Runs with Bison
Member
If you think this is all bad, consider that about a month ago, I went along with a building inspector and we saw the following:
2. The return was 'chased', had a sheetmetal floor, but otherwise, had joists for 'sides' and plywood for a top. You're pulling in unfiltered air.
Pretty much the norm in the 90's... Sucks, but the HVAC work in most current U.S. homes is swiss cheese--leaky, very poorly constructed, equally poorly engineered, wasting a buttload of energy. If they actually sealed the edges and joints on the metal then they are light years ahead of 90's construction. I've gone through quite a bit of sealant trying to tighten my ductwork and have even replaced whole runs. I could swear it was assembled by blind men wearing mittens.
4. No adhesive used to affix insulation to hard ducting. Just tape. House was just 30 days built and duct insulation already falling off.
At least they tried to insulate it...that's an improvement over standard 90's installs. One of the problems at present is that the official approved duct tape has ineffective adhesive and releases shortly after it is applied. I've used it and it doesn't stick to anything very well...might as well tie knots with it instead. HVAC contractors I've talked to hate the stuff but are required to use it. Inspection dept. says to use a heat gun on it to get it to stick, I'll try that next time.