Ducting Systems and Air Ventilation - How to cut open a 6" duct to install a damper?

Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.



PDA
destruct05
10-09-09, 09:31 AM
I have a regular gas furnace setup with ducts going out on top of the furnace. All but one are larger ducts that then split of (i.e. to 4 outlets in a living room or so). There is one 6" duct going to the kitchen (one outlet of two). To me it looks like that they forgot to split the larger duct (that also serves an additional room) and decided to quickly put a single line 6" duct.
The problem: all ducts going out of the furnace have a damper. The 6" doesn't.

The 6" duct is for the most part enclosed. THerefore, I have no access to the nearest place where ducts are connected.
What is my best bet? To cut the pipe with a saw? Other tricks?

How do I connect the ducts together after I cut and installed the damper? Are there connector sleeves that go on from the outside? I don't think I can fit a connector piece as I can't move the existing ducts.

airman.1994
10-09-09, 11:30 AM
Should be able to take duck apart and drill two holes slide damper in and re connnect duct.
destruct05
10-09-09, 12:24 PM
That is my problem. The only joint is the elbow piece that connects the duct to the sop of the furnace box. I don't think that I can push back the duct far enough to disengage it form the elbow.
Can i remove the elbow from the top of the furnace? I thought it has ladges inside the furnace box to keep it in place.

goldstar
10-09-09, 12:59 PM
Do the registers in the rooms have open/close adjustments? If so, they can be adjusted to act as dampers.
destruct05
10-09-09, 03:48 PM
Yes, they do. In fact they even have a damper that I can reach with my hand from the inside of the duct.
But the duct gets very hot as it is directly connected to the furnace and is only about 16 feet. I'm pretty convinced it is the source of wood floor issue that I'm encountering.
airman.1994
10-09-09, 09:28 PM
Yes, they do. In fact they even have a damper that I can reach with my hand from the inside of the duct.
But the duct gets very hot as it is directly connected to the furnace and is only about 16 feet. I'm pretty convinced it is the source of wood floor issue that I'm encountering.

What are your concerns with the HWF?
GRIMKNOTME
11-02-09, 07:43 AM
If you are wanting to damper if you can knock it off,then block it off relocate away from top of furnace which is why it is so hot , install new collar with damper get a box of flex if you have hard pipe as it sounds you do clean pipe off , crimp hard pipe , slide inner liner on pipe , duct tape liner to pipe zip tie , slide insulation and outer liner flex on and zip tie

If you have flex relocate as above get a coupling collar attach flex same way.