Can Spiral Ducting work for you?
With energy costs going through the roof and no relief in sight, HVAC system designers and specifiers are taking a much harder look at the many choices in ductwork available to them today. One question that is being asked more and more is whether to choose rectangular or spiral duct for an HVAC system. If the healthy state of the spiral duct manufacturing industry is any indication, the trend in the United States is moving towards spiral duct, as specifiers become more enlightened to the advantages of circular duct.
The design, installation, and performance benefits of spiral ductwork are many, with some appealing to HVAC contractors and others to HVAC system designers. Since energy efficiency is on everyone’s mind, that’s a good place to start.
www.coolpb.com
Advanced Cooling and Heating in Palm Beach – Spiral Ductwork Installation
The aesthetics provided by exposed spiral ductwork like this installation at an Advanced Cooling and Heating customer in Palm Beach Florida, gives its facilities a contemporary, clean look.
Spiral Ductwork;
AIRTIGHTNESS = ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Quality spiral ductwork, which includes round, oval, and flat oval configurations, exhibits a very high level of air tightness. Many leading manufacturers of sheet metal spiral duct can guarantee a line of spiral duct that meets or exceeds the highest air leakage standard, Class 3, recognized by the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA). Since some ductwork is manufactured with self-sealing double-gaskets, the connection is guaranteed to prevent duct leakage.
Ductwork air leaks can waste energy and cause IAQ problems, such as condensation. Loose-fitting joints or blow outs of improperly maintained seams can cause problems in supply ductwork, while air leakage can allow soil gases and molds in crawl spaces and below slabs to enter return ductwork. When leakage is virtually eliminated, the cost for filtering, heating, cooling, and distributing the air is kept to a minimum. In addition, studies have shown that round duct has a lower airflow resistance, which significantly contributes to the energy efficiency of the system.
One industry study demonstrated that a shift in the U.S. to more airtight systems would mean an annual energy savings of approximately 10 TWh (terawatt hours, each equivalent to one billion kilowatt hours), which is comparable to the annual energy product of three nuclear power plants.
Another benefit of spiral duct that contributes to the overall IAQ of buildings with spiral duct is the ease of ductwork cleaning, using industry-recognized duct cleaning equipment outlined in the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) Duct Cleaning Guide.
Aesthetics plays a very important role today as mechanical engineers, architects, and other decision makers are specifying ductwork. Innovative design elements often include exposed ductwork, to give a property a contemporary look. Spiral duct with gasketed joints requires no unsightly sealant at the connections, which enhances the clean look of the ductwork. Contributing to the attractive look of the duct is the fact that this type of duct requires fewer joints and flange connections, and requires less supports and hangers. In addition, the tight, gasketed seal allows the system to remain free of dirt streaking, common with manually sealed systems, ensuring that it will look good for many years. And those systems with RGS-3 registers do not require register taps, since they are mounted directly to the ductwork, again giving it a progressive, streamlined appearance.
So then…… can spiral Duct work for you?
