For those who have soffits and soffit vents.
My house lacks soffits. I'm sure some air sucks up around the fascia, but most of it comes in through a vent in each gable end. We've got a fan to help move air through the attic.
Cindy Hamilton
Cindy just brought up a good point. What if there are no soffit vents? If Micky's house has no soffit vents, only a ridge vent and you put a fan in the middle, part way up the roof, I can see that having a big effect on cooling. Many houses have soffit vents and then the insulation installers later shove insulation over them, blocking them. There are plastic chute things available that you staple to the underside of the roof between each rafter, down by the vents, extending up a few feet to keep them open. Same are used in vaulted ceilings to keep the bays open for air.
Somehow he appears to have both - - -= ---
Not if you have a good vapor barier and all the light boxes etc are properly sealed, and the fan vent duct is tight. A lot of IFs.
They did
The only way it would do much good is if EITHER the soffit vents or the ridge vent were severely restricted - otherwise convection would be MUCH more effective than a piddly fan.
Then you MOST likely don't have a ridge vent either. My first house was that way - a story and a half with knee walls (which were not insulated) and storage behind the knee walls. Hotter than hades in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. The previous ownwer had put insulated plugs in the vents for the winter - which HAD to be removed for the summer. I quickly insulated the knee walls and was able to leave the vents open - but the doors to the storage area were still cold - even with foam-board glued to them.
Because I do. In a post farther down, I explained that I've always had the ridge vent, but until I got the fan, the 2nd floor was too hot to tolerate from when I got home at 5:30 until I went to sleep, even at 11, probably at midnight. After I got the fan, the upstairs would be a little warm but I could go upstair when I got home, do my paperwork, go to sleep whenever I wanted.
The fan doesn't normally run at night The motor has thermostatic protection.
I know. That certainly makes sense and it must be happening to some extent but there is no arguing with success. The ridge vent has never been closed off. And I can see the soffitt vents from inside the attic. They're about 8" deep and as wide as the house.
If I used the fans, I would have at least considered correcting that.
I've never noticed a hole in an outside wall to vent The 1st floor powderroom fan. The powder room is on the east side of the house (and the other two are on the west). Next time I'm in the attic I hope I remember to check if they vent it 20 feet up to near the roof.
Wouldnt that take an hour or two? It takes an hour or more without the fan and I can't imagine the fan would help much. So I'd be listening to that darn noise for an hour.
I bought mine in '83 when few people were on the net.
My fault. I shouldn't have used the word "any".
So let me rephrase the question. Given that the fan has served me well and I intend to continue to have one, is the rust he reports a good reason to replace the fan.
Given that the fan looks like new from the inside, I cant imagine there is enough rust one the outside to prevent the fan from being nailed firmly in place, even the current nail holes have gotten bigger.
You are wasting electricity and causing climate change. All the leftards are installing energy-efficient solar fans.
Ah. Vapor barrier. Nonexistent in my 1948 house. Not even a tarpaper.
Cindy Hamilton
How about replacing the fan with a set of simple roof vents low on the roof? To take the place of the missing soffit vents.
It only takes about 35 seconds to clear the condensation off the 16 sq ft mirror in the bathroom if I crack the window open half an inch or so. Letting the moisture get "sucked out" by the extremely dry outside winter air is VERY effective. Don't need fans aswe have windows in both bathrooms that can open if required.
A good coat of oilpased enamel on the plaster does the job- spray foam to seal around light boxes etc.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I do have soffit vents, the full width of the house, front and back, about 6 or 8" in width. And they are not obstructed. When I'm in the attic, I can see the light from the outside, through the soffit vents.
I'm not going to eliminate the fan.
The question is, Is the rust the roofer reports a good reason to replace the fan?
Given that the fan looks like new from the inside, I can't imagine there is enough rust on the outside to prevent the fan from being nailed firmly in place, even the current nail holes have gotten bigger.
And what else matters, except that the fan be firmly in place?
And that the motor spins and blows the air, and it does that.
It rusts from the outside in. We were not on the roof to inspect it. It could be cosmetic or close to failure. If it's cosmetic, paint it.
What did the roofer say about the ridge vent and the cause of your leak?
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