Duct condensation: stop the sweats with these expert solutions

Breaking out in a cold sweat with industrial duct condensation problems?

Experts in the commercial and residential duct industry suggest a couple of recommendations to stop the sweats and to leave your air ducts feeling high and dry.

The Problem:

High humidity in your residential or commercial building has left your duct system holding more than its fair share of precipitation in the form of large amounts of atmospheric moisture. Generally, there is no one route that leads to the problem of duct condensation.

The Cause:

Condensation or “sweating” in and around ducts is a common occurrence in muggy or stuffy areas. 

The Location:

Condensation takes place when surfaces are colder than the wet or damp temperature of the ambient air surrounding the ducts. Condensation will be present on the outer vapour barriers of air ducts, as well as the inner core of flexible ducts, on fittings or within sheet metal systems.

The Solution:

Prevention of condensation is a quick fix by raising the temperature of the surface with condensation on it by placing insulation to that area.

Another possible solution is to increase the surrounding ventilation, which will drop the ambient temperature of the air around the ducts.

If opting to add insulation, take caution not to rip the vapour barriers of the ducts, or the insulation itself, when piping it through a truss or joist support.

If using insulated flex ducts, localized compression may occur. Typically, the compression that takes place is the reduction of the fiberglass material, which should have marginal effect on the total thermal deficit on the ducts.

The takeaway:

Be advised that in regions where the duct system has critical condensation zones, localized compression can trigger localized sweating.

Ensure that a qualified contractor or HVAC specialist be aware of these particular zones, which can impact the overall design and performance of the duct system.

Need more help? No sweat! We’re your one stop shop for all your industrial duct and HVAC needs

Since 1953, Thermaflex® (Division of Flexible Technologies Inc.), is a notable leader in the commercial and residential flexible duct industry. Offering superior quality product and service with a specialty in HVAC solutions, we are more than 600 employees strong working hard to service the market in professional ventilation equipment and supplies.

Contact us today for an initial consultation or quote or visit our virtual stockroom complete with informative PDF downloads of our products at www.thermaflex.net. 

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