Round sheet metal ductwork...';foil'; cover & insulation is off in a spot...how to fix?

we have the round sheet metal ductwork under our house for air conditioner unit...with the pink insulation underneath the ';foil'; (don't really know the name for that) . in one spot of it, for about a 12'; length, the outer cover and insulation is not there around the duct. how can i fix?...





and, will that cause a loss of cooling ability and higher a/c bills?Round sheet metal ductwork...';foil'; cover %26amp; insulation is off in a spot...how to fix?
The simplest and cheapest way to fix the problem is to go to Home Depot and buy a roll of 3 1/2 inch foil backed fiberglass insulation and duct tape. Cut a suitable length for the circumference of the duct plus 7 inches, measured on the foil side, wrap the exposed duct and seal with duct tape on all the seams. It will be as good as new.Round sheet metal ductwork...';foil'; cover %26amp; insulation is off in a spot...how to fix?
Take a trip to your local home supply store and ask for air duct insulation. If they don't have it, you might have to go to an HVAC supply store. Once you get the insulation back on the duct, seal around the edges with duct tape. This probably needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. If the duct is left open to the relatively warm air underneath your house, the exterior of the exposed duct will condense and start to ';sweat';, much like a glass does when filled with a cold beverage. That water that drips off the duct has no place to go but down. If your crawl space has a vapor barrier that covers the exposed earth, the water that drips will hit the plastic and make it's way to the lowest portion of your crawl space. If too much water makes it to that spot, you could end up dealing with mold and mildew issues. If there isn't a vapor barrier, the water will drip and absorb into the soil, but too much water in one spot will saturate the earth and soil to a point where it can't absorb anymore, and you'll have water ponding issues.





So, I suggest getting this taken care of right away. The last thing you want or need is water, no matter the amount, underneath your house.
If there's no extra insulation around your house, you'll need to go buy some and cover the ductwork back up. When you buy the insulation, ask them the best way to secure it as you can explain to them exactly what you have seen.





It will cause some loss of cooling and the a/c will have to work a bit harder. It's better to get that little section covered back up as soon as you can.

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