Designation:E2342/E2342M−10(Reapproved2015)´1StandardTestMethodforDurabilityTestingofDuctSealants1ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationE2342/E2342M;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(´)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.ε1NOTE—Unitsstatementwasinsertedin1.4andunitsinformationwascorrectededitoriallyinFebruary2015.INTRODUCTIONDuctleakagehasbeenidentifiedasamajorsourceofenergylossinresidentialbuildings.Mostductleakageoccursattheconnectionstoregisters,plenums,orbranchesintheductsystem.Ateachoftheseconnectionsamethodofsealingtheductsystemisrequired.Typicalsealingmethodsincludetapesormasticsappliedaroundthejointsinthesystem.Fieldexaminationsofductsystemshavetypicallyshownthatthesesealstendtofailoverextendedperiodsoftime.Theproposedmethodevaluatesthedurabilityofductsealantsbyblowingheatedairintotestsections,combinedwithapressuredifferencebetweenthetestsectionsandtheirsurroundings.Thetemperaturesandpressureswerechosentoexposethetestsectionstotypicalconditionsthatarefoundinresidentialductsystems.Theductleakagesitegeometryrepresentsaleakagesitecommonlyfoundinductsystems.Thetestsectionsareconstructedfromstandardductfittings.1.Scope1.1Thistestmethoddescribesanacceleratedagingtestforevaluatingthedurabilityofductsealantsbyexposuretotemperaturesandstaticpressurescharacteristicofresidentialductsystems.1.2Thistestmethodisintendedtoproducearelativemeasureofthedurabilityofductsealants.Thisstandarddoesnotmeasuredurabilityunderspecificconditionsofweatherandbuildingoperationthatmightbeexperiencedbyanindividualbuildingandductsystem.Insteaditevaluatesthesealantmethodunderfixedconditionsthatdonotincludethemanifoldeffectsofinstallationpractice.1.3Thistestmethodonlyaddressessealantsnotmechanicalstrengthoftheconnections.1.4ThevaluesstatedineitherSIunitsorinch-poundunitsaretoberegardedseparatelyasst...
