I used duct tape for its intended purpose today...sort of.

[Tobin S.]

There was a vent in the duct work down in the basement. Even with it closed some air was coming out of it, and we don't need an air conditioned basement. So I used a piece of cardboard and some duct tape to seal it off. I've used it for a lot of other things, but that's the first time I've ever used duct tape on duct work.

[ret5hd]

1. .

[hunter]

2. The dirty secret of duct tape: it doesn't last on ducts.

It will probably start leaking sometime in the winter when the ducts are carrying hot air.

The real stuff, the stuff that does work, is frightfully expensive.

I've used silicone adhesive on patches made of a material compatible with both silicone and the the duct, and then put duct tape over the patch to hold it in place until the silicone fully cures.

Sealing HVAC Ducts: Use Anything But Duct Tape

BERKELEY -- You can keep your trouser cuff out of your bicycle chain with duct tape; if you need a money belt, you can use it to strap your money to your tummy. Some people claim they can cure warts with it. Unfortunately, one of the things you can't do with duct tape is seal ducts.

At least not for long, according to Max Sherman and Iain Walker of the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. For three months they tested a variety of sealing materials -- many kinds of duct tape, clear plastic tape, foil-backed tape, mastic, and injected aerosol sealant -- under conditions similar to those encountered in real heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems.

--more--

http://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/duct-tape-HVAC.html

And oh, on edit, you'll probably want a silicone adhesive compatible with aluminum, not the kind that smells like vinegar. It'll say so on the label.

[Brother Buzz]

10. 100% failure rate in less then a decade, guaranteed!

I'm one of the few people who call it duck tape, its original pet name in the military; it's easier to say duck tape than water resistant pressure sensitive cloth backed adhesive tape, or or whatever some egghead military rocket surgeon came up with.

[Art_from_Ark]

22. Well, if it was a military name, it would start with the last, first

As in "tape, adhesive, cloth-backed, pressure-sensitive, water-resistant"

[Brother Buzz]

30. There you go!

That just may have been the name.

[jmowreader]

23. You won't believe it...

The official name for that stuff is "Waterproof tape." Comes in dark green, desert tan, black, olive, red and white.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. Speed tape might be better.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_tape

[pinboy3niner]

3. You spelled it wrong

[madinmaryland]

12. Free the duck!!!!

[Paper Roses]

13. Hey, did you steal this duck? Only old timers will know! n/t

[trof]

15. This old timer remembers all but her name.

[pinboy3niner]

19. graywarrior

[OxQQme]

26. ha ha.

I had a t-shirt with 'duck taped' on it.
Lots of giggles.

[NightWatcher]

4. Now go use a fork lift to lift a box of forks

Channeling my inner Mitch Hedberg.

[dawg]

5. Fun fact: it was originally called "duck" tape.

Due to it's ability to hold together even in wet situations.

But "Duck Tape" is a brand name, so the knock-offs had to come up with something to call their products. They landed on "duct" tape. But the tape was never really any good for taping ducts. As for ducks ...

[ChickenGuru]

6. Believe it or not.

I have actually taped a duck with duct tape.
There's a condition called "angel wing" in call ducks where the wing sticks out at a severe angle.
You have to catch it early and bind the wing tight to the bird's body and most times it'll cure it.
Now ya know.

[dawg]

7. Are you graywarrior's sock puppet?

Just kidding!

[TexasBushwhacker]

20. I heard that's caused by poor diet

From people throwing them bread and such.

[ChickenGuru]

25. That's one cause.

It's also thought to be genetic.
An ultra high protein, low vitamin diet can be a contributing factor.
Poor little things just grow too fast and screw up their "wrists".

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. Why a duck? NT

[lunatica]

9. because calling it dick tape would spell horrible to contemplate disaster?

[pinboy3niner]

11. I don't even want to imagine graywarrior's torturedick gif

[Ron Obvious]

14. Because it's made of wood. n/t

[Mendocino]

29. Well we did do the nose...

and the hat.

[LiberalElite]

17. Marx Bros. reference? eom

[whistler162]

18. You taped duck's?

[ChickenGuru]

27. It's in every farmer's toolbox.

Along with baler twine and wire.
Sometimes you just want something to hold together until the job is done.
Then you can fix it proper.

With poultry, you need a tape that's water resistant and hard for them to get off.
I've fixed wings, slipped tendons in legs and pendulous crops with tape.

[NV Whino]

21. It's actually gaffers tape.

Took me years to learn to call it duct tape.

[OxQQme]

28. There's a difference

between duct and gaffer tape.

snip> Gaffer tape (also known as gaffer's tape or gaff tape[1] as well as camera tape and spike tape for narrow, coloured gaffer tape) is a heavy cotton cloth pressure-sensitive tape with strong adhesive properties. It is widely used in theatre, photography, film and television production, and industrial staging work.

While similar to and often confused with duct tape, it differs in the composition of both the backing, which is made from fabric as opposed to vinyl or other plastics, and the adhesive, which is usually rubber-based, more resistant to heat and allows easier removal without damaging the surface to which it was adhered.[2][3][4]

The precise origin of the name is unknown, one theory being that it is named for the gaffer (chief lighting technician) on a film crew.[5] When cables are taped down on a stage or other surface, either to prevent tripping hazards or conceal them from view of the audience or camera,[6] they are said to be gaffed or gaffered.[7][8][9]

The original manufacturer was the Permacel division of Johnson & Johnson,[10] and until the brand's discontinuation by the current owner, was both the preferred brand and a generic reference used in the film, stage, and TV industries.<

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaffer_tape

[Hassin Bin Sober]

24. Use the aluminum foil tape. Do all the ducts you can plus the seams on the furnace.

I did my furnace and now the furnace room is no longer unnecessarily heated and cooled.

[quickesst]

31. In 20 plus years...

... I never had to buy one single roll of the aluminum type. Worked in construction alongside HVAC people and always found someone willing to give me a roll. It's all they used on their ductwork. Great stuff.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

32. Yeah, it ain't cheap.

Somehow I have two rolls of it right now. About $16 bucks a roll, IIRC. I think customers paid for it.