Duct Repair
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:05 pm
A couple of years ago several skunks made the underside of our house their home. They caused lots of damage and I'm currently working on rectifying that. Our AC ducting system is in poor shape. Multiple holes (skunk sized!). It is a square duct board system. I've temporarily covered the holes with a waterproof tape that I found at Home Depot and that, by itself, has managed to drop the ambient temperature in the home during 100 degree days to 82. It was at 86. I live in Texas.
What is the best way to properly repair the holes in the duct system? Could I go to Home Depot and buy the round metal ducts to replace the square duct board? I believe I saw several round to rectangle register adapters.
I'm just not sure what the best course of action is. If it's to repair the current duct system, how? If it's a new duct system, can I use metal?
The home is a double-wide, approximately 1450sq ft. It has an ancient Coleman split system unit. And that's the second part of my question: what would be the best thing to replace the AC with? A packaged unit? A heat pump? I don't know. Summers are brutal and winters are mild. My wife and I are very attracted to the idea of removing the noisy interior furnace to outside in a packaged unit and if we're re-doing the duct anyway....
Thoughts? Ideas? I think I've saved my marriage by at least getting the temp dropped to 82 with that tape - and that's with large sections of underbelly insulation missing.
What is the best way to properly repair the holes in the duct system? Could I go to Home Depot and buy the round metal ducts to replace the square duct board? I believe I saw several round to rectangle register adapters.
I'm just not sure what the best course of action is. If it's to repair the current duct system, how? If it's a new duct system, can I use metal?
The home is a double-wide, approximately 1450sq ft. It has an ancient Coleman split system unit. And that's the second part of my question: what would be the best thing to replace the AC with? A packaged unit? A heat pump? I don't know. Summers are brutal and winters are mild. My wife and I are very attracted to the idea of removing the noisy interior furnace to outside in a packaged unit and if we're re-doing the duct anyway....
Thoughts? Ideas? I think I've saved my marriage by at least getting the temp dropped to 82 with that tape - and that's with large sections of underbelly insulation missing.