If your in-slab duct is rusted or has gaps or holes leaking heated or cooled air, this is a serious duct problem that requires urgent attention. Beyond the regular HVAC service checks, you might need to tackle these issues with some troubleshooting tips. Here are some troubleshooting tips to help you tackle in-slab ducts or cooling ducts.
Troubleshooting Tips For In-Slab Ducts
- Check your ducts for signs of air leaks. First, look for joined sections and then look for clear holes.
- Duct mastic is the best material for sealing duct joints. It is a more durable option for a do-it-yourself installation. The only disadvantage is that it cannot bridge gaps that are more ¼ inch because such gaps need to be first bridged with a quality heat tape.
- If you want to use tape to seal your ducts, try to avoid rubber adhesive duct tape and cloth-backed because it quickly fails. Instead, use mastic, foil tape, butyl tape, or other heat-approved tapes.
- Remember that having in-slab ducts in the basement will make the basement colder. So you will need to insulate the ducts and the basement walls because drains and water pipes in unconditioned areas could freeze and explode if the heat ducts are insulated. You can prevent this using an electric heating tape to wrap the pipes.
- After converting your basement, you need to hire an expert to install supplies and return registers in the basement rooms.
- If you have a stove, fuel-burning furnace, other devices, or an attached garage, install a carbon monoxide monitor to notify you of dangerous carbon monoxide levels.
- Be sure to get professional help for in-slab ducts repair.
Difficulties With Repairing In-Slab Ducts
Because in-slab ductwork is under concrete, assessing problems without destroying the slab can be difficult. That means problems can be present for a while without detecting anything wrong. If the In-slab duct gets rusty and weakened, some homeowners can notice the problem if visible areas of the ductwork pass through the slab.
However, you can deal with this problem in two ways. Either you stop using the in-slab ducts and run a new system elsewhere or cut the slab into different sections and replace the damaged duct with a more rust-resistant option.
You can also use zinc oxide-filled coating to re-line the ducts. The substance fills holes and covers the rusted areas, but it’s still not a total duct system overhaul. The ideal approach is to thoroughly investigate and analyze the problem before proposing any solution and determine if a new duct system may be required. If you do need to lay and replace a concrete floor after performing in-slab duct repair, let the slab fix first before doing that. Concrete gets harder with each passing day.
Contact Prairie Heating Products For Slab Heating Ducts
Here at Prairie Heating Products, we manufacture quality slab duct products. We also have experts available who can provide advice. Give us a call today at 587-425-6426 to learn more about our duct products.
Slab Heating Ducts
