVAC kind of person. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!