Attic Vent Fan & Horizontal Rain - Floirda Style!!!

[infiniteMPG]

We had an old dome style vent fan in the roof and the motor had been shot for a couple years. A few weeks ago we finally got around to replacing the motor and replaced the dome, too (it came with it). Yesterday evening we had some storms pass thru and when i got home and checked, the rain gauge said 4-1/4" of rain had falled. The covered porch was soaked and a neighbor's tree had fallen so I assume the winds were pretty strong, too.

When I went in the house, directly under the vent fan I found there was a wet spot in the sheet rock of the ceiling. I didn't have time to crawl up and look directly but I am assuming that the winds were blowing the rains as we so happy call it, in to "horizontal rain" when it's going almost directly sideways at about 40mph. Had this happen a couple times before and it looks like the wind actually whips the rain up under the dome of the vent fan and it drips from under the fan down onto the ceiling of the master bedroom. The attic cooks in the summer so the fan is a great asset. And we just had the roof completely redone a few years ago so I doubt there's any issues with that.

Does anyone know of a good way to prevent this from happening? A pan under the fan? Add some extra material to the edges of the dome?

Thanks!

[Pipedown]

You should have the same roofing contractor come out and give you advice. A pan under the vent seems like it could work. If big enough,you might not need a drain. It just needs to hold the drippings until it gets hot enough again to evaporate the water. Some salt in the pan will inhibit scum and mold. A bit of copper containing algicide (also a salt) will also work to keep it from becoming a source of scum and mosquitoes. It could also be a failure of the flashing around that vent.

[Red Green]

"Pipedown" wrote in news:UuB4k.7817$ [e-mail]:

Mudd bucket. Board across the 2x's. Cheap and dirty.

This is assuming it's not a regular thing ever time it rains. Then it need's some kind of fixin'.

[Red Green]

infiniteMPG wrote in news:e8dd31e9-0746-4863-af09- [e-mail]:

4"+ at one shot. That's a lot of frikkin' rain! Even with torrential downpours and gusty winds 4" is unusual (to me anyway).

It didn't happen with the old hood I take it. Does the new hood differ much from the old one?

Isn't that called replacing the whole thing. Why would you say replaced the motor and replaced the dome? What I'm getting at is is there some part of the story missing here?

[infiniteMPG]

and gusty winds 4" is unusual (to me anyway).

We've had 21" of rain over 2-1/2 days before. When tropical front move thru west central Florida we get dumped on... literally.

from the old one?

Actually it did happen a couple times with the old hood and they're both the same (just different colors).

motor and replaced the dome? What I'm getting at is is there some part of the story missing here?-

The metal duct work is mounted and tarred to the roof, set in the shingled and all. I left the existing duct work there, replaced the motor, the motor mount and the dome. The duct work from the earlier fan remained so even though it's confusing I didn't replace the whole thing, just the guts and the cover. The new and old one mounted the same so it all matched up.

Was looking for something to mount under it in case this happens again and think I found the solution. I found a pan they sell in Lowe's for under hot water heaters. Pretty big aluminum pan with a hole and fitting for a drain hose if needed. Can wire this under the vent fan opening with heavy bailing wire and hook a hose ot tube to it if I get worried about more rain then it can hold. The whole thing cost about $8. I'll see how it goes.

[Norminn]

Do you have soffit vents? If not, and they can be added, there might be more updraft to keep air moving out at the top and not allowing the rain in. The sun was shining here when you guys got hit; I remember the weather report that day sounded crazy.

[infiniteMPG]

t be more updraft to keep air moving out at the top and not allowing the ra= in in. =A0

Yeah, all the way around the roof. I think when this happens it cools down so the vent fan isn't running so the only air movement is updraft from the heat. No heat, no updraft. And I have been out in these, it's the times when you hold the umbrella beside you and not above you to stay a little dry.

port that day sounded crazy.

Where you located? Heck, the sun can be shining here WHILE we're getting hit! hehehehe I'm just trying to get things set before the tropical storms come rolling in. That's when we get bucketloads.

[gfretwell]

I had a tad over 4" in an hour about 2 weeks ago. It took out my weather station again with a direct lightning hit but all I lost was the serial port to the PC ... again. Unfortunately that is on board, fortunately I was going to get rid of that board anyway for another problem.