Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine January 2020

joints and left the rest unsealed. Why? Who knows. There is no excuse. So why did the inspector not catch it. Well, again I say that this inspector has an excellent reputation of ensuring that the HVAC installer follow code. The problem is, “How do inspectors ensure the ductwork is sealed with mastic or mastic tape according to code?” It is a balancing act between the absolute and the pragmatic. The only sure way to know if the entirety of the duct is properly sealed is to require an inspection prior to the installation of the insulation. This is cost prohibitive and not pragmatic. Inspectors frequently allow installation of the insulation and cut back in some areas to reveal the mastic. So, if the installers are lucky, they might not get caught. At this point, I am sure that the owner of the duct installation company does not think he was lucky. He got caught after the fact and that is the most expensive time. Another way to check for properly sealed duct is to require a “duct blaster” test. Fayetteville and Little Rock have led the way. In September 2018, Little Rock began requiring all duct in new residential construction be duct blaster tested. Even so, it is possible, though remote, that a duct system could pass the test but not be completely sealed with mastic or mastic tape. This is an area where the industry and inspection authorities need to confer, come up with a near fail-safe method, and then both sides support its

implementation. We can say unequivocally, duct installation on residential and small commercial applications has not had the respect or been given the importance that the building owner and homeowner deserves. 7. (#1, #2, and #3 investigators) Insulation on refrigerant lines was inadequate. “The insulation looked damaged and partially missing in places.” This was referring to the mini-split. Potential Problem: Refrigerant line insulation frequently gets damaged or the last inch or so gets left undone. Small? While it doesn’t look like much, cold pipes exposed to high humidity will condense and the moisture will drip or travel downhill. A small gap creating condensation can cause significant damage. This isn’t rocket science. It has to be properly insulated. This isn’t necessarily the matter of an unethical contractor. It may well be that the contractor or their employees don’t realize how important their job is. Even the little things matter. Even though there are other items to discuss; i.e., dampers that don’t close and so called appropriate levels of Aspergillus Penicillium, this article has already gone on too long. I know you agree. I don’t know how we get from where we are to where we need to be in the HVACR and construction industry. Perhaps I should not have OK! Enough! Enough!