If your attic had an infestation of rats or squirrels, your flexible ducts might be shredded or destroyed. Flexible ducts are made of thin material wrapped in fiberglass insulation, so a rat gnawing or clawing on them can do a lot of damage. When a duct is destroyed, it has to be replaced. Here's how flexible air duct replacement is done.
Assess The Damage And Obtain Supplies
The first step is for the contractor to examine each duct to find all the bad ones. Then, they'll measure the length of the ducts to see how many ducts they need to obtain. If some of the ducts haven't been bothered, they may not need to be replaced. It's important to use ducts of the same diameter so they function properly with your HVAC system.
The length of the ducts doesn't really matter since the ducts are easy to cut to any length needed. The ducts are supplied in a box so the contractor can pull out what they need, cut it off, and put the remainder back into the box. In addition to new ducts, the contractor will need other air duct replacement tools for cutting and suspending the ducts, such as duct webbing.
Remove The Bad Ducts One At A Time
The contractor might remove all the bad ducts at once, but it's easier to keep track of what goes where if they remove a bad duct and replace it before removing the next bad duct. Flexible ducts might be sealed to the main duct pipe with zip ties or tape. This holds the flexible duct tight against the main duct made of sheet metal.
The contractor attaches both ends of the duct and then moves on to remove the next bad pipe and follows the same procedure all over. Once the pipes are connected, the contractor may suspend them with duct webbing so they don't pull down on the connections and so the contractor doesn't have to stuff a duct against the rafter to support it. When the ducts are suspended with webbing, pressure is taken off of the ends and there is no worry about the middle of the duct being folded or restricted.
Check the Work
The final step in the air duct replacement is to turn on the AC and check for leaks from the old and new ducts. A contractor might use a smoke pen to make sure there are no air leaks in the system. If not, the contractor can clean up the boxes and old ducts to get your attic tidy after the job is done.
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