Most homeowners hire professional technicians to repair their HVAC units. When you want to save money, you might wonder if you have what it takes to do your own ductwork.
Depending on how handy you are with a few simple tools, you could craft ductwork that might work well in your HVAC. You can fabricate your own ductwork by following these steps.
Gather the Necessary Materials
Before you make your own ductwork, you need to make sure you have the right materials and tools on hand. You should start by purchasing a piece of sheet metal that measures four by eight feet.
You also should make sure you have a table and work area that is large enough to accommodate the sheet metal. After you buy the metal and tools like a sheet metal hammer and steel ruler, you can start making ductwork for your HVAC.
Measure and Mark the Sheet Metal
Using the steel ruler, you can then start measuring and marking the metal before cutting and forming it. Place the steel ruler anywhere from 10 to 12 inches from the metal’s long edge. After lining up the ruler to the sheet metal, mark the metal at one inch in two places. Make sure the marks are two feet apart.
Then slide the ruler away from the metal’s edge until the edge of the ruler lines up at one of the one-inch marks. Locate the measurement on your ruler that corresponds with the width of the duct and then mark the metal at this point. Repeat this for one more inch.
Continue this process to measure for the height and length as well as one more measurement for the width of the duct. The last measurement should be marked at the ¼-inch mark. When you are finished marking the metal, you should have a pattern of:
- One inch
- Width of the duct
- Height of the duct
- Width of the duct
- ¼-inch
When this pattern is in place, you are ready to put the ductwork together.
Bending the Metal
Bending and crafting the metal into ductwork requires you to use a lock former machine. Follow the measurements on the metal to bend it at each mark. You will have a ¼-inch lip on the duct when it is finished. Use a sheet metal hammer to clamp this down and lock the duct into place.
Ductwork does not have to cost you a lot of money. If you are handy with working with sheet metal, you could craft your own for your HVAC. Call us today at 408-295-2182 for more information.