Power Roof Vents Problems

Radiant barrier stapled to underside of roof.

Power roof vents problems.

I blogged about this earlier. For proper ventilation both high and low vents should be installed. On paper the high vents are. Another would be backdrafting a water heater and putting carbon monoxide in the house.

I would look at a lot of problems and instantly point to insufficient roof ventilation as the cause and recommend more roof. That means you will need to double up your investment in this area. Power vents shouldn t be used because they create more problems than they fix. According to the article powered attic fans can create excess moisture structural problems and combustion safety in a home.

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. 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. There is no risk of problems such a rust and bearing wear an tear as well when comparing it to other motorized ventilation alternatives. I used to think roof ventilation was the cure all for everything.

Roof vents create an additional roof penetration essentially another place of vulnerability where leaks can occur. Power attic ventilators can cause problems even without air conditioning. One potential problem would be sucking moist moldy air up from the crawl space intothe house. 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.

This protection feature reduces the amount of air that moves which defeats the purpose of the older designs in the first place. Problems and solutions mixed exhaust vents. 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. After that a different level of thinking is required.

These are real problems from real houses that have really happened. 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.