leak from turbine ventilator

[Bill Athanasopoulos]

I have a turbine type ventilator installed on the roof. It was installed several years ago to improve a humidity problem which has since been resolved.

Within the past year we have noticed a slight leak in the kitchen pantry exactly beneath the ventilator. Water is evident only a few time a year and I cannot determine where it is coming from. I inspected the ventilator but did not see any obvious cracks in the base. I applied tar around the base in case there was a crack in the roof near the base, but the problem has not been solved.

The problem appears only certain times like after a heavy rainfall or snow, but it is not always consistent. Any ideas?

[Zypher]

Some folks wrap a trash bag around the ventilator to do two things. Stop the heat from leaving the attic in the winter, and stop sideways rain from entering.

[Joe Bobst]

One of the best arguments of all for using soffit and peak vents. You may want to investigate that possibility. HTH

Joe

[Joseph Meehan]

I suggest getting rid of that thing when you can. Until then they make covers for them or you can try some heavy duty plastic very well secured.

Proper passive venting is a much better solution in almost all situations.

[Joseph Meehan]

Which in the snow belt, is exactly the wrong thing to do. Yea, I know they do it, but you really want that area under the roof to be the same temperature, or close to it, as outside. In areas with no snow or ice accumulation, then OK as long as there is adequate ventilation without it.

[Michael Baugh]

Some idiots have turbine type ventilators, and put a garbage bag over them in the winter. This is to cause water vapor carried with the heat to condense in the attic, and to encourage ice dams, and to stop windblown rain from entering, since it would be stopped by a ridge vent.

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle

Zef , we do this in the south with the plastic bag because we don't have snow and no moisture problem with ice damns or ice on the roof. You can get away with it in the south but where you have snow and ice weather, you can't do it.

TURTLE

[bill a]

the leakage probably occurs when you have precipitation without any wind to spin the turbine. the water can easily splash past the fins, then. I had the same problem and cured it by simply attaching a round piece of galv to the top of the bearing frame (slightly more dia than the turbine). If you had a tinner make a shallow cone, it could maybe have a presentable appearance. In my case the unit isn't visible at all from the ground, so I used a flat piece of tin. In 5 years since, no leaks. If you have a tinner involved, another alternative would be to make a cone shape with a bug screen and a mounting ring, and replace the turbine altogether, and reuse the 12" dia base. hth bill

[Zypher]

I've always wondered if those 'turbine ventilators' really work? Do they really move that much more from the attic space than say a dormer might?

[bill a]

In the past, I've read that they are mostly a gimmick. I think that a similar "stovepipe" type of structure with a weather cap would do just as well. Some vertical height would seemingly let it draw like a flue, as opposed to the low profile static vents they sell at HD. I haven't seen any recent tech info on this, though. Bill

[nospambob]

[John Willis]

On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 16:07:13 GMT, "bill a" scribbled this interesting note:

is one place with some information about this. Here is an excerpt from another site: "Turbine ventilators are wind-driven devices which are designed in such a manner that wind from any direction causes the upper portion of the ventilator to rotate. As the turbine rotates, or spins, a reduced air pressure in the stack draws hot or humid air from the attic space." This last piece seems to explain it better than most any other source.

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

[nospambob]

[Zypher]

I have a small garage, 22 x 45 - :) and in the summer, some ventilation would be helpful. Maybe I should try a couple of turbine ventilators and some ventilation screens to relieve the air.... but then, I've been wanting to install solar photophelatic cells on the back side......

thanks for the thoughts.

[MUADIB®]

would that be wind from "any direction"?

convection air will create a breeze, wind will do the same, the turbine turns, draws/expells air form the attic............I have been in many attics in my lifetime, ones with some sort of ventilation other than static have always been cooler...............power vents seem best, but pull electicity, so are not optimal for energy conservation in my opinion., but the turbines seem to do a fair job of cooling an attic, whether it gets rid of all moisture or not, ..........well,...........use you imagination.

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MUADIB®

one small step for man,..... One giant leap for attorneys.

[nospambob]