How To Install Ductwork In A Basement | DIY Finished Basement Renovation
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- This is a video on how to install ductwork in a basement. We are finishing our basement right now and this is how I installed ductwork into our basement ceiling to heat and cool our additional space. I hope this video gives you the courage to tackle your our HVAC project, and at the very least - I hope you learn something from this video! Thanks for watching! Enjoy!
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Not only that you are a professional in your trade, But showing and explaining all details as you going a long. you are helping lots of people on they own projects is a big thing from a honest young hard working man like you. may God bless you and your family.
Just finished the ductwork for my basement - you video has been the most helpful out of any out there. Can’t thank you enough - you saved me ~$2,000 based on the quotes I got to hire someone to do it!
Thanks for showing this! We're about to start finishing our basement and plan to do most of it ourselves to save $$. This is going to be super helpful.
No problem, glad to hear it was helpful! Good luck with the basement!
Same thank you
Steve - A common mistake people make when adding duct work to a basement is not having cold air returns.
Make sure the intake of the cold air return is near the basement floor .
Check building codes about cold air return . Do not install cold air returns near a hot water tank because it creates negative air pressure . I installed a cold air return as far away from the furnace and hot water tank as possible . Good cold air return makes a world of difference .
.
Best video I’ve seen on this topic. Thank you so much! Love how you think!
I'm glad to hear it was helpful! 😃
Tip for drawing a line around the round duct before cutting. Use a plastic strap, metal strap, string or anything that you can wrap around the duct, then draw with your marker instead of "playing connect the dots". :)
Great tip! thank you 😃
💥 Thanks for the nice video. I’ve been told that you can’t just cut into the supply trunk wherever because it reduces the flow to the main level. It’s that “path of least resistance” going on.
Also tape the seam where the duct clips on to. And insulate it before hanging
Im in the process of running my ducts in the basement. Im glad i came across this video. Great job!!
Your about to save me 4k haha thanks for sharing!! Great basement videos been watching a few of your vids throughout the weeks!!
Awesome, that's what I like to hear!
thank you - much appreciated! 😃
Very good job I did learn lots and GOD bless you
Thank you! Glad to hear that and God bless you as well!
Thank you for clear explanations. This demystified some of the work I'm about to do. Using the wall cavity as a return is a great idea that i'm going to use. Thanks.
You are very welcome! Good luck with the project!
I just learned so much!! Definitely going to binge ur channel and subscribe
That's awesome to hear, Stacie! Thank you so much!!
Yeah! Thank you, it's almost a ducting bible! It will be useful to me, since I have to duct my entire house. I caught some great tips and answers to my questions that will certainly help.
How is it going
Fantastic video! I'm just getting ready to start the HVAC part of my basement finish and this video was super helpful.
I’m glad it was helpful - thanks for the kind comment! And good luck on the basement project!
I have been looking for something like this forever. Thank you!
Putting the metal duct together and showing how to do that was import --- screws and tape to hold & seal it !
Glad to hear it was helpful!
Wow, this was a great video on basement HVAC!
Glad you liked it!
Awesome video my dude. Great job. God bless
Fantastic video! I’m doing the same with my basement and learned a lot from you! Thanks!
I'm glad to hear that 😃 I appreciate the kind comment! Best of luck to you on your basement
Glad your not bleeding after that saber toothed tiger chomped out that cold air return hole for you, LOL. You had the shears before what happened? Great video as usual.
Great job!!🙏
needed an example of a return air duct to draw cold air off the floor in a basement. The previous idiot that owned this house I bought had the return air opening on the ceiling. in between the hot air supply about 10 feet away. As a result the basement never really gets as warm as it should. Thanks
perfect! glad to have helped!
Also it’s much easier to make the pipe cuts with either the red or green snips. Which ever hand you are more comfortable with cutting
That’s good to know, thank you!
@@DoingWhatever Also, sometimes the offset ones keep your hands further away from the pieces being cut.
Great advise : Buy a good pair of red and green tin snips - trying to cut duct work with straight cut or a cheap pair of tin snips is just asking for a frustration .
Could you please tell if the air return unit installed on the roof can make noise and vibrations in the below suite?
Dude this vid is the best I've found! Btw for my own basement, should I plan to have supplies and returns in every room or how do you figure out where you need them? Also are you going to have a thermostat down there or just rely on the system and what is in place upstairs? Thanks!
I’m glad it was helpful!
From my little bit of research, some people were saying one return per 1,000sf but that seemed like not enough. In my 1400sf first floor there are 5 returns. So for the 850sf finished basement I went with 3 returns. Should be plenty. Just relying on the thermostat on the first floor. Thanks for watching!
Great video. Thank you. You are connecting new ductwork to the existing system which provides heat and cool air to the first floor. correct? How do you know if the existing furnace/condenser will handle 1st fl and basement simultaneously? Also, I'm wondering if you could use flexible ductwork instead?
Good one !!
Thanks!
What’s the equipment size ? 2/ 6” teed together is not the cfm of 2 6”,Also I recommend not putting supply hits on the very end of the trunk supply especially if the ceiling is closed up
The duct work in my basement does not look organized at all. I have no experience whatsoever with duct work yet I can see the differences in quality of work. Thank you for sharing this video. I need to contact a reputable duct company :(
Thank you, you made it make sense.
Great video, one question. Do you screw your 6" runs to the mounts or just set them on top?
thanks! I screwed them together
I'm planning to use 6" round ceiling registers/diffusers. Those usually go into an un-crimped duct. How do you transition the crimped end of a 90 degree elbow to an uncrimped piece? Just a piece of pipe? or is there a special fitting to receive a round diffuser?
^ This
I m duct fabricator.. 6 years experience ... you are good job
I need job
Thanks, I appreciate it!
Not sealing the long seam where the duct sections joined together? Also why not use mastic, especially where the 'T' connects to the main trunk. Anywhere you have a joint you have a potential air leak, including returns. I was surprised just how leaky my metal ducting was in my homes crawl space that was built in the late 70s with....nothing was sealed properly. Cleaning it out and using mastic and metal tape to seal worked wonders. Also, insulating the metal ducts insures the temperature of the air you want reaches the supply outlets.
Mastic ('pookie') is the best. Goes on like peanut butter, then dries hard as a rock. Will never peel or unstick like foil tape. I usually just apply with a gloved hand, brushes and things just don't give the same feel.
Holy fish hooks 😂😂 you 90 degree snips
…lol yea… not a pro yet! 😁
is there a way to insulate the ceiling joist when the vents are?
Insulation
Who did the design on your system? Thus is exactly what I'm looking for
Very nice video very comprehensive
Thank you! Glad it was helpful!
Very useful video, Is 30 gauge OK for residential AC duct? I'm finding all source of answers in the internet about you must use Minimum 28 Gauge. I'm also using 30 Gauge in my basement supply and returns.
30 ga is fine but you will likly cut yourself more than if you use 28ga. We used to use 32ga, but any savings were lost on band-aids.
Nice job, how did you figure how many heat supplies per room, and where to add the cold air return?
I basically copied the layout of supplies and returns from the floor above to be honest.
Was this new ductwork or tying into current system?
I would like to bring heat to my basement by tying into current ductwork that supplies above floor.
This is tying into a current system that supplies the floor above
You just make your own hangers out of a big piece of drive. You’ve bend 1 inch out on one side and 1 inch in on the other side and you can make it as long as you want it.
Thanx dude:)
great video! Does the duct work have to be insulated?
Thank you! It doesn’t have to be but it definitely would improve the efficiency of it was
You should insulate all your ductwork especially the supply duct because the supply air is so cold moisture develops on the outside of the ductwork and it will be perfect breeding ground for mode.And I would add dampers on all the start collar to adjust air flow to each registers
If its in a conditioned space, like it is, he doesn't need to.
and you are wrong@@smacleod69
@@chrisfulltime2056 How am I wrong? Basements are considered a condition space. Don't need to wrap it if you put some heat runs down there,
thank you I learned
I’m glad to hear that!
At the end of the trunk shouldnt you use a reducer to increase static pressure on the last runs? Ive heard for every 400cfm you need to reduce the trunk to allow for better air flow
As a rule of thumb, each 6" run will take 80 to 100 cfm away. Assuming your trunk line is 8 X somthing add 2" of with for every run with 2"of with to compinsate for the dead area in the corners.
16:51 this is where my hand would’ve slipped and cut myself on the metal 😅
Manual D could help you to improve. I don't think that duct work will pass inspection.
What’s manual D? I’m always interested in learning!
I had the local building inspector inspect my basement before drywall went up and he didn’t have any items for me to address
@@DoingWhatever Manual D is the industry standard for sizing home HVAC return and supply duct & registers. Manual D duct design distributes the correct amount of heating and cooling to each room based on the Manual J load calculation results. (Information from ACCA). In the Virginia state that duct work do not pass inspection.
You don’t need to tape joints only flexes to grills, you should use rivets and mastic yo seal spiral and joints.
Nice job! Do you fix loud banging noise’s coming from the ducts? Sounds like a firecracker going off upon the furnace starting up and when it shuts down. This noise is driving me crazy. I’m very serious about you or anyone that can fix this. Please help. Thanks and great video
Is your duct crossed brakes? Is there a x bend running across corner to corner of the supply plenums?
@@videos10 yes it has the X.
Thanks!
This is just a guess but maybe your system isn’t balanced very well. I wonder if the furnace fan is over sized and pushing too much air through the ductwork with not enough supply vents to escape out of? Again just a guess. Might be something to call a professional about 🤷🏼♂️
Make sure your return air is not obstructed and you have a clean filter. Don’t use too high of merv rated filter (too restrictive). If the ductwork is still popping you should be able to slow the fan speed in the air handler. If none of this helps, your ductwork may be undersized.
Very informative 👍👍
Thanks, glad to hear that!
Quite Insightful!!
Thanks!
Thank you.
You're welcome!
I bought a house that's nearly 100 years old. The furnace is in the basement, and ground level has ducts and heat, but they were never added to the upstairs bedrooms. There's vent holes in the walls upstairs from what looks like where ducts use to be. Any tips or advice on how to reinstall ducts going upstairs to a 2nd story?
Hire an HVAC company. Im not being cruel. I have been in the heatung business for 44 years. The task you are describing is the most frustrating part of the residential side of this business. A professional can save you money by first explaining why the plan won't work or how to make it work. The pro will offer salutions that cost more than you think it should while saving you money, time, and damage to your home. Trust me. Or don't.
6" return air pipe is running from upper floor bed room to furnace duct at basement. Can I split the 6" pipe by adding one 6" T on its way to get return air in one bed room in basement. There is no other location on duct to connect return air to basement bed room.
Unless you're just doing returns, the foil tape conducts cold, leading to a condensation issue. You needed to put mastic on the supply connections to avoid leaks and mildew issues.
Mastic as in a different style of tape?
@@zuko9085 he's talking about duct butter or pookie depending on ya area lol
He’s literally talking about mastic on the spiral at each join as well as tek screws or rivets
Would you need mastic along the whole seam of the tube run as well? I am doing something similar very soon. Just one simple straight run from trunk with 2 supply registers.
If the foil tape conducts cold would t the tin work also conduct cold and therefore cause condensation issues?
Awesome video my man - I'm also in the process of installing and designing my own HVAC system for my new build from start. Great use of rigid ducts and supports. Did you confirm your current system can handle all the new load you're putting on it with all that new supply demand?
Thanks man, I Really appreciate it! 😃
In short - no I didn't lol. Our house is fairly new though, and the builder anticipates that a lot of people will finish their basements eventually, so usually the HVAC unit is sized with that in mind. Before finishing our basement, our first floor would heat/cool pretty quickly so I imagine the unit was oversized.
could add zoned duct controls.. but usually homes systems dont allow for extra areas ..they were designed for original sizing.. try dampers and increase heat anticipater to have longer runs.. longer the run hotter the air..
Why didn’t you use flex duct?
Thanks mucho!
Ok I’m putting my list together at Home Depot and I can’t find anything for the duct supports and your link is broken for Home Depot . Can you tell me what they’re called and how many inches long they are
Hmm... the link works when I clicked on it 🤷♂️ Regardless, they are "12 in. to 19 in. Galvanized Adjustable Pipe Bracket" and the brand is Oatey. Hope that helps!
Stud / joist cavity improvised ducts are not up to code in many areas. Probably works just fine but has it's downsides.
That's a good point - code in my area (Wisconsin) allows for joist space to be used as return air ducts, but everyone should definitely check with their local building code/inspector if they are unsure. thanks!
How much does it price per hour for ductwork in USA?
I was wondering who you went thru to get your supplies. The hvac industry only seems to licensed contractors in hvac.
I just went to the local home improvement store and found everything I needed. are you in the US?
You can go to Baker Or united
Dude this was a great video! Very well explained and edited and easy to follow! Getting ready to work on my own HVAC system and this will definitely help!! One thing I think I would have done is put the supply down at the bottom with the cold air return up above since warm air is less dense then cold and rises. Unless I'm missing something which is totally possible lol or maybe it doesn't even matter? 🤷♂️
I really appreciate all the kind words! 😃 Good luck with your project - it takes some time but it's too difficult.
I did consider doing that - supplies at the ground and returns at the ceiling, but ultimately decided to save some money and go with the supplies at the ceiling and the returns at the ground. running the supplies down the wall would have pretty much doubled the ductwork cost.
The main thing to keep in mind is that you want the supplies/returns opposite of each other, that way the conditioned air is either pulling from the ground up and into the return, or from the ceiling down and into the return - either way, the conditioned air is blanketing the entire space. at least that's the idea lol hope that makes sense!
@@DoingWhatever absolutely! And thanks for the response, hadn't considered how much more it would cost. I suppose it would be a good idea to factor that in! 🤣
in high end homes 2 returns one at floor one at ceiling.. yup..(really high end had 2 systems cast iron baseboards the ducted ac.) changed with seasons.. If you have heat on,stand on a ladder see the temp at ceiling.. Thats why ceiling fans used with high ceilings, and lower too.. we should live on the ceiling in winter.. summers floors are coolest i never use ceiling fans just moves hottest air in room leave it there.(except in really cold winter sometimes before room warms up) Pedistal fans push much hotter air, floor fans are significantly cooler.. Tested with a thermometer not guessed. Windows radient heat are room heaters. one needs to bounce it out.. winter bounce it in.. forced air is a very bad system it works by heating items in room to radiate back heat. air doesnt hold heat.. ill shut up now..
In my basement the supply is in the ceiling and return at the floor. This makes sense to me, but the reverse also makes sense. I wonder if one configuration is more efficient depending on how long your cooling season is relative to your warming season. For example, if you have a long heating season and short cooling, maybe putting the supplies at the floor makes more sense? Anyway, in the new room I’m adding to my basement I’m going to match the other spaces and just making sure to keep the supply and return on opposite sides of the room to encourage an even temperature throughout the space.
10/10
Awesome video! I’m planning on finishing a basement on my first investment property flip so this was super helpful! Does the amount of additional ducts you add affect the output of the unit? Hoping the size of the unit that was installed in the home was chosen with the idea of finishing the basement already in mind.
Awesome, good luck on your project!
The short answer is yes, eventually the amount of additional supply/return lines will affect the performance of your unit. I’m not an expert at calculating how many BTUs are needed for a certain volume of space but I’m sure there’s a calculator online that could get you fairly close. Our house was built in 2017 and I’m pretty sure they sized the furnace with the intention to finish the basement some day. It seems to heat and cool both levels pretty evenly, and doesn’t seem to be working much harder to do so. Hope that helps 😃
Nope it sure wasnt, that would have cost more and made system oversized, thats bad.. out put is the same your just decreasing air to other rooms. so system may have to run longer..
Is there a drill bit to use before drill steel screws in ducts
You don’t need to do that if you use screws that are called “self-tapping” screws. The point on those screws acts like a drill bit. Hope that makes sense 😃
@@DoingWhatever thanks for your reply
Flex 💪🏽
How many feet the wall tall
Thanks
No problem!
Awesome video!
Where did you get those long hangers and attachment clips? I’m doing a similar installation but have Tammy been able to find them, was going to use C clips
Thanks!
I got those from Menards - not sure if you have a Menards by you, they are mainly in the upper midwest. I'm sure Lowe's or Home Depot would have them as well.
If you plan to leave the ceiling open you want need to insulate your supply runs. If you plan to hide the ductwork with a ceiling you will need to insulate your ductwork. In the south eastern states you’ll need to install R-8 insulation.
The ceiling cavity is in the basement and inside the insulation envelope. Insulation is only needed if running through non conditioned spaces.
Insulate duck work?
You definitely could do that, but I didn't feel it was necessary in a house my size.
Insulation isn't required for ducts within the building envelope. If you think about it, the heat lost from the ducts just goes to the room it's serving.
Now if the ducts are installed in a vented crawl space or attic you have to insulate them.
You don't ever tee off the same size duct run. And you didn't install manual dampers in the 6 inch pipe.
Wish you would have made a video so I would have known that! Lol
I installed manual dampers per the inspector after this video was posted. Depends on if your ductwork will be accessible or not. 2x2 acoustical ceiling tile may not need dampers since the ductwork will be accessible. Gypsum board ceiling like mine will need dampers at the end of the run. 👍🏻
@@DoingWhateverYou cant just pop holes in a duct run.. there's a science to it.
Look up the "2 foot rule" that will set you off on a good footing next time
If I already have 6” duct running in spots I need it over my basement ceiling, can I just add supply vents to it? Or is it best to create new runs? In other words, can you have multiple supply vents on one 6” run?
Is better to install new ones otherwise you gonna be reducing the airflow from the 6" heat runs 6" heat runs are 110 cfm if you add more into the same pipe then the air is barely gonna be coming out from the vents
@@miguelh.maci1148 is correct. If you want to tap off of the same run you'd have to up size the original run to an 8 and then wye to 2 6" ducts off of that. That's assuming adding a run won't reduce static pressure too much and you lose airflow everywhere else.
Joists are made of board. Wao. never saw that. how cheap quality those houses would be.
Wood framed homes are very common around here, especially engineered wooden TJI’s. Steel joist would be overkill. But it’s probably different in different areas
Are you worried that moisture will rot the wood over time and create mold inside your improvised stud spacing duct?
Which part of the video are you referring to?
@@DoingWhatever 28:31
He’ll be ok. It’s just the return air.
Thanks going to use this hvac guys pick and choose their jobs 2400 sq ft ceiling open. tired of getting blown off.
I need a major upgrade in my old farm house, I have wooden ductwork.
I've never heard of that! 🧐
@@DoingWhatever Our farm house was built in 1835. Many things need to be updated in this old house. But it still works.
Sir ji 🙏 Sir ji I am 🇮🇳 (Round 🔨Ducting ) (Square🔨 Ducting )
Best of luck!
In life one learns after 12 homes basements can and are indoor pools.. One must be aware of that.. sumps dont work in power outages. mold and mildew are well a part of it, a dehumidifier is a must, more cost.. what is it over 55% or so look it up mildew mold grows.. thats not good see government guidelines on eradication of it, meaning how soon after noticing..only lower humidity will kill it .. One must be prepared for flooding.. seen it all too often.. I just dont like the smell.. and it will smell unless like brother home 3 sides were open he was on a hill..
Are not gonna insulate?
insulate the ductwork? no, I'm not going to. but you can if you want to!
Its in the basement so there is no need to insulate the ductwork, if your ductwork is in the attic in that case you need to insulate it
Lots of concrete unfinished basement walls in this video.
You stressed the importance of gloves then used them zero times lol
use mastic--not tape for joints. but otherwise nice video.
Thanks for the tip!
Keep it for pro. Who sized ductwork for you or you just guess.
Get yourself some offset rights and lefts and throw away what you got there.
Never used a pair of offsets - do they work quite a bit better?
Wwhy no dampers
*self drilling screws
lol what did I say?
please don't cut the duct like this guy. get a right angle drill and a Malco hole cutter. much safer and cleaner cut
It's too bad you're showing people how to do this with little to no experience. First of all, you don't feed 2- 6" pipes with 1- 6" opening. You won't get the proper airflow. Is the existing duct big enough to take off those extra supplies? No one runs the duct that much larger in case someone may finish the basement later. There is a reason you hire professionals. All you're doing is robbing peter to pay paul. The duct is designed to get the proper airflow to the upstairs. Anything extra taken off that duct will effect upstairs. Plus, the stickers on that pipe means you bought it from a big box store. All they carry is 30 gauge metal. It will pop when it expands and contracts. I don’t know why people spend thousands of dollars the finish their basement not to be comfortable down there when it's done.
Its not good my man. Hard worker but its not good
If you want your AC unit to last long do not listen to what this guy is doing because he just broke major codes major codes I Canna believe he did what he was doing I mean look at the return you really going to do that I would never ever ever let this man work at my house I'm an AC man 25 years and I guarantee it I've been done quicker and that better this guy is going to mess your house of moldy on my goodness super super wrong how he's doing it
whats he doing wrong and what codes did he break? it always helps others watching when you provide the facts along with what you say