Tradesman Manufacturing was the second company to have a machine that created spiral elbows.
Originally, a square duct was used and bent at angles to push airflow. This was not an efficient way to move air as the square duct was not efficient and required large amounts of sealing for it to be used. The square duct also required seams along the duct to reinforce so that it would not pop or collapse in during changes in pressure. This is why you may notice that there are seams in the duct that is in your home.
The spiral pipe was introduced as it was more efficient and could run in 10ft lengths. It was way better for negative pressure and it has no potential to leak. A great benefit of the 10ft lengths vs. the square duct 5ft lengths is the reduction in the amount of sealing that is required for runs in an HVAC system. One of the main concerns with corners turning in a home and the direction of the airflow changing is that it required either a short way or a long way elbow depending on the positioning of the duct. The problem with the adjustable elbow for this scenario is that there were still leaking concerns as the elbow wasn’t fully sealed.
The spiral elbow was introduced to help combat this problem.
These are created by one continuous strip of metal. When creating the spiral elbow, a strip of metal is cut into an S shape by a computer that corresponds to the wide outside and narrow inside of the elbow. At the end of each elbow, the lengths need to be equal so that it can continue the spiral pipe. The calculations involved to ensure these pieces are cut depending on the size of the elbow need to be proportionate so that the elbow is built properly.
Due to the spiral elbow having two small ends, there are beads on each end of the elbow so that it can fit snugly into the spiral pipe or snaplock pipe. Then the sealing is only required at the ends of the elbow vs all over the adjustable elbow. Due to the high amount of beads, spiral elbows can handle most pressure applications. The application of spiral elbows and pipes is used a lot in hospitals due to the airflow required to move through large buildings. Depending on how sharp the corner is, spiral elbows can either be half-throat or full-throat. The half throat is used for sharper corners while the full throat is used for softer corners where airflow won’t be as reduced due to the angle of the curve.
If you’re looking for HVAC parts that continue to build efficiency, safety, and practicality, Tradesman’s HVAC product lineup is perfect for servicing residential, commercial, and industrial applications. If you have questions about our products or are looking for a supplier that carries Tradesman products, locate a dealer online by clicking here or contacting us at [email protected] today!
