Duct work insulation prevents condensation. Cool air passing through warm areas of your home or business can cause condensation in the duct work. This condensation leads to moisture buildup inside the enclosed space of the duct system. In turn, the moisture can lead to all sorts of problems, such as mold and mildew growth.
Duct work insulation ensures that air traveling through the duct system will stay at the desired temperature and will not leak out. Leaking air results in unnecessary energy loss, which means that your HVAC system will have to work even harder. This will cause higher utility bills because of wasted energy, which is not good for you or the environment. Without proper duct work insulation, you could be losing 10-30 % or more of energy used to heat or cool your home or business. A good level of duct work insulation will prevent not only energy wastage, but also leaks, temperature drop and condensation buildup.
The most common duct work insulation material is fiberglass. A newer and more effective option is duct wrap, such as Reflect-ix. Below is a comparison of the two materials.
Fiberglass Insulation
Reflect-ix (Duct Wrap)