This by far is the best instructional video on air returns that I have watched. I have minimum experiences on home project and you make it so easy to understand. Thank you very much!!
I have 5 ton havc unit and I have a 20x25 return grill with filter, and I live in south Texas but, I spoke to a few technicians and they don't believe on that . They say that that's enough air but I been wanting to add another vent with a filter about the same size. Or add two smaller 14 x 16 .
@@2ndbestvideos sorry, I meant I can't imagine filming this while doing the work! I'll be putting in returns and buying everything that you got based on this video. Thanks so much man. I was always wondering how easy or hard it was. Now I know.
Great info! I currently have 2 returns in the hallways. I plan on adding returns in all the bedrooms. The issue is someone vapes exclusively in one bedroom with the door closed. Currently we do not smell the vape around the house air vents. If we add a return in that room will the return air make it better or worse around the house?
Hard to say, the filter may absorb some of the vapors (at least if it is one of the activated carbon types). The simple solution is to have the individual vape outside lol
I was just up in my attic messing with my venting today! I added two in line vent fans because my master bedroom gets too little AC supply on the third level. It was a big job and now I’m thinking I have to do a return register and each of my upstairs bedrooms also… UGG
Have a expert check out your duct work, due to home builders making homes too fast and inspectors just taking glances and making fast checks and signatures it could be that your house needs an additional damper or one of your existing dampers are not installed correctly or is not opening all the way
When youre closing a studio or a room and converting it a bedroom you need to add a return the only rooms that dont need a return are bathroom rooms and laundrys(unless your installing gas line) then it needs jumper from there to hall way
It's a good video,but to use aluminum tape only it will sweat, or condensate and might just come off,,,I recommend putting the long tie wraps then tape,,,and another te wrap on insulation, butbmice job tho!!
Just food for thought, next time, bring up a portable light so you're not making the video with just your headlight 😉. Very informational, great video!
Thanks! I have an portable shop light and I do use it for jobs that are near the attic trapdoor. Unfortunately, most of this job was on the far side of the house from the attic access point so it was more trouble than it's worth to drag extension cords all the way over there. Headlight only lighting definitely didn't help the video quality though...
Thanks for this great video. In my research I came across it. I am thinking of doing something like this in our master closet where I have a 30" networking rack. It was fine this summer but as I add to it I think it might get too hot. I was going to use an AC Infinity duct fan to draw the hot air out as it would get hotter in the closet then at the thermostat located in the loft (central to the bedrooms) The AC Infinity 10" duct fan has it's own thermostat and would kick on and draw the hot air out. Also being in the valley I worry about the heat in the attic. Thoughts on using something like this. I am thinking I would add it about 5-6 feet away from the ceiling boot to minimize noise.
I'm not sure I follow. You plan to use the fan to draw air out of the server closet and push it into the attic? That would probably work, the heat from your servers won't be anywhere near hot enough to damage your attic. (attics can easily exceed 150 F in Phoenix and if your server rack were that hot you would already have problems). If you are worried about it you can always add a roof penetration and a roof vent (I have a video on how to do that on my channel as well). I did a quick search on the AC infinity duct, it seems pretty pricy. For a closet, a smaller fan (think like a bathroom vent fan) would be more than adequate on flow (they are typically around $50 or they were last time I bought one). For the automation, if you have a smart thermostat or a smart home hub you could probably put a smart plug on the fan and have it turn on and off at whatever setpoint you think is appropriate.
@@2ndbestvideos Think of exactly what you did but adding the ACInfinity duct fan inline to operate on a thermostat so that when the temperature of the master closet got to 85 it would draw the hot air out back to the hot air return. I don't want to add just an exhaust fan as I don't want to add to the air exchanges of the whole house (negative pressure drawing in more outside air). I looked up the operating temp of the fan and it says 0 to 140 degrees so should be good.
@@JonesersRX7 I follow. Yes that would probably work but it may be overkill. If your AC runs at least once an hour (which it probably does if you live here in the valley) You may not even need the temperature controlled fan, the normal AC cycling may be more than enough. (That is to say with a return added to the closet)
@@2ndbestvideos With your video I'm pretty confident in my ability to complete the project and adding that fan after the fact would be easy. Thanks for a great video and some logical thinking!
@@JonesersRX7 personally I would take a different approach… super cool processors which will be more expensive up front but reduce my opex overall. Wishing you guys the best
Hard ducting is "smoother" internally and for a given static head will pass more flow. That is, a 6" hard duct will allow more flow than a 6" flexi duct of equivalent length. This can be overcome by using a larger size flexi duct. Hard ducting is more time consuming to install though and the installation has to added after the fact so larger flexi ducting may be more cost effective once labor is taken into account.
Ceiling returns seem good for summer cooling as Hot air rises and cold falls to the floor level. But what about a scenario where you want to move cold air out of the room. Would not a return installed near the floor be needed? And, in that case, would you run that ductwork perhaps in the closet behind you? or Run sheet metal ductwork from the ceiling down the outside of a wall to just above the floor, then do a custom wood frame out enclosure followed by drywalling to create a chimney type of floor level cold air return?
Some houses do have the return registers in the walls or baseboards. In those cases the ducting is usually run along the ceiling of a basement or crawl space. The basement approach wouldn't be too hard to retrofit but if you're trying to run ducting up inside walls that could be very difficult. The returns in the ceiling would still work in the winter they just wouldn't be quite as efficient You would have to pick which is best and most feasible for your house. For most people air conditioning is more expensive than heating so they most economical approach is to bias for optimal AC efficiency.
@@2ndbestvideos Unfortunate for my 21-yr old home, heating is the issue. Especially on the 1st/Ground floor as I do not have a basement which means my ground floor stays about 4-8 degrees cooler than 2nd Floor year round which means during cold winter days, when the upstairs temp is 70-74 Degrees, the ground floor temp is 62-64 Degrees. And, to add further insult to injury the HVAC contractor who originally designed and installed the system, committed negligent malpractice by failing to install adequate returns in all rooms that have a supply. Currently , there is one main air return on 1st floor in Family Room, closed off by French doors.. No return in 1st Floor bathroom #3 or 1st FL bedroom#4 or 1st Floor hallway. And the only return on the 2nd Floor is an above head height Wall return in living room and master bedroom, but zero returns in the: 2nd Floor Bedroom 2; Bedroom 3; Bathroom #2; hallway; nor 2nd FL kitchen dining room. 🤷♀️ Overall poor hot/cool air circulation. So I’m thinking about installing Ceiling returns in 2nd FL Bedrooms 2 & 3, 2nd FL Hallway; and Kitchen, and Ceiling and/or Floor level returns in 1st FL Bedroom#4, and 1st FL Hallway.
My house doesn't have any other return ducts to tie into. If yours does the resulting flow would be dependent on the distances, duct sizes, and fittings (elbows etc.) involved. So I couldn't answer that without details of your particular application (and some calculations besides)
It is okay, if your installing a return ina room is because im assuming you are closing it off , if its becoming a bedroom which im assuming the supply vent will be 6 inch duct then yeah its okay to add install a 6 inch return duct to the return at furnace but remember make sure your return and supply isnt too close the longer they are apart the better
@@2ndbestvideos hi, quick question, my furnace is in a condo attic, I identified a new spot to add an extra return on the drywall, and I think I can run a 6 inch hose to that location. However, the existing return duct is insulated flex (prob 10-15 inch diameter, and it only has a short section that connects to the furnace (hard duct). The hard furnace part will be difficult to access, is there any tip to attach a small flex to another larger flex, is that even doable? Thank you!
@@mikepan3449 I haven't tried to tie flex duct into flex duct before, I suspect it would not work out well as the spiral wire would have to be cut and there is little structural integrity without it. What you could probably do instead is cut your flex line and put in a short segment of rigid line at the splice. The new rigid line can then have a 6" hole cut in it to tie in your new return. When you put in the segment of rigid line you would remover the inner flex portion but retain the foil layer and insulation so that the new rigid segment can have the insulation pulled over it when you complete the install. Hopefully that makes some sense?
My problem is I want to add a vent to close in sunroom. My furnace is in the basement. I want to it off existing vent, I want to run up into the attic over to the sunroom. My problem is I need to put a flat Y branch from the existing vent. But I am having trouble buy one
Depending on the type of duct (rigid vs flexible) you have it may be difficult to find a wye fitting. You will generally do better searching online than in store as many hardware stores have more variety on their webstores. It is also possible (and possibly more common) to splice into a larger existing line than it is to cut a line completely and add a wye or tee (there are more fittings available for this).
@@michellemajako The cold line from the A/C will have a bunch of branches coming off it and going to the registers in various rooms. These are usually buried under insulation so you may have to dig around a bit. Once you identify this line you know the other is the return.
@@2ndbestvideos My unit sits in a closet on a 2-foot high pedestal and the intakes are on two corners of the hallway walls underneath the unit. My supply ducts come off the top of the unit directly into the attic space.
@@stevenvarani1823 That's a tough one, it sounds like you're AC is a retrofit not original to the house. In theory you could run the new returns up to the attic as well but this would definitely be a pain and not very efficient. Does your house have a basement? If so you could consider routing them under the floor to the relevant rooms...
@@2ndbestvideos I'm on a slab foundation. I think my only option would be to relocate the unit up into the attic. That'll be well beyond my skill set. Thanks for getting back to me. I enjoyed your video.
Well I am not a licensed HVAC contractor so you would probably be better off getting a quote from a local company for this if you aren't going the DIY route. I did include a material cost tally (In part one of this video series if memory serves) and it took ~16 man hours for me to do so you can use that as reference to make sure the quotes you are getting are reasonable.
i've heard that keeping ducts close to the floor of an attic can lead to rodents getting inside the ductwork. have you had any issues?? thanks for the video!! about to tackle this job in a few days.
Haven't had any issues, the original hvac supply lines in the house are only about 2" off the ceiling drywall. It's definitely better from the insulation perspective to have the ductwork as low as possible (and covered with insulation)
Flex Duct?? 🤦♀️ Why do you need or use insulated flex duct for an Air return? Why do you need to insulate “cold air”? I get that in the Winter, the return will be pulling hot/warm air that has risen to the ceiling but in the summer isn’t that insulated warmed air going to make the AC work harder to cool the insulated warmed air to pass back into the system? This is the second video I’ve watched where HVAC techs are installing Return Air ducts/vents using insulated tubing. I don’t understand the need to have the Return air insulated. 🤷♀️
In Arizona (where I live) we use very little (If any) heating in winter. Last year I didn't run my heater in the winter at all. In the summer, the hot attic (which can get well over 120F) can transfer a significant amount of heat to the air in your return ducts (which is ~77F or whatever you set the thermostat at). The heat transferred to the return duct from the attic has to be removed by the AC unit so this transfer should be reduced as much as possible (hence the use of duct with thick insulation).
If you live in a cold climate the opposite would occur in winter when running the heater. With the relatively cold attic pulling heat out of your return duct and making your heater work harder to reheat the air in your house.
@@2ndbestvideos Thanks for the reply. Perhaps your explanation should have been stated in your video to provide context. I live in New Jersey where we have 4 Separate temperature seasons. While watching your video I found myself trying to apply your use of the insulated return air tubing to my configuration. I have a split level home with no basement. My ground floor sits on a slab of cement. My heating furnace unit is located on the ground floor. My second-floor house is three bedrooms, living room, kitchen and two dining areas. Two of my second-floor bedrooms do not contain. Air return vents. The air returns on my second floor are located in my master bedroom and my living room which is sourced from the ground floor system. I am thinking about adding to return it to the ceilings of the two bedrooms but I cannot grasp the concept of wrapping the tubing or sheet-metal with insulation that’s mainly I will be room Cold air (winter time) and hot air (summer time) from each second bedroom and could care less about preserving the temperature of the removed air from these two rooms. Tell my why it would be beneficial or more energy efficient to insulate the ductwork carrying the removed air from these two 2nd Floor bedrooms which do not presently have air return vents/jumper ductwork installed since the time house was poorly newly constructed back in year-1999. 🤷🏽♂️
@@carmelom269 It is as I said before the removed/returned air is blown through your heater (in the winter) or AC (in the summer) before being heated/cooled and then returned to the living areas through the registers. If the returned air is getting additional heating/cooling from the outside environment/attic/craw spaces the heater or AC will have to work harder to add or remove more heat from that returned air. This will make your HVAC less efficient and will result in higher electricity bills and/or fuel consumption (for heaters).
No I am not a HVAC installer just a DIYer. I presume you mean that mastic should be used on the duct seams? Is foil tape not sufficient for sealing? My original ducts were only sealed with duct tape and the foil tape is a major step up from that in sealing performance.
It would need to go into the main return duct. If you simple vented the bedrooms to the outside you would be wasting energy by having (relatively) cool air escape to the outside.
This by far is the best instructional video on air returns that I have watched. I have minimum experiences on home project and you make it so easy to understand. Thank you very much!!
Thanks!
I have 5 ton havc unit and I have a 20x25 return grill with filter, and I live in south Texas but, I spoke to a few technicians and they don't believe on that . They say that that's enough air but I been wanting to add another vent with a filter about the same size. Or add two smaller 14 x 16 .
well the one in this video is 2.5 ton (30,000 BTU) and it has a 20"x25" return so I agree, a 5 ton should probably have a larger return.
Thanks for taking the time to make this video!!!! I can't imagine doing this, but both part 1 and part 2 were very informative!
Yes it definitely was a project
@@2ndbestvideos sorry, I meant I can't imagine filming this while doing the work! I'll be putting in returns and buying everything that you got based on this video. Thanks so much man. I was always wondering how easy or hard it was. Now I know.
Great video sir! Thank you
no problem!
By far the best video I've seen
Thanks!
Great info! I currently have 2 returns in the hallways. I plan on adding returns in all the bedrooms.
The issue is someone vapes exclusively in one bedroom with the door closed.
Currently we do not smell the vape around the house air vents.
If we add a return in that room will the return air make it better or worse around the house?
Hard to say, the filter may absorb some of the vapors (at least if it is one of the activated carbon types). The simple solution is to have the individual vape outside lol
I was just up in my attic messing with my venting today! I added two in line vent fans because my master bedroom gets too little AC supply on the third level.
It was a big job and now I’m thinking I have to do a return register and each of my upstairs bedrooms also… UGG
I enjoyed your instruction and the Fast forward music!
Have a expert check out your duct work, due to home builders making homes too fast and inspectors just taking glances and making fast checks and signatures it could be that your house needs an additional damper or one of your existing dampers are not installed correctly or is not opening all the way
Do you make square to rounds too?
The connector to the rectangular duct? No I bought those.
Thank you so much for these videos and explanations.
No Problem!
When youre closing a studio or a room and converting it a bedroom you need to add a return the only rooms that dont need a return are bathroom rooms and laundrys(unless your installing gas line) then it needs jumper from there to hall way
It's a good video,but to use aluminum tape only it will sweat, or condensate and might just come off,,,I recommend putting the long tie wraps then tape,,,and another te wrap on insulation, butbmice job tho!!
noted, condensation probably won't be an issue in dry Arizona but I'll keep that in mind for future jobs.
Just food for thought, next time, bring up a portable light so you're not making the video with just your headlight 😉. Very informational, great video!
Thanks! I have an portable shop light and I do use it for jobs that are near the attic trapdoor. Unfortunately, most of this job was on the far side of the house from the attic access point so it was more trouble than it's worth to drag extension cords all the way over there. Headlight only lighting definitely didn't help the video quality though...
Thanks for this great video. In my research I came across it. I am thinking of doing something like this in our master closet where I have a 30" networking rack. It was fine this summer but as I add to it I think it might get too hot. I was going to use an AC Infinity duct fan to draw the hot air out as it would get hotter in the closet then at the thermostat located in the loft (central to the bedrooms) The AC Infinity 10" duct fan has it's own thermostat and would kick on and draw the hot air out. Also being in the valley I worry about the heat in the attic. Thoughts on using something like this. I am thinking I would add it about 5-6 feet away from the ceiling boot to minimize noise.
I'm not sure I follow. You plan to use the fan to draw air out of the server closet and push it into the attic? That would probably work, the heat from your servers won't be anywhere near hot enough to damage your attic. (attics can easily exceed 150 F in Phoenix and if your server rack were that hot you would already have problems). If you are worried about it you can always add a roof penetration and a roof vent (I have a video on how to do that on my channel as well). I did a quick search on the AC infinity duct, it seems pretty pricy. For a closet, a smaller fan (think like a bathroom vent fan) would be more than adequate on flow (they are typically around $50 or they were last time I bought one). For the automation, if you have a smart thermostat or a smart home hub you could probably put a smart plug on the fan and have it turn on and off at whatever setpoint you think is appropriate.
@@2ndbestvideos Think of exactly what you did but adding the ACInfinity duct fan inline to operate on a thermostat so that when the temperature of the master closet got to 85 it would draw the hot air out back to the hot air return. I don't want to add just an exhaust fan as I don't want to add to the air exchanges of the whole house (negative pressure drawing in more outside air). I looked up the operating temp of the fan and it says 0 to 140 degrees so should be good.
@@JonesersRX7 I follow. Yes that would probably work but it may be overkill. If your AC runs at least once an hour (which it probably does if you live here in the valley) You may not even need the temperature controlled fan, the normal AC cycling may be more than enough. (That is to say with a return added to the closet)
@@2ndbestvideos With your video I'm pretty confident in my ability to complete the project and adding that fan after the fact would be easy. Thanks for a great video and some logical thinking!
@@JonesersRX7 personally I would take a different approach… super cool processors which will be more expensive up front but reduce my opex overall. Wishing you guys the best
Nice video. Good job.
Thanks!
Greetings, thank you for this video! Are there benefits when using hard duct piping vs. flexiduct type piping? thank you!
Hard ducting is "smoother" internally and for a given static head will pass more flow. That is, a 6" hard duct will allow more flow than a 6" flexi duct of equivalent length. This can be overcome by using a larger size flexi duct. Hard ducting is more time consuming to install though and the installation has to added after the fact so larger flexi ducting may be more cost effective once labor is taken into account.
@@2ndbestvideos Great information, you've cofirmed the theories in my head. Take care!
Ceiling returns seem good for summer cooling as Hot air rises and cold falls to the floor level. But what about a scenario where you want to move cold air out of the room. Would not a return installed near the floor be needed? And, in that case, would you run that ductwork perhaps in the closet behind you? or Run sheet metal ductwork from the ceiling down the outside of a wall to just above the floor, then do a custom wood frame out enclosure followed by drywalling to create a chimney type of floor level cold air return?
Some houses do have the return registers in the walls or baseboards. In those cases the ducting is usually run along the ceiling of a basement or crawl space. The basement approach wouldn't be too hard to retrofit but if you're trying to run ducting up inside walls that could be very difficult. The returns in the ceiling would still work in the winter they just wouldn't be quite as efficient You would have to pick which is best and most feasible for your house. For most people air conditioning is more expensive than heating so they most economical approach is to bias for optimal AC efficiency.
@@2ndbestvideos Unfortunate for my 21-yr old home, heating is the issue. Especially on the 1st/Ground floor as I do not have a basement which means my ground floor stays about 4-8 degrees cooler than 2nd Floor year round which means during cold winter days, when the upstairs temp is 70-74 Degrees, the ground floor temp is 62-64 Degrees. And, to add further insult to injury the HVAC contractor who originally designed and installed the system, committed negligent malpractice by failing to install adequate returns in all rooms that have a supply. Currently , there is one main air return on 1st floor in Family Room, closed off by French doors.. No return in 1st Floor bathroom #3 or 1st FL bedroom#4 or 1st Floor hallway. And the only return on the 2nd Floor is an above head height Wall return in living room and master bedroom, but zero returns in the: 2nd Floor Bedroom 2; Bedroom 3; Bathroom #2; hallway; nor 2nd FL kitchen dining room. 🤷♀️
Overall poor hot/cool air circulation. So I’m thinking about installing Ceiling returns in 2nd FL Bedrooms 2 & 3, 2nd FL Hallway; and Kitchen, and Ceiling and/or Floor level returns in 1st FL Bedroom#4, and 1st FL Hallway.
Great video, appreciate it.
Thanks!
Did you buy the parts online? I can’t seem to find a website for Speedi boot?
All the parts were ordered from Home Depot's website
Is it better to tap into the main furnace return instead of the duct itself? Will you get the same airflow from the duct?
In this video that is exactly what I did. I tied into the main air return just downstream of the air filters.
My house doesn't have any other return ducts to tie into. If yours does the resulting flow would be dependent on the distances, duct sizes, and fittings (elbows etc.) involved. So I couldn't answer that without details of your particular application (and some calculations besides)
It is okay, if your installing a return ina room is because im assuming you are closing it off , if its becoming a bedroom which im assuming the supply vent will be 6 inch duct then yeah its okay to add install a 6 inch return duct to the return at furnace but remember make sure your return and supply isnt too close the longer they are apart the better
Hi, great video and super informative.
Thanks!
@@2ndbestvideos hi, quick question, my furnace is in a condo attic, I identified a new spot to add an extra return on the drywall, and I think I can run a 6 inch hose to that location. However, the existing return duct is insulated flex (prob 10-15 inch diameter, and it only has a short section that connects to the furnace (hard duct). The hard furnace part will be difficult to access, is there any tip to attach a small flex to another larger flex, is that even doable? Thank you!
@@mikepan3449 I haven't tried to tie flex duct into flex duct before, I suspect it would not work out well as the spiral wire would have to be cut and there is little structural integrity without it. What you could probably do instead is cut your flex line and put in a short segment of rigid line at the splice. The new rigid line can then have a 6" hole cut in it to tie in your new return. When you put in the segment of rigid line you would remover the inner flex portion but retain the foil layer and insulation so that the new rigid segment can have the insulation pulled over it when you complete the install. Hopefully that makes some sense?
@@2ndbestvideos got it, thanks again for the helpful advise!
@@mikepan3449 No problem!
Do you have a list of supplies you used? Links?
Yes, see part 1 of this video series; th-cam.com/video/UdEcZSYdhWI/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=2ndbestvideos
How has the air circulation been since install? Seeing major improvements or would you do anything differently? Overall great video thank you
It is working well. The bedrooms are much more comfortable at a higher thermostat set point. I wouldn't do anything differently.
My problem is I want to add a vent to close in sunroom. My furnace is in the basement. I want to it off existing vent, I want to run up into the attic over to the sunroom. My problem is I need to put a flat Y branch from the existing vent. But I am having trouble buy one
Depending on the type of duct (rigid vs flexible) you have it may be difficult to find a wye fitting. You will generally do better searching online than in store as many hardware stores have more variety on their webstores. It is also possible (and possibly more common) to splice into a larger existing line than it is to cut a line completely and add a wye or tee (there are more fittings available for this).
@@2ndbestvideos the problem is my basement is a finished basement. I have trouble existing the main ductwork.
Yes in a finished basement the ducts are likely above the ceiling tiles/drywall which makes access a challenge
How do you know which one is the main air return?
The air return vent is typically where the system's air filters are installed. In this particular house there originally was only one return.
@@2ndbestvideos I know that, but when you’re in the attic, how can you tell? Thanks for answering!
@@michellemajako The cold line from the A/C will have a bunch of branches coming off it and going to the registers in various rooms. These are usually buried under insulation so you may have to dig around a bit. Once you identify this line you know the other is the return.
The air handling unit is on the main floor so I don't have access to my air return. What are my options?
I don't follow. Are your AC returns under the floor?
@@2ndbestvideos My unit sits in a closet on a 2-foot high pedestal and the intakes are on two corners of the hallway walls underneath the unit. My supply ducts come off the top of the unit directly into the attic space.
@@stevenvarani1823 That's a tough one, it sounds like you're AC is a retrofit not original to the house. In theory you could run the new returns up to the attic as well but this would definitely be a pain and not very efficient. Does your house have a basement? If so you could consider routing them under the floor to the relevant rooms...
@@2ndbestvideos I'm on a slab foundation. I think my only option would be to relocate the unit up into the attic. That'll be well beyond my skill set. Thanks for getting back to me. I enjoyed your video.
Just tap into the nearest return box
How much would u charge to do this in 3 room
Well I am not a licensed HVAC contractor so you would probably be better off getting a quote from a local company for this if you aren't going the DIY route. I did include a material cost tally (In part one of this video series if memory serves) and it took ~16 man hours for me to do so you can use that as reference to make sure the quotes you are getting are reasonable.
i've heard that keeping ducts close to the floor of an attic can lead to rodents getting inside the ductwork. have you had any issues?? thanks for the video!! about to tackle this job in a few days.
Haven't had any issues, the original hvac supply lines in the house are only about 2" off the ceiling drywall. It's definitely better from the insulation perspective to have the ductwork as low as possible (and covered with insulation)
👍👍👍
It’s not the direction of cut it can do it’s the side the trash cut or the curl is on
Where did you obtain that "Speedi Boot?" a link would be helpful. Thanks.
Home Depot, but off their website it's not necessarily a stocked store item
Flex Duct?? 🤦♀️ Why do you need or use insulated flex duct for an Air return? Why do you need to insulate “cold air”? I get that in the Winter, the return will be pulling hot/warm air that has risen to the ceiling but in the summer isn’t that insulated warmed air going to make the AC work harder to cool the insulated warmed air to pass back into the system? This is the second video I’ve watched where HVAC techs are installing Return Air ducts/vents using insulated tubing. I don’t understand the need to have the Return air insulated. 🤷♀️
In Arizona (where I live) we use very little (If any) heating in winter. Last year I didn't run my heater in the winter at all. In the summer, the hot attic (which can get well over 120F) can transfer a significant amount of heat to the air in your return ducts (which is ~77F or whatever you set the thermostat at). The heat transferred to the return duct from the attic has to be removed by the AC unit so this transfer should be reduced as much as possible (hence the use of duct with thick insulation).
If you live in a cold climate the opposite would occur in winter when running the heater. With the relatively cold attic pulling heat out of your return duct and making your heater work harder to reheat the air in your house.
@@2ndbestvideos Thanks for the reply. Perhaps your explanation should have been stated in your video to provide context. I live in New Jersey where we have 4 Separate temperature seasons. While watching your video I found myself trying to apply your use of the insulated return air tubing to my configuration. I have a split level home with no basement. My ground floor sits on a slab of cement. My heating furnace unit is located on the ground floor. My second-floor house is three bedrooms, living room, kitchen and two dining areas. Two of my second-floor bedrooms do not contain. Air return vents. The air returns on my second floor are located in my master bedroom and my living room which is sourced from the ground floor system. I am thinking about adding to return it to the ceilings of the two bedrooms but I cannot grasp the concept of wrapping the tubing or sheet-metal with insulation that’s mainly I will be room Cold air (winter time) and hot air (summer time) from each second bedroom and could care less about preserving the temperature of the removed air from these two rooms.
Tell my why it would be beneficial or more energy efficient to insulate the ductwork carrying the removed air from these two 2nd Floor bedrooms which do not presently have air return vents/jumper ductwork installed since the time house was poorly newly constructed back in year-1999. 🤷🏽♂️
@@carmelom269 It is as I said before the removed/returned air is blown through your heater (in the winter) or AC (in the summer) before being heated/cooled and then returned to the living areas through the registers. If the returned air is getting additional heating/cooling from the outside environment/attic/craw spaces the heater or AC will have to work harder to add or remove more heat from that returned air. This will make your HVAC less efficient and will result in higher electricity bills and/or fuel consumption (for heaters).
@@2ndbestvideos ok. In this context as you worded it, I now have a clearer understanding. Thank you.
To close to supply register
It is as far from the register as space in the room and in the attic would allow lol
😢😢😢
???
No mastic? Are you really HVAC installer?... guys, dont trust the " professional" like this one...
No I am not a HVAC installer just a DIYer. I presume you mean that mastic should be used on the duct seams? Is foil tape not sufficient for sealing? My original ducts were only sealed with duct tape and the foil tape is a major step up from that in sealing performance.
There is a whole lot of get to the damn point going on here
Do you have to tap into main return duct or can you take a line directly to and attic vent that exits the house?
It would need to go into the main return duct. If you simple vented the bedrooms to the outside you would be wasting energy by having (relatively) cool air escape to the outside.