Two years ago I had a new power vent installed to replace the previous one which stopped working after only two years. The replacement has also just stopped working. Is this normal for them to only last two years? When I had the replacement installed I also had some ridge vents installed thinking that if the power vent died again I could just not have it replaced since I had the ridge vents. Should I have the power vent replaced?
In my opinion, the answer is no. Ridge venting, along with proper sofit vents will perform as well or better than power vents and cost less money and bother.
Same here. About 2 years and not working. IIANM, only the motor has to be replaced but somehow I have not gotten around to crawling up there and seeing how easy it comes out. I for sure expected a better service life than 2 years.
Same here. I've had three of them. Never got more than 2 years out of any one.
Keep in mind that venting hot air in the summer is not the only thing attic vents do. In the winter, they vent humidity to keep it from condensing on the rafters and it also keeps the air cool enough to prevent ice damns. A power vent that is thermostatically controlled will not help in those instances. Proper venting will.
Replacing/fixing it may be worthwhile if for your own satisfaction. When you remove the motor, you need to check and see if the rotor is binding/frozen. If it is, instead of buying a replacement motor, fixing the problem may give you a long lasting motor. Many fan motors have fiber washers that deteriorate into a gooey mess that causes the shaft to bind. Take the motor apart and keep the washers which may include several material in the correct order. If you find a washer(s) going to pieces, set it/them aside and clean the shaft. Replace the deteriorated washers with nylon washers of the same thickness. All of the washers should be stainless steel, brass, or nylon. Replace any other type with an equal thickness of nylon washer. Clean any oil pads by spraying with WD40 and blotting. Oil the pads with Zoom or other turbine oil. Assemble the motor, and check for end play; make sure nothing hits when you push or pull the shaft and rotate it.
I have had good success in restoring several small motors to service by simply changing fiber washers to nylon washers, cleaning, and oiling. My current power vent says to oil every 3 months (a ridiculous requirement that no home owner would do). It has operated without any further maintenance for many years since it froze and I repaired it.
Just rip it off your roof and toss it in the garbage. Fixing the hole in the roof is optional. I'd just leave the hole open, because you will save on the water bill that way.
I find it pretty amazing that several people all say the same thing, in which these fans only last 2 years. Heck, I got a box window fan that runs almost continuously all summer. The thing is at least 10 years old, and I have never done anything to it. I dont care for Air Conditioning, nor do I want to pay the electric. I just put the fan in the window in spring, open several other windows on the opposite end of the house and let it run until fall. The only time I shut it off is on those few cold summer nights, and during heavy storms.
Jim, what brand vent do you have? Also the other people who said theirs only lasted 2 years, what brand is (was) it? If they are all the same, I would say its time to complain to the manufactrer and possibly the Better Business Bureau. If people dont complain these companies will keep selling junk and making lots of money in the process.
I'm a believer in having both a power vent and ridge vents. Mine has been working flawlessly for 6 years. Before I installed the ridge vents, it ran almost continuously, but now runs for about 5 hours a day, because the ridge vents can't keep up with the heat generated in mid summer.
So I recommend you replace it with a more expensive 2 speed with a guarantee.
Your friendly motor repair facility. If you are lucky in a small town, they may give you what you need rather than messing with it, like I use to get. With growth the big repair places are likely to charge $5 for a 25cent item. But among Home Depot, Ace hardware, Lowes, and any electric supplier you can usually get a fit.. The outside diameter can often vary considerably as long as there is no inteference, the inside diameter is more important but still need not be exact. The thickness of the entire composite of washers can be critical but not the thickness of the individual washers. And the number of washers to achieve the thickness not critical at all.
You might want to check to see if the unit is still under warranty. I purchased a Leslie-Locke (MasterFlow) power vent a little over a year ago. The motor seized up at the one year mark. Turns out the unit has a 7 year warranty. I called their customer service # and they shipped out a free replacement the next day. I wasn't impressed with the early motor failure, but I was very impressed with the company's customer service.
You might also want to check for possible thermostat failure before you get to far into this.....check out previous posts "Attic Exhaust Fan-How to Test Thermostat" July 2004, and "Attic Exhaust Fan-How" June 2004
I like doing a lot of repairs myself, but this has to be one of the worst to waste time on. You can buy a whole new fan for $50-75 bucks. And from a fire safety standpoint, I wouldn't be fooling around putting a questionable motor back into an attic.
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