sealing ducts from the inside

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peace4q1
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 3:01 pm

Has anyone tried this? Is it worth it? (http://www.aeroseal.com/)

Also, adding additional insulation in the crawl space on top of the 1/2" rigid board I already have covering the (below the floor) fiber insulation, would I be wasting my time and money?
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Greg
Moderator
Posts: 5696
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

I don't know how much help sealing the ducts would be, I guess it would depend on cost.
I would insulate the skirting rather than the floor, it would be more effective. Mark (the site owner) has his insulated in South Dakota and claims it never gets below freezing under there.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
Mark440
Posts: 279
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:33 am
Location: Anna, Tx

A google search turned up a couple items. The one most interesting was from an ex-employee. He says folks were calling up a year later saying the aeroseal hadn't saved them a dime. Of course, he goes on to berate the local company in Phoenix.

Scroll clear to the bottom...
https://www.ripoffreport.com/r/sun-amer ... ona-581770

This sounds a lot like fix a flat for HVAC. I have found fix a flat works great to get you to a real repair facility - and that's about it. If the whole is a smidgen too big - the tire won't seal and it will leak that green stuff until you do get it repaired.

I've seen up close the shoddy build work of HVAC ducting in my home. I highly doubt a fog is going to fix it.
Opportunity has a shelf life.
Steve S.
Posts: 117
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:41 pm
Location: Maine

Probably not worth it for any energy cost savings.
I sealed all of my ductwork with tape and mastic several years ago and shoved some extra insulation at both ends of the ductwork...but seems it hasn't made much of a difference in my heating costs. Of course, here in the northeast the past two winters have been brutal and I'm not getting any younger, so I feel the cold more. But I suppose every little bit of duct, floor, and wall sealing effort helps. I'm not a big fan of insulating the skirting...I usually get enough snow in the winter months to pile up around the skirting to keep out the cold winds. I'd rather have the vented skirting for drying things out in the spring and summer months.
peace4q1
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 3:01 pm

Thank you all for your responses and also for saving me time and money =)
yakima4$
Posts: 83
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2015 11:02 pm

See if your local utility has a energy audit program. They may come out and test your duct for leakage for free.
terrifromohio
Posts: 76
Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2009 9:31 pm
Location: United States

I have small holes in between the floorboards and the ducts and inside the ducts themselves. I think mice are getting in the ductwork through them. I found mice poop in the ductwork.
I was thinking of using Gardner Bender Pug Duct Seal or Gray Duct Sealant, anyone ever used these to patch holes inside the ducts?
yakima4$
Posts: 83
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2015 11:02 pm

I have used the gray duct sealer and works great. Wear surgical gloves.
Regarding mice droppings. Check your flex duct if you have a cross over. Replace with metal and pull your old 12 flex over metal so that it is insulated to R-8 and has the vapor barrier.
Also make sure it is off the ground.
terrifromohio
Posts: 76
Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2009 9:31 pm
Location: United States

I do not have flex duct but metal duct work, nothing is on the ground but is up above the belly and sealed as best it can be. Did my best to seal under the trailer this past summer, but there were some big holes and some smaller ones. I could not even get to all of them because the wheels and the tongue are still under there. Did the best I could.
So I am at this point just going to have to try to hit it from the inside where I find it.
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Greg
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Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

If you can reach the smaller holes with one hand, you could try a can of spray foam and see it that works.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
terrifromohio
Posts: 76
Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2009 9:31 pm
Location: United States

Greg,

I went to lowes yesterday and got some Gardner Bender Duct Seal, it looks like C-4. He said I can use it to seal the small holes inside the ducts. It guess you can cut it or tear it off in little pieces. So its going to warm up this week and I am going to try that then.
yakima4$
Posts: 83
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2015 11:02 pm

The best duct sealer I have used is like a paste. Easy to force into holes/seams and duct does not need to be super clean to adhere.
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