Did you just move into a house with a poor ducting system? Well, it can be quite frustrating to find the perfect tubing for your home's heating and ventilation system, especially if you only intend to use metal pipes. Not to worry. When you are having such kind of trouble, just ask yourself some of the following questions.

Is it spiral?

The shape and design of your tube plays a major role in the performance of your HVAC system. For instance, spiral welded pipes are known to be much stronger than longitudinal pipes of the same gauge.  Due to this, they are produced in shorter lengths and can handle extreme temperature and pressure. Moreover, they have a lower cost of production, hence are generally easier to afford depending on the material used. For instance, a steel spiral may be more costly than a copper one. In addition, these hoses are also smooth on the inside and are very useful for conveying air with particulate matter. This makes them suitable for use as air ducts. For more information on spiral tubing, contact a company like Trans Vent Spiral Tubing.

Is it finned or fluted?

When picking your metal tubing, you also need to check whether it has fins or grooves on its surface. Fins are usually made on the exterior side of the pipe while grooving can be done on either side. The purpose of finning is to increase the surface area of the tube so as to improve its heat dissipation. This makes finned tubing perfect for your heating and air conditioning system. Apart from that, furrowed pipes have a better visual appearance than traditional smooth-surfaced hoses. In case you'll have some of your pipes sticking outside your walls, it wouldn't hurt to try some furrowed tubing.

How many layers does it have?

Thanks to man's innovation, you can now have a pipe with multiple concentric layers. The more the layers, the more the strength of the hose. So, if you are picking tubing for your heating system, go for the thick layered ones. They will not only withstand the high temperatures and pressure of your boiler system, but will also last longer. On the other hand, thin layered tubing is best for more effective air conditioning applications, because they are more efficient in transferring heat.

How is it sterilized?

In order to maintain proper hygiene standards, it is important to disinfect your pipes every once in a while. There are many ways of sterilizing pipes that range from autoclaving to use of antiseptics. So when picking your tubing, check how it can be sterilized. In case you'll be using chemicals, choose tubing with less reactive metal components such as steel. However, if you'll be using heat sterilization techniques, tubing material that is most reactive when heated would be best.