Power Roof Vents Problems

In researching the topic of attic ventilation in the past i figured out the building code rules worked well for roof pitches up to 6 12.

Power roof vents problems.

Of course you try to make the attic scuttle hole use air tight trim on your ceiling cans but it would be foolish to ignore the benefits of a reasonably powered attic fan working in connection with adequate soffit venting. After that a different level of thinking is required. One potential problem would be sucking moist moldy air up from the crawl space intothe house. There is no risk of problems such a rust and bearing wear an tear as well when comparing it to other motorized ventilation alternatives.

On paper the high vents are. By keeping your attic or roof cool and dry you will use less energy within your house to try and maintain a comfortable home without using external air conditioning equipment. For proper ventilation both high and low vents should be installed. Power attic ventilators can cause problems even without air conditioning.

I blogged about this earlier. Power vents shouldn t be used because they create more problems than they fix. The research concluded that if a powered attic ventilator will be used there must be a good air barrier between the living space and the attic. Problems and solutions mixed exhaust vents.

I would look at a lot of problems and instantly point to insufficient roof ventilation as the cause and recommend more roof. Roof vents and power roof vents are made to work in conjunction with vented soffits so that outside air will replace superheated attic air during hot summer days. Roof vents create an additional roof penetration essentially another place of vulnerability where leaks can occur. I used to think roof ventilation was the cure all for everything.

If you use the older style of roof vent to provide air circulation then you must install traps or blockage points that prevent them from nesting in your attic s insulation. Radiant barrier stapled to underside of roof. Another would be backdrafting a water heater and putting carbon monoxide in the house. Because solar attic fans operate with a lower power output they are unable to move as much air as some of the other options that are available.

These are real problems from real houses that have really happened. This protection feature reduces the amount of air that moves which defeats the purpose of the older designs in the first place.