Duct Booster® Fans
Your Best Value for boosting air flow in ducts or for powered air intakes and exhausts.

How to Install an Inline Duct Fan

Inline Duct Fan
Many people would like to be able to increase the airflow in their duct system, either to increase airflow, speed up heating and cooling, or to circulate air to damp places in the home.

• First of all, determine what size duct system you have in your home or office, and what type of duct work it is. Do you have a 4", 5", or 6" duct system? Is it a solid metal duct? Is it a flexible duct? Are there crimped sections that you can disconnect by taking off the duct-tape, or do screws hold the sections together. This is important because all of this, will determine what model duct fan to purchase - in different sizes and for different types of ducts for installation. Get this information first, then go and buy your duct fan.
• Next, determine where you want to install the fan within your duct work so that you can easily access it, and so that it is also located close to a circuit breaker protected power outlet (115-120 volts only - not 220). I recommend that you install your duct fan 6 - 10 feet from the register you wish to boost air to in order to reduce noise. Always leave your duct fan accessible for maintenance, cleaning or repair.
• Once you have accessed a good point in your duct system that is about 6-10 feet away from the register you want to boost your air-flow to and you have decided where to plug the fan in, we are going to install it.
• Depending on the duct system you have and the duct fan you purchased, the fan will have a template in the box for use to cut out the section of your duct for installation, or you can simply disconnect your duct work and directly connect it to your fan. I am not sure what type of duct work you are working on, so this is the step that you either cut out the ducting, or simply attach it to the fan. I will assume that you are working with rigid ducting (all metal) and will have to cut out your duct work to install your fan, because I did - so here is what you do. Tape the enclosed template to the duct with the arrow pointing in the direction of the airflow.
• Cut out the required opening in the ductwork that the template shows, by first drilling a pilot hole through the template and into the ductwork along the dotted line.
• We are not going to take our tin-snips and cut out the dotted lines. Cut it out completely and test the fit for your fan. Modify if needed.
• Take your duct fan out of the box, and place it into the opening of your duct work that you just cut out. Making sure that the fan blade can turn freely, by spinning it with your finger. Also be sure to align the arrow on the unit in the direction of the airflow in your ducts.
• Depending on the model you have, you now should only have to mount the fan in place it using the small steel screws provided with the fan, or a spring system that comes with the fan.
• Feed your wires out through the side of the opening, and tape them against the duct using your metal duct tape. We want to get to these easily when we wire up our fan.
• You should also now cover the seams of the fan in the duct with the metal duct tape to ensure that no air escapes in the hole you just cut.
• If you were lucky enough to be using a duct fan for flexible duct work, or are using a duct fan that just goes into the crimped section of your ductwork - simply tape the ducting to the fan with the metal duct tape, and screw the base plate of the fan into the duct work.
• Now we want to run power to the fan. You can splice a plug to your fan and plug it into a 115-120 volt outlet on your breaker protected circuit with a switch so you can turn the fan on and off, or you can plug the fan into a Duct stat Plug-In Line Voltage Thermostat system. I did this, and I recommend that you do it as well as it will regulate the fan, and works great! Read the directions that come with this unit.
• Turn on your unit and see how it works. You may see an increase in air-flow, but I personally feel that it is minimal. Hopefully it meets your needs. Be sure to clean your fan at least twice a year to keep dust and lint off of it.

Photovoltaic Systems

Photovoltaic (PV) systems incorporate solar electric collectors with power conversion equipment to supply electricity to the home.
Photovoltaic (PV) systems use solar electric panels to directly convert the sun's energy into electricity. This conversion of sunlight to electricity occurs without moving parts, is silent and pollution free in its operation. The solar electricity fed through electronic equipment is converted to utility grade electricity for use directly in the home. The solar electricity can be used to offset the need for purchased utility electricity or, if the PV electricity exceeds the home's requirements, the excess electricity can be sent back to the utility, typically for credit.
Different types of photovoltaic products are available today from numerous manufacturers. The supply of PV collectors worldwide has increased from 20 to 30 percent annually to keep up with the demand for this renewable energy technology. PV modules (or solar electric collectors) are different from solar thermal collectors (that convert the sun's energy into thermal (typically hot water) energy. Photovoltaic modules are usually rigid, rectangular devices ranging in size from 2’ by 4’ to as large as 4’ by 8’. Some PV module technologies are flexible and as large as 2’ by about 20’ or even larger. Rigid PV modules typically have a glass cover while the flexible modules have a very durable film cover. Both types of PV module construction have been rigorously tested to survive storm and hail damage and are resistant to degradation from ultra-violet rays.
Most residential PV systems are used in conjunction with utility-supplied power. Excess power produced during daylight hours can be fed back into the utility's lines, while utility electricity is used in the home when the house demand is greater than can be supplied by the PV roofing. Typical residential PV systems commonly have a peak power production of between 1,200 and 5,000 watts, AC - requiring from between 150 to over 1,000 square feet of installed area depending on the efficiency of the PV technology used.
Most often, PV panels are installed on roofs, but they can also be installed as free-standing units, on a pole on the ground, or even on complex tracking structures that change with the sun's angle during the day.
Installation
The efficiency of PV will depend on the maximum sun exposure, so the house location is important. Panel photovoltaic systems are ready to install and supplied by distributors. PV installations require a portion of the roof to be exposed to direct sunlight. Depending on the PV product, they can be installed by roofing professional, an electrician, or both. They must be wired to the house power supply by an electrician.
Benefits/Costs
Panel PV products provide environmental benefits because they do not produce pollution or carbon dioxide emissions like fossil fuel-based utility power. They are also more attractive than many other solar systems, which increases consumer acceptance. Unlike utility supplied power, once purchased, the cost of producing PV electricity remains constant over the life of the system since the only fuel used is sunlight.

Problem Free Flex Duct Installation
We've all heard the stories, and many of you have no doubt seen the installations where the flex duct sags several feet between hangers, or it's nearly or completely flattened out in spots, or the connections have all come apart, or worse yet were never made at all in some places.

Well, the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA) was aware of those problems, so they wrote a standard to help people avoid them. You can use the following excerpts from that standard to help make sure the flexible duct systems you install provide the maximum performance for your customers.

To begin, there are four types of flexible duct: metallic, uninsulated; metallic, insulated; nonmetalic, uninsulated; and nonmetalic, insulated (lined). As with any product you install, safety is an important consideration. So, when these ducts must conform to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards 90A or 90B, they must have been tested in accordance with Underwriter's Laboratory's (UL) Standard for Factory Made Duct Materials, UL-181, and be installed the way their UL listing requires.

Separate installation limitations for flexible connectors and flexible ducts are identified in NFPA Standard 90A. UL Standard 181 defines a flexible connector as a flexible air duct that hasn't had certain flame penetration, puncture, and impact tests.
Installation Precautions

You should always opt for the minimum length of flexible duct. Any necessary bends should be made with not less than one duct diameter centerline radius. When you do bend the duct, it should extend a few inches beyond the end of a sheet metal connection before you bend it. When you're bending the duct, be careful not to compress it.

You should locate flexible duct -- especially the nonmetalic, and wrapped metallic flexible duct -- away from hot equipment such as furnaces and steam pipes.
Joining Requirements

When you're joining lengths of flexible duct or attaching duct to air supply or terminal equipment, make sure the adhesive is chemically compatible with the materials you're using.

Trim the end of the ducts so they're square before you begin installing them. Collars that you're attaching the duct to need to be a minimum of 2 in. long; therefore, the sleeves used for joining two sections of duct should be at least 4 in.

Collars and sleeves need to be inserted at least an inch into the duct before you fasten them.

SMACNA advises using at least three #8 sheet metal screws to attach flexible metal duct. These screws should be equally spaced around the duct's circumference. When installing ducts bigger than 12 in. in diameter use five evenly spaced #8 screws. In either case, the screws should be located at least 1Ș2 in. from the end of the duct.

To secure nonmetallic flexible duct to a sleeve or collar, use a draw band. If the duct is larger than 12 in. in diameter, the metal collar needs to have a bead put in it, and the draw band should be located behind that bead.

Insulation and vapor barriers on factory-fabricated duct needs to be fitted over the core connection and then also secured with a draw band.

Tapes and sealants used on connections hould be listed for UL 181B, Clousre Systems for Use with Flexible Air Ducts and Connectors, a standard out in first edition in 1995.
Proper Support

It's best to follow the manufacturer's instructions on how far apart duct supports can be, but in their absence, SMACNA says supports shouldn't be more that 5 ft. apart. The maximum sag the SMACNA standard calls for is 1Ș2 in./ft. of spacing between the supports. You can consider the connection to other duct or to equipment as a support point.

Hanger or saddle material in contact with the flexible duct has to be wide enough so it doesn't reduce the internal diameter of the duct when the supported section rests on the hanger or saddle material.

The part of the hanger touching the duct should never be less than 1 in. wide. You can use narrower hanger material in conjunction with a sheet metal saddle that meets this specification. This saddle must cover one-half the circumference of the outside of the flexible duct and fit neatly around the lower half of the duct.

The standard allows factory installed supports that are integral to the duct, as long as the manufacturer's recommended installation procedures are followed. However you support the duct, make sure the supports are adequately attached to the structure.

To avoid tearing the duct's vapor barrier, don't support the entire weight of the flexible duct on any one hanger during installation. Avoid contacting the flexible duct with sharp edges of the hanger material. You can repair damage to the vapor barrier using an approved tape. If you penetrate the interior of the duct, you should either replace that section, or treat the torn area as a connection.

Any terminal devices you attach the flexible duct to should have their own support.
A Final Word

So you can tell them apart, flexible air ducts have rectangular UL labels on them every 10 ft. Flexible connectors, on the other hand, have round labels every 10 ft. The standard says, ȐUL, NFPA, and most codes make distinctions between these two products in their limits of application. Connectors are more restricted and are currently limited to 14 ft. of installed length. Regulations governing these forms of duct should be checked, especially for floor penetrations, ceiling air plenums, and fire-rated floor-ceiling or roof-ceiling assemblies.ȑ

While flexible duct usually comes compressed in various lengths, if you repeatedly flex the metal version, it will probably develop fatigue stress cracks and leak when the system is started.

Finally, on the subject of compression the standard states, ȐCompressing duct increases first cost and friction losses. The minimum length refers to the practical route between connection points but not to the degree that the material is overstressed or to the degree that all available stretch is removed. SMACNA discourages the practice of providing excess length in case of future building modifications.

Over the last several years, there's been a lot of attention paid in this magazine and elsewhere to proper duct system design, and balancing of residential systems. The first and most important step, however, is to install the system properly, especially the air supply system.

Following SMACNA's and the industry's guidelines is a sure way to accomplish that.

Pressure Switch Problem:

From my experience over the years most of the time the pressure switch is not the problem. I have found that the draft inducer, a hole going into the draft inducer, the venting of the furnace, and since your furnace has a drain the drain could be partially stopped up. If the drain is not draining properly, this will cause the pressure switch to shut the furnace down. If any of the drain hoses have holes in them or are stopped up, this will cause the pressure switch to shut the furnace down. Improper venting (too many turns and distance) can cause pressure switch problems. Debris (junk) obstructions inside the vent can cause problems.