Best way to insulate heat duct

Hi, I have several heat ducts from my furnace in the basement which run parallel and in between the floor joists. The basement is unheated but maintains a temperature of about 55 degrees in the winter. Should I wrap the ducts with a reflective insulating material for that purpose or just nail in insulation between the joists like I was insulating an outer wall. Does it matter? Richard

Reply to
rgoldste
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Either would help but take special care. You probably have water pipes down there. If your area freezes hard, you can over-insulate and end up with busted pipe situations for the first time.

Reply to
cshenk

If you use the basement at all, adding insulation to the ducts is going to make it appreciably cooler/colder and you may regret adding the insulation. Eiither method you propose should work, but wrapping the ducts means going between the ducts and the floor above and that may be awkward if the duct is close to the floor.

Reply to
hrhofmann

Why would you insulate between the duct and the floor? Seems like it's good to have a warm floor.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I'd be tempted to nail or staple up some fiberglass, under the ducts. Like the man says, also keep an eye on the temp in the cellar, so you don't freeze the water pipes. I'll admit, I hadn't thought of that. The cellar may maintain 55F in the winter, even without the heat runs.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Since your ducts are up high in the ceiling joists, I doubt they provide any heat in the basement if left unwrapped. I would wrap them, especially if you also use your ducts for A/C so they don't condensate. If you want to provide heat in your basement, I would suggest cutting out an opening on the bottom of the duct and putting in a register and forcing the air downwards. Or you probably get better results if you had a portable electric heater or electric baseboard heat down low on the floor. Remember, heat rises.

Reply to
Mikepier

Your wasting your time...Any heat lost from the duct is just warming you floor....If you were going through an unheated crawl space or some such thing with the floor insulated it would make sense....

Reply to
benick

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