Flexible Vs Rigid Ductwork
There are many possible ventilation systems inwards a home, the nearly mutual of which are the HVAC arrangement, the bathroom exhaust fan, the dress dryer exhaust, as well as the kitchen range hood. As you lot tin can imagine, the dissimilar functions of these systems make their ducting requirements rather dissimilar too. Yet, all ducting tin live simplified into two categories: rigid as well as flexible.
Choosing the best type of ductwork for your ventilation organisation depends on unchanging factors, like the code requirements, too as subjective factors, similar your budget. Below you lot volition notice a comprehensive guide to what the building code says is required together with how to choose flexible or stiff ductwork when you are allowed the pick.
Rigid ducts must live used for dryers and range hoods. They are recommended for hot air ducts. Bathrooms tin can function flexible or stiff. Flexible ducts are improve for modest budgets, confined spaces, as well as DIY installations. Rigid ducts are improve for long distances, exposed areas, depression maintenance, as well as lifespan.
Choosing Based on What Is Code-Compliant
The International Residential Code (IRC) determines what is acceptable when installing dissimilar material inward your habitation. It is important to consult with the code, specifically Chapter xv in addition to Chapter sixteen to decide what ductwork is allowed because it may but make the option for yous.
These regulations past the IRC are meant to ensure prophylactic within the dwelling together with every bit such need to live followed.
Rigid Ducting for Dryers
According to Section M1502.iv.one of the IRC, when it comes to clothes dryers:
“Exhaust ducts shall accept a polish interior complete and shall be constructed of metal not less than 0.0157 inch (0.3950mm) inward thickness (No. 28 gauge).”
As flexible ducting is known for its piano accordion-way ridged inner and outer surface, it does non run across the requirements of being shine, and so flexible ducts cannot live used for venting dryers.
The reason why a smooth surface is mandatory is because of the fact that lint is moving through these ducts whenever the dryer is running. Lint is modest as well as can easily become caught and construct up on the ridges within the flexible ducts. There are several negative consequences of this, including:
- Lint is flammable, and then when it collects, it poses an in-duct burn hazard.
- The build-upwardly of lint clogs the ducts, reducing airflow too leading to overheating of the motorcar.
Yes, flexible ducts are nearly unremarkably made from metallic (aluminum foil), merely they seldom run across the thickness requirement. As said to a higher place, the metallic must be at to the lowest degree 0.0157″ thick. Most foil dryer ducts are much thinner than this, making them not-compliant.
The thickness of dryer ducts is important because they must live sturdy enough to hold their shape (whatsoever deformation can create pockets inwards which lint too H2O can collect) and they must live thick plenty to withstand the heat of the air passing through them.
Range Hoods Must Be Vented alongside Rigid Ductwork
The type of duct used alongside your reach hood tin straight influence its efficiency. Let’sec await at what the IRC says nearly ducting for these appliances:
- Open-summit broilers must accept an exhaust hood made of metal of at least 0.0157″ (Section M1503.ii.1).
- Domestic range hoods must have a smooth interior surface (Section M1503.iii).
- Allowable materials are galvanized steel, stainless steel, in addition to copper (Section M1503.four). As an exception, schedule twoscore PVC meeting certain requirements can live used if the cooker has a downdraft exhaust organisation.
As even PVC is stiff, solely rigid ducting can be used for domestic reach hoods.
Flexible ducts would non be rubber to role because the ridges trim down airflow efficiency together with supply places for kitchen grease to make upwards. Not exclusively this, merely it likewise makes them much more difficult to make clean. Grease make-upward is frequently the well-nigh common cause of kitchen fires. It too becomes unhygienic, providing breeding grounds for bacteria too fifty-fifty mold.
What About Bathroom Fans?
When it comes to bathroom fan ductwork, yous actually take a option. You can use either flexible or stiff ducting equally long every bit the ductwork is non besides long in addition to it leads exterior.
Proper ventilation inwards the bathroom is incredibly of import. Poor ventilation tin Pb to condensation, which can impact the structural integrity of your bath also as go a breeding ground for mold together with bacteria.
As long equally your duct is installed correctly as well as expels air outdoors, either type volition live effective.
Use Rigid Ductwork for Hot Air
Hot air is essential in HVAC systems, even the offset letter of the alphabet inward the cite stands for “heating”. The temperature of the hot air going through your duct will ultimately bear upon the type of duct you purpose because it has to be durable enough to withstand the temperature of the air flowing through it.
Stainless steel rigid ducts tin endure exposure to incredibly high temperatures, pregnant that they will last a whole lot longer than flexible ducts, which are oft prone to melting, not bad, too sagging.
If your heating ducts are compromised, hot air volition escape. Your system’sec efficiency will be compromised together with the errant hot air tin can drive issues like overheating a crawlspace in addition to leading to moisture construct-up inwards construction.
Your abode’second structural integrity may go compromised, you lot will contend to hold a comfortable temperature inwards the habitation, as well as your energy beak will rising.
For hot air, it is recommended to use a stiff duct to ensure the ultimate rubber of your home.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Duct Material
Besides what the regulations stipulate, in that location are a issue of other factors to consider when choosing your duct material. While the to a higher place information may make you lot think that in that location is no signal to flexible ducting, it does accept its pros too equally the cons.
The best fashion to determine is to have a await at these unlike factors as well as see which duct ticks the virtually boxes for your situation.
Your Ductwork Budget
After consulting your local building code, your budget may live the really adjacent affair y'all consider.
Flexible ductwork is cheaper to purchase every bit it is made of cheaper materials. It is as well easier as well as therefore cheaper to install as it is lightweight too doesn’t need equally much cutting and connecting as rigid ducting.
On average, the pricing from whatever shop is going to offset at around $one.five per human foot and fifty-fifty actually high-form flexible ducting shouldn’t toll y'all more than $v per human foot.
With installation, the cost rises, just as mentioned, flexible ducts are easier to install, so the project costs will be lower. The cost of the materials too installation volition probable be betwixt $x together with $25 per human foot.
It’second likewise quite slowly to origin—y'all can even purchase it from online stores, like Amazon.
AC Infinity Flexible 8-Inch Aluminum Ducting, Heavy-Duty Four-Layer Protection, 25-Feet Long for Heating Cooling Ventilation in addition to Exhaust
- Designed for ventilation applications including HVAC, dryer, grow rooms in addition to tents.
- Four layer pattern makes it more durable too resistant to leaks, tears, together with cuts.
- Steel-wire spiral construction is flexible and slow-to-install inward hard to attain places.
- Constructed of Aluminum and thermoplastic, subway system tin can be shortened for various applications.
Last update on 2023-04-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Rigid ductwork is more than costly to make, carry, together with install, hence making it more expensive than flexible ductwork overall.
Rigid metallic ductwork tin can price anywhere between $five together with $20 per pes depending on the type in addition to lineament of metal used. With installation costs, you could be looking at upwardly to $65 per foot!
Looking purely at the budget, flexible ducting is your best bet if coin is a constraining constituent. However, as you will encounter subsequently, this may entirely live a introduce saving every bit opposed to a long-term one.
Venting Distance
You are exclusively allowed to pose a sure length of ductwork before it becomes likewise long to let sufficient airflow together with effective ventilation.
The allowable length differs based on the size of the fan powering the airflow and diminishes alongside each bend or elbow. You tin come across the below tables, based on Table M1504.ii of the IRC for the allowable lengths.
Flexible Duct Length Sizing Table
Rigid Duct Length Sizing Table
Using polish wall/stiff ductwork allows for longer lengths to be used because there are no internal ridges that trim back airflow velocity as there are in flexible ductwork.
Size of the Spaces the Duct Runs Through
Flexible ducting is a improve alternative than rigid ducting inward small spaces that are hard to go inwards.
The flexibility allows for easier manipulation inwards hard-to-reach places like small crawl spaces as well as you tin can curve it instead of having to cut the duct as well as connect the two sides using an elbow every bit is necessary alongside stiff ducts. Such a task is hard when you cannot accomplish your hands around the duct too y'all are working on your breadbasket.
However, the flexible ducting should non live bent too many times equally each bend is considered to be an elbow and the airflow velocity as well as allowable length are reduced. Furthermore, piece the duct tin can live manipulated into a infinite, it should never live compressed.
Does It Run Through a Living Area?
If you lot take converted your attic or basement into a living expanse but left the ductwork exposed, so I recommend rigid ducting.
Rigid ducting looks neater as well as is typically amend at containing estrus than flexible ducts. It is as well easier to paint, which can live used to “cover” the ductwork.
You don’t want to be sitting inwards your attic studio being fried by the hot air pumping through the duct beside you lot. Insulation will aid amongst this immensely, simply starting alongside rigid ducting is amend.
Furthermore, if yous are living in a space, so y'all are more probable to bump or otherwise come up into contact amongst the duct. If yous accidentally shove a puddle cue into a rigid duct, it will likely smasher, perhaps dent, only rest intact. Doing the same to a flexible duct tin can Pb to punctures, tears, drive, or deformation.
Can Animals Access It Easily?
Animals are attracted to the areas in our homes that are warm, damp, and mostly undisturbed. These coincide with the places where ventilation ducting runs. Indeed, the ductwork can contribute to the rut as well as wet inward these areas (although, this typically indicates a problem or a call for for duct insulation).
If your ducting runs through a space that animals tin can access, so rigid ducting, preferably metallic, is a much amend choice. Animals similar rats, mice, raccoons, in addition to squirrels tin can chew through flexible ducting much more easily.
Holes in ventilation systems mean uncontrolled drive of hot together with wet- or grease-laden air, reduced energy efficiency, increased running costs, together with the inconvenience of having to repair the ducts.
DIY vs Professional Installation
Earlier, I mentioned how much installation costs for flexible together with rigid ducts. However, there is the pick of installing them yourself, which is gratuitous together with a rattling enticing choice for the DIY enthusiast or homeowner amongst a tight budget.
If you lot are installing your ain ducting, too you have the option of either flexible or stiff, I recommend opting for flexible. It is much easier to work with as well as is more forgiving.
However, brand certain that you lot are doing a proper job, otherwise, it is a fake economic system. According to Energy Star, you lot tin can lose twenty-thirty% of conditioned air from piteous connections and holes in the venting system. This means your electricity pecker is higher each month as well as more than frequent maintenance is required.
How Committed Are You to Maintenance?
Flexible ducts tin collect dust in addition to other particulate matter in the internal grooves. Water tin besides collect hither, creating reservoirs for mold in addition to bacteria to grow inward. Time as well as the weight of pooling water can create sags inwards the ductwork, which brand all the other problems worse.
Flexible ducting is also more than prone to vehement or being crushed.
As a event, y'all ask to constantly live monitoring your flexible ductwork, cleaning it out, and repairing any damage as it occurs. You may live able to do this yourself or you lot may have to pay person else to make it.
Ultimately, stiff ducts, with their smooth interior surface as well as overall greater durability, ask far less maintenance.
If y'all are soul who is going to install the ducts in addition to forget almost them for the side by side decade roughly, and so opt for rigid ducting.
How Long Will You Be Staying inwards the House?
If you lot are renovating a family to make it saleable, so purpose flexible ducting wherever possible. It is sufficient in addition to allowed, only it won’t toll you as much equally stiff ducting, as well as past the time it needs to live replaced, it won’t be on your to-do list.
Suppose, on the other hand, y'all are constructing your dream habitation, designed for generational role—an architectural heirloom equally it were. In this instance, definitely take rigid ducting. It lasts much longer than flexible ducting.
Additionally, because it is y'all are benefiting from the extended lifespan, yous tin split the initial buy and installation costs over as many years every bit the ducts last, making it actually price-effective.
Pros as well as Cons Summary
Flexible Ductwork
| PROS | CONS |
| Inexpensive | Not real durable |
| Easier in addition to quicker to install | Prone to mold increase |
| Easy to maneuver into tight spaces | Easily bendable, which can movement tears |
| Easy to access as well as transport | Prone to kinks too breakage, which impacts airflow |
| Pliable; can live used to vent places rigid ducts tin can’t | Requires regular maintenance |
| Lightweight | Repairs too replacements are required regularly |
| Many dissimilar materials are available | Creates resistance to airflow; tin get energy inefficient |
| Prone to making noise |
Rigid Ductwork
| PROS | CONS |
| Durable and long-lasting | More expensive |
| Little maintenance required | Installation is more expensive as well as time-consuming |
| Resistant to mold growth | Heavy and difficult to carry |
| Minimal airflow resistance; free energy saving | |
| Because free energy is saved, your free energy bill is less costly | |
| Longer lengths tin can live used | |
| Adheres to most IRC regulations | |
| Rustproof | |
| Quiet |
Sources
https://homeguide.com/costs/toll-to-supervene upon-ductwork
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