duct tape is drying out on ducting

[Phil Schuman]

I've noticed that over time (a year or so) our duct tape is drying out and falling away from the heating ducts that are located in the ceiling of our heated - but unfinished - basement. It is used to wrap the tubular joints of some of our basement ducting along with our clothes dryer vent ducting connection to the outside.

I can understand the heat from the duct is drying out the adhesive... Any suggestions on this ? I mean, isn't that what duck/duct tape is for; sealing a tubular duct joint.

[Al Moran]

Good hvac installers no longer use duct tape because of this very problem. You can by something called "duct mastic" from your local heating and air supplier. You may also be able to get it at home depot or lowes, not sure about that though. you paint it on with a brush at the seams and it dries rubbery hard. It will seal your ducts up tight.

[ameijers]

The cloth stuff, the silver stuff at least, does not hold up. You need a roll of the foil stuff.

aem sends....

[Dan_Musicant]

:I've noticed that over time (a year or so) :our duct tape is drying out :and falling away from the heating ducts :that are located in the ceiling of our heated - but unfinished - :basement. :It is used to wrap the tubular joints :of some of our basement ducting :along with our clothes dryer vent ducting connection to the outside. : :I can understand the heat from the duct is drying out the adhesive... :Any suggestions on this ? :I mean, isn't that what duck/duct tape is for; :sealing a tubular duct joint.

I don't know why, but the duct tape I put on the exhaust duct from my water heater has held up fine and it's been over 10 years since I applied it. It's just above the water heater, and it turned black with age, but has shown no signs of wanting to come off. I don't remember using an unusual sort of duct tape.

[ds549]

you can get the metal tape, that is aluminum, by the roll .that holds up well.

[briz]

I've noticed that over time (a year or so) :our duct tape is drying out :and falling away from the heating ducts :that are located in the ceiling of our heated - but unfinished - :basement. I've noticed that over time (a year or so) :our duct tape is drying out :and falling away from the heating ducts :that are located in the ceiling of our heated - but unfinished - :basement.

I would use a good quality cloth duct tape to re tape the joints or the more expencive Foil tape made by a company called Fasson.(silver with red letters) which ever way you go make sure to clean and and all dust and dirt off the pipe before you reseal it. Steve

[Joseph Meehan]

Standard duct tape should never be used for ducts or any permanent use. Ducts should use the foil tape made for that use and sold in the heating duct area not the tape area.

For any use over about 6 months the cloth duct tape should not be used.

[Al Bundy]

Building code has been metal tape around here for years.

[hwm54112]

Replace it with mastic. Even the best duct tape tends to fail these days, the adhesive dries out.

[HeatMan]

Why did you tape the vent on your water heater? Did you think the tape would prevent the carbon monoxide inside the pipe?

[v]

Not really, and you have (perhaps unwittingly) stumbled upon the key. You can search this on the net very easily (and sure, everything on the internet is true!).

Depending on who you believe: It was originally DUCK tape for the material "cotton duck" that military tents were made of. (Whether the cloth tape was actually used to patch the tents, or was originally just made from similar material, I don't recall.) Soldiers then found it was handy for a variety of purposes. Somehow this morphed into DUCT tape. But a lot of it that is sold, is not so great for actual ducts!

Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file.

[mm]

I believe that story. Originally there were Billy goats and Annie goats, but gradually an Annie goat became a nanny goat.

And my grandmother from the Pale always often offered me a napple. She doesn't seemed to have influenced the entire country however.

In these cases the consonant moved to the next word, but it can also retreat to the previous word.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let me know if you have posted also.

[Bob]

unfinished -

What is normally called "duct" tape is illegal for use on ducts many places. It just doesn't last.

Bob

[Dan_Musicant]

:> :I've noticed that over time (a year or so) :> :our duct tape is drying out :> :and falling away from the heating ducts :> :that are located in the ceiling of our heated - but unfinished - :> :basement. :> :It is used to wrap the tubular joints :> :of some of our basement ducting :> :along with our clothes dryer vent ducting connection to the outside. :> : :> :I can understand the heat from the duct is drying out the adhesive... :> :Any suggestions on this ? :> :I mean, isn't that what duck/duct tape is for; :> :sealing a tubular duct joint. :>

:>

:> I don't know why, but the duct tape I put on the exhaust duct from my :> water heater has held up fine and it's been over 10 years since I :> applied it. It's just above the water heater, and it turned black with :> age, but has shown no signs of wanting to come off. I don't remember :> using an unusual sort of duct tape. : :Why did you tape the vent on your water heater? Did you think the tape :would prevent the carbon monoxide inside the pipe?

Well, believe it or not I took an empty can such as you find in the supermarket filled with green beans and cut off the other end (both ends removed) and used that to go over the vent on top of the water heater, and attached it to the duct that leads to the wall. I don't remember why I had to do that. Maybe a section of the duct had broken or worn through. Anyway, the duct tape I used to join all this together has never given up the ghost. It's tight and hard at this point and it's charcoal black. :

[szekeres]

My asbestos wrapped pipes seem OK! No additional drying.IThe best duct tape I've used is either by Tesa or Nashua, green $12 a roll at Sportsmans Guide. It actually stretches somewhat, but is the best I've ever used. Most of the other sold at stores is not comparable at all.

greg

[Dugie]

adhesive...

Some instructions for products like a bathroom fan or a clothes dryer state:

Don't use duct tape to secure ducts, it may dry and no longer hold. Use metal clamps made for securing ducts.

Seems like the safest idea to me. :)

Dugie

[CBHVAC]

Actually, pros dont use "duct tape" any more...for anything other than maybe a quick securing of a ladder to a rack....

If its wrapped metal duct, depending on the wrap, a metal tape with an acrylic adhesive is used. If its flex, tapes not used at all..no tape...bands made just for that are used.

>

[cornytheclown]

Only reason duct tape doesnt hold anymore is because american companies are tightassed profit driven outfits who over the years have just made their products cheaper by cutting back on quality. I know whole subdivisions with duct joints sealed with gray cloth duct tape that are still stuck after 25 years.

Yes...nowadays its best to use mastic tape....dont use the thin foil....it lasts about as long as the cloth tape used today....

[CBHVAC]

Two kinds of foil...one is cheap shit...really, and I agree with you

100%..it uses a rubber adhesive that sucks ass after about a year. the other, is UL181-A and B rated..its about $40 a roll...now THAT works, but the code guys here finally got smart, and even with it, you need to use a mastic over it... The mastic tapes nice too...but its a pain in the ass if you EVER have to go back in...with the foil tape first, then mastic over the top of it, you can just peel it all off at a later date if you need to, and if any screws are covered, they come out clean and neat this way.

[Dave Balderstone]

Try