The Different Kinds of Air Ducts and Insulation Solutions that are Used in HVAC Units

The HVAC or the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning units use the air ducts for distributing air. The air ducts solutions include the air processing units, air supply, air return, air diffusers and extraction columns among other solutions. The qualities of the air duct in the way displays the quality of the installation. Apart from providing for air flow, they also provide for other benefits including energy savings and acoustic or noise-related properties of a system.

There are broadly 4 kinds of ducting used today. These include the metal, glass wool, plastic and flexible ducts.

Metal Ducts

Stainless steel ducting manufacturers provide high quality metal ducts made of galvanized or stainless steel. Copper and aluminum are also used. They are then cut and shaped to suit the precise configurations of a building’s air distribution HVAC system. Metals are always good conductors of heat, and hence, these metal systems require a thermal insulation. Glass wool is a common material used for the purpose and is available in roll form (also called as wrapped insulation). The wool is wrapped in and around the outer duct. The wrap consists of an inbuilt aluminum foil face that resists the vapor flow. Sometimes the insulation material is also installed within the inner walls of a duct, and these are termed as duct line. They provide more strength to the inner duct side while also providing for acoustic insulation.

The metal sheets may be classified on the basis of different parameters. They can be classified according to the greatest pressure that they can sustain or withstand. They are classified according to the degree of air-tightness that they can provide.

Glass Wool Duct Boards

These ducts are made using the high-density glass wool board. The boards are cut and folded by the stainless steel ducting manufacturers and installers to fit the required configurations and geometry of the duct system created.

Plastic Ducts

These ducts are made from foam or plastic. The materials are cut and folded to create the required geometrical configurations. They often employ an external and internal aluminum coating.

Flexible Ducts

These duct systems consist of polyester and aluminum tubes that are concentric with each other. Thermal insulation is provided by inserting a glass-wool layer in-between the 2 tubes.

Air conditioning companies in UAE use the highly reliable steel and other systems on the basis of their suitability, and on the basis of the budget of the client.