Duct Insulation R Value Requirements
R value of r 6 is required for exterior ductwork or ducts installed in a ventilated attic or an unvented attic above a.
Duct insulation r value requirements. Add insulation to attic. For example if you have a type of insulation that has an r value of r 5 per inch of thickness you will need a depth of 6 inches of this insulation installed your attic to reach r 30 if you live in zones 2 or 3. The international codes i codes are the widely accepted comprehensive set of model codes used in the us and abroad to help ensure the engineering of safe sustainable affordable and resilient structures. If the lesser r value most likely the duct r value is chosen the envelope of the building must be shown to comply with a performance based option.
Or component performance alternative of section c402 1 5 roof solar reflectance and thermal emittance fenestration in building envelope. Allison bailes of decatur georgia is a speaker writer building science consultant and the author of the energy vanguard blog. And that means it s time to deal with duct insulation in a more meaningful way than just increasing the required r value to 8 for ducts in attics. Specific insulation requirements of section c402 2 thermal requirements of either.
These r values are a sum meaning this should be the total r value once you add up the entire depth of insulation. Ashrae 90 1and the ieccboth require r 6 insulation for ducts in unconditioned spaces and r 8 or r 12 depending on the climate zone for ducts installed outside the building. You can follow him on twitter at energyvanguard. Existing 3 4 inches of insulation.
Insulation r value must meet either the requirement for above grade walls or for exterior ducts. The following information applies to combined heating and cooling ducts in zone 4 areas. Ashrae 90 1 also has a requirement of r 1 9 for supply ducts installed in indirectly conditioned spaces which includes plenum spaces above ceilings. The international code council icc is a non profit organization dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design build and compliance process.
Insulation r value to match the supply duct.