How to Make a Metal Duct Transition in the Field
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- čas přidán 9. 07. 2024
- Michael Housh from Housh Home Energy Experts shares his expertise with HVAC School. In this video, he shows how to make a sheet metal duct transition in the field.
In some cases, you may have a plenum or evaporator coil that needs to be connected to a furnace. To start off, measure the plenum and use the measurements to mark the lengths of the S-locks. Generally, you'll take 1/4" off of each side to prevent overlap. Once you've lined up the S-locks, you can cut the excess metal off with a bandsaw.
Michael makes the S-shaped part of the S-locks facing the outside when he attaches them to the plenum. You'll also want to prep the S-locks that attach to the furnace using similar practices (S-shaped ends facing the outside, etc.).
Then, you will want to measure the height of the space between the furnace and the plenum and add an inch to each side to account for the farthest point of the plenum. After that, you can mark up your sheet metal based on your readings and cut it accordingly with metal shears. Then, you slide the sheet into one of the S-locks (Michael uses the bottom, in this case). Ensure that you have an inch of excess on each side so that you can fold the sheet metal later. Then, mark where the corners contact the S-locks.
Take a spare S-lock and align its inside edge with the marks. Then, draw a line along the opposite side of the S-lock to ensure that you have enough clearance. After you've drawn your lines, cut along the sheet metal along the lines.
Notch the corners by cutting a slightly angled sliver where your corners have been marked. With the corners notched, use a folding board to create one-inch folds on the vertical sides of the sheet. Then, slide the sheet into place between the furnace and the plenum. You should be able to slide subsequent sheets into the folds on the first piece.
Repeat the first few steps three more times to prepare the other sides of the transition (the two middle sheets should be without folds, and the last piece should have folds). Slide them into place as you did with the first piece, though you may need to remove the bottom S-lock that connects to the final piece. Once the last piece is in place, reinstall the S-lock. Be sure to fasten everything with screws as necessary to finish the metal duct transition.
Check out Housh Home Energy Experts: www.houshhomeenergy.com/
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I know nothing about sheet metal work. This was fascinating and educational for me. Where do you get the S locks from? Do you make them at the shop or purchase them?
Any supply house that sell sheet metal fitting will carry S lock.
All materials are common at supply houses that provide metal / ductwork.
Surprisingly enough lowes has it too
A M We make them on a Pittsburgh machine.
Yes, it was easy just do not confuse S locks with ass plugs
Solid video guys. Not a lot of sheet metal videos out there. Thank you for taking the time and creating solid content.
Easiest duct transition I've seen so far. Explained very well. Nice job
Great technique! For those that want to cross brake the plenum or any metal ductwork it's easy to do without a brake. Before assembly, I use a straight edge and a screen spline roller, but a screw driver, awl, etc works too, lay the metal on cardboard on a hard surface. Place the straight edge from corner to corner and run tool applying downward pressure along straight edge. Rotate metal 90° and repeat. Do this to the inside facing metal for functional and professional looking HVAC metal work.
Michael, thanks for taking your time to share this video with the public. I had a rush job done for an off set plenum almost like what you showed in this video and it was awful. I did some sheet metal work in school about 40 years ago, but seeing you demonstrate, made it very easy for me to put this together, really appreciate you doing this video.
I am in the process of replacing my 40 year old furnace and AC coil with a MrCool Universal heat pump system. This video was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for the easy to follow video tutorial.
Now, off to the hardware store to get the required hardware. Cheers!
I spent hundreds of hours in our sheet metal shop. I really enjoy the metalwork and love to see videos banging metal! Please do more! Get Ralph Wolf to do some as well!
was always taught to cross break the sheet before putting it in to reduce flex in the metel when the blower kicks on, though depending on the surface area it may or may not be an issue. I wish more installers made transitions like this though.
That's pretty much the way I always made them, and cross-broke everything. Cross-braking looks a little nicer too.
Waste of time
@@Bridgesc3 trolling?
@@Bridgesc3 not a waste of time, it reduces popping. Just say you don’t cross brake, don’t call it a waste of time, it only takes about 15 secs to cross brake 😂
Nice job. I bet you've taught a lot of grateful techs over the years. At least I hope they are grateful.
Nice video clean transition well simplified,
I’ve never use S drive it gives it a nice clean trim very well done’ keep up the good work
Really solid video, brought back memories of school thanks for sharing
Very helpful THANK YOU . What you showed is exactly what i need to do. Thank you for taking the time to make this video
Thank you, for taking the time to make this video.
Really great video, I have never tried using S-Lock on the corners, I would always just screw into the bend but it’s always troublesome, will definitely save this video for future reference.
This is great! been doing this for a while but I like the band saw for cutting the S locks. That way the ends are not crushed
I DON’N KNOW MUCH ENGLISH, BUT I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING FROM THIS VIDEO!!!! GRACIAS 🙏 WHOEVER READ THIS COMMENT GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!!!!! Peace and love
Great video. I was trained too make cross breaks to prevent duct moving in and out when blower is running.
YES!!! More more more more! a sheet metal series please!
Great job Michael! I learned a lot 👍
This video was well put together. Great work. Thank you.
Great video, There should be more of this type at the HVAC School site to share the tricks of the trade.
Lied on my resume and boss wants me to make a transition. Here I am. Lol thanks man
Great video, I've spent years as a tech but only done a little tin. What a treat
This was exactly the video I needed to see. Other videos just show how to make a square one but I am going to have to cut the existing plenum box because the new electric furnace is taller than the old one. Thanks for making the video.
Boy that makes my life way easier. I have my air handler and duct plenum suspended and needed to merge an existing supply plenum that has multiple takeoffs and I didn't want to have to recreate the plenum. On the return I made a new box but your video is awesome in making the transition from a 20 x 17 in plenum to a 12 x 20 off my air handler. Whew!!!
Well Done Michael. Thank You.
This is so far the best sheet metal video i have seen do far. Thanks for the video cheers 🍻
Nice way to lead off - "the easiest way for me to do it" - no judgement or pretense. Thanks!
Very professional, thank you.
exactly what I was looking for, thanks a bunch
Great vid! I can make about any kind of transition and offset in the field myself , but I'm gonna show this to some of the guys at work.
Thanks for posting this, it was really helpful! Lots of good tricks and tips!
Great video, big thanks from Hong Kong.
Very helpful!!!!thanks for posting.
great video, i would recommend cross breaking the metal to reduce duct flex noise though. in the field i usually lay the old furnace down, flex the metal along a corner, and use a rubber mallet to get my cross break if i don't have my break with me.
Simple and looks goods. Thanks for sharing this
Very nice video ! Keep videos coming! Thanks
Great tips! Thank you!
Great job, very informative.
This video was perfect! Thank you!
This is beautiful work. Very easy to follow. Thank you so much.
Great Video. You did very beautiful job ^_^. Thank you for sharing ^_^
Thanks for that helpful tip
Well done. It looks great.
This was the best episode of My name is Earl, I love how beat the crap out of his safety glasses on the bench with the sheet metal and forgot to cross break, good job on the transition though.
Beautiful work
Outstanding video thank you!
This is a great video. Just what I needed.
Great job king, thank you
This deserves more upvotes. Thanks for taking your time and breaking it down.
This is a great video. So much room to work and do high quality work. I’d like to see a good video of duct board transition in a closet with the only access being the front of the closet. That’s the situation we have along the Gulf Coast
👍🏾👍🏾 pretty straightforward!!
Great tip on using the screen roller. I wouldn't have expected it to work so well. I'm thinking one of those thin, expanded rubber yoga mats would make a good semi-rigid backer surface when forming the cross break. Just don't tell my wife I'm going to use hers to try this technique.
Good job. Great idea.
Around 2011, I replaced the furnace in my (low) attic. The ridiculously time consuming step was building two transitions in place for the new unit. I think I spent much of two days building it piece by piece. This was before CZcams built up so much knowledge. Today my jaw dropped when I watched how straightforward it is when you know what you are doing. Great video, thanks for sharing! I am gearing up for a new evaporator installation, and I feel empowered.
Good Job man! neat work.
Well done beautiful work
I wish there was a training course at some kind of school for this... Not knowing sheet metal is what holds me back. I live in New Jersey and no school for sheet metal is around. Most trade schools don't even touch this, period
Bullshit.. train yourself man.. I did.. the only one holding you back is you.. This is training.. buy some sheetmetal and practice
Join a union
absolutely fire video
Excellent video!
Nice instructions 👍🏾 thank you
Awesome video !
GREAT VIDEO Brother 👊🏽👍🏽
Nice work!
Great video! I need to make a plenum connection and this was really helpful.
Awesome video.
Nice video keep them coming
Awesome Video thanks
nice work, You make it look easy! Thanks
Thanks for watching!
Next time s/m screw from the inside corners in the back and then duct mastic everything from the inside on the back seams, top seams and side seams before sliding on your face plate, then all you got left to duct mastic is the face plate. At our shop we use FSK insulation and never use bubble wrap, mainly because it doesn't have an R value. However, that was an excellent demonstration on field transitions.
Maybe next time you can show them how to do it without s-locks when it is in a tight closet. When we do one of those we bend the sides and not the back or front and just use a flat piece of metal for the back and the face plate.
One other thing you might remind them to put a little cross break so there won't be any oil canning.
Again good job.
He did actually say that there's multiple ways to skin this cat. However, I'm with you and would like to see a couple more videos, showing him skin the cat some other ways, to boot.
WOW 😳 Well played Sir. Well played.
Wow this is simply the best video on a transition that I have ever seen.Thanks for the knowledge.I would love to work with you because you are a great teacher.
Really appreciate the video. Interesting use of tools. Only things I'd do is cross breaks and it doesn't take much take and reduces noise.
Great video.
Good afternoon This Is Mike from Amsterdam Holland I think you did A Great Job
I have always done metal with double hem flat on furnace flange and obviously a cross brake
Yes. 1/2" hemmed foot on the furnace and cross break any piece taller than 6".
Much appreciated Thanks for sharing
Makes it look easy. Nice
great video thank you
Great video, this is something all apprentices should learn. The only thing I do a bit different is to mastic the inside before doing the last piece... maybe a bit overkill.
Make it harder to get off that way. Outside can still look good
Great video
Nice work fellow HVAC brotha
Wow great vid
Just an electrician but still amased when I see was how they can make a transition from round to square or even a rectangular duct. Reducing offsets look impossible to do. First thing my eye goes to in a new commercial site is the electrical then the duct work. At a 65 man maintenance shop that I worked in they had a tin knocker who could build anything out of sheet metal and never had much scrape left over. He would place eight 90 degree bends to make packing conveyor lines that had lowered lay down area on both sides to store material or parts that had to go onto conveyor belt. He always deburred edges then bent back edge 180 degrees back into itself so workers could not get cut. I was surprised when I made a sucessfull single 90 degree bend in a piece of sheet metal. Guys are absolute artist who make great duct work.
Great job. Love your training. Please have more vids about duct strategy and installation for whole house or business. Thank you very much
Looks good
Very helpful video. Cheers
Glad it was helpful!
Nice looking transition. I was wondering if you would recommend using mastek inside where you can? Or would you just put it on the outside? What about aluminum tape?
Brilliant 👏 👏
Hey good video about sheet metal ducting. Question do you guys use p3 ducting speaking about transitioning. Or phenol ducting
Good one! 👍
Excellent
Learned a lot. I'm a perfectionist and never been happy with my transitions. Thanks much. Would you recommend placing mastic on the inside back connection before fitting the front side?
i would because sometimes you wont be able to get back there and saves a mess lol
Leave the back and front s-cleat longer, so you can fold around and screw to cover the holes on all the corners
I was gonna suggest this too 👌🏻
@@ethersecure2432 Thats what the guys did at my old company it looks a lot better and hides the gaps.
Unless you use Mastic like you're supposed to, then the fold over just looks like a big lump.
@@chadegillham1165 Use clear or even grey silicon, looks so much cleaner
I'm a service and testing Tech for Fluid Chillers Corporation. I have mad respect for Builders and fabricators. My background is electrical and Diagnostics. But I can't build or fabricate something for the life of me. Electricians and plumbers also have mad skills with fabricating. But they typically leave me alone when it comes to diagnosing or commissioning a huge ultra low temperature chiller. LOL
Would love to have seen all the prep work, especially the offsets. Thanks for your videos very helpful.
Woulda been a long video
Nice work!! Personally I would do a one piece transition and a door. All with a cross break
Cross break it and then just use a flange on the front piece and screw it to the furnace so that you can just remove the screws and then the panel.
VERY nice
He’s smooth with it
Yooooo furnaces are lit!