What to Know About Air Duct Models

Many houses and public buildings today make good use of climate control utilities, or HVAC. This is made possible through furnaces, blower fans, and most of all, the metal air ducts that channel cooled or warmed air throughout the building and through grates. But this hardware should not be taken for granted, since it may sometimes get clogged with dirt or break down. While repair crews can clean up and fix these components for a client, manufacturers are always looking for new ways to build more efficient and cost friendly air duct models. This includes the innovation of oval ducts, and oval duct products may be sold wholesale to construction companies and repair companies alike. Duct fittings for rectangular and spiral ducts alike may help finish the job, and many construction crews have already seen the benefits of oval ducts. What else is there to know about oval ducts, and air duct production and design in general?

All About Ducts

Around 90% of all newly built American houses have ducted heating and cooling systems in them, and there is more than one model to choose from. The construction of such ducts involves a lot of sheet metal, and manufacturers will use sheets whose thickness vary from 30 to 8 gauge, depending on need. Air flow through modern ducts can and is measured, and a recent invention called a flow plate may speed up that measurement task and is accurate to within 7% or so of the actual airflow rate. This is important in making these ducts efficient when in use, since modern electricity saving standards are on the line. Why? In a typical American house, nearly 50% of the electricity is used just for heating and cooling. If that system has poor air flow for some reason, then the system must work extra hard to meet its cooling or heating quotas, using up a lot of extra electricity all the while. Today in the 21st century, homeowners and business owners alike are looking for all kinds of ways to scale back their electricity usage, and having a house with good insulation and efficient air ducts is a good way to do just that.

Using Oval Ducts

Many air ducts today are the older rectangular shape, but these are facing stiff competition from oval ducts and spiral ducts, which offer some distinct advantages. For one thing, these rectangular air ducts are bulky, and they need extra space (typically three inches) when installed. This also factors in to the connections and reinforcements at each joint, and overall, rectangular ducts take up a lot more room in a building. Some structures, in fact, will not even have enough room for them at all.

By contrast, a manufacturer may build and offer spiral ducts and oval ducts to construction company clients, who may be happy to get this more advanced model. As a whole, oval ducts and spiral ducts are cheaper to produce, and they are also more cost friendly to transport and package. This cuts costs for the manufacturer and client alike. What is more, these spiral ducts are narrower but still allow for sufficient air flow, so they can be fitted into buildings where rectangular ducts would not fit at all. Less metal is used in the production of these ducts, which is why they are so cost efficient to make. Building them also conserves resources, and many manufacturers today are conscious about reducing the need for new materials to make finished goods. Steel, a widely used metal, is a part of this. Overall, with reduced need for raw materials, lower production and installation costs, and benefits for HVAC electricity rates, it is easy to see why oval and spiral ducts have become popular. Many construction crew managers may look online for wholesale suppliers, and acquire these ducts for a job well done.