Heating the house. Some things overlooked.

[Snattlerake]

Some of you are solving life's problems while sitting on the shtter.

That's where I do my best thinking! Many an invention has come from stinkin and thinkin.

 

[Rooster1971]

It’s been code for several years to vent the fart fan and dryer outside. Never really seen a detriment to an older home with the exhaust bath to the attic. Years ago, if the bath had an opening window you weren’t required. I have seen occasionally a structure that needed a ERV that was absolutely to tight. It’s referred to as dirty sock syndrome or sick building. Humidity builds up especially if the AC isn’t sized right or not enough fresh air exchanges.

 

[dennishoddy]

Wait a minute! I have the suckers in my bathrooms. Both bathrooms fog up extremely bad. So bad that water runs down the walls and water will build up on the air vents on the ceiling and my light fixtures. I’m wondering if this is the problem??! I went up into the attic and our master bath vent had insulation all around it so I moved it where it could properly vent. But it’s still fogging up bad. I don’t know what else to do. What do I need to check on the vent itself to make sure it’s working right? Knowing the idiot that built my house, it’s probably not hooked up correctly. When I had my HVAC system replaced about three weeks ago, they told me my air handler in the attic wasn’t properly installed. It didn’t surprise me one bit.

You don't want moist air vented to your attic. It must be vented outside the home. Back in the day, homes had gable vents to allow air flow through the attic that dissipated the moisture.
With the new high roof designs there are no longer gable vents so that moisture continues to gather in the attic until it becomes a problem.
Most roofers now offer roof vents either in the ridge of the roof or install roof vents near the peak with flashing that allow air exchange as long as there are vents lower in the soffits.
Hot air rises so the vents in the soffits take in air while the vents at the peak dispel the heat. The circulation of air reduces the moisture and temperature in the attic that improves the efficiency of the heat and air systems.

 

[Fredkrueger100]

The exhaust fans in the bathroom need to fit against the sheetrock very well. If there is a big gap you can use aluminum or duct tape to seal the void.
The fan as we know pulls in air and exhausts it through that flapper tube and that tube needs to have some length of vent pipe attached to it.
DO NOT just let it blow at the insulation a few inches away.

I will not debate weather or not it should exit the attic.

The grills on these fart suckers need to be cleaned when they get dusty.
If yours is sealed well and exhausting well it should easily hold up a few layers of bounty paper towels.
My cheap one will hold up 7 layers of those paper towels.
Select a size rolls not the full square ones.

Easy test.



I loaned my drill press to a friend and his dryer vented into the garage and in less than a month it rusted my drill press.
Everything in his garage was covered in rust and lint.

But his washer and dryer were 30 years old and clothes came out dripping wet almost.

My washer will spin stuff very dry.
In fact some of those small fleece blankets come out of the washer feeling dry as will some of my Merino wool socks.

Mine vents into my garage and my tools and such aren’t rusted thankfully. My dryer is incredible though. It dries clothes very quickly.

 

[Fredkrueger100]

You don't want moist air vented to your attic. It must be vented outside the home. Back in the day, homes had gable vents to allow air flow through the attic that dissipated the moisture.
With the new high roof designs there are no longer gable vents so that moisture continues to gather in the attic until it becomes a problem.
Most roofers now offer roof vents either in the ridge of the roof or install roof vents near the peak with flashing that allow air exchange as long as there are vents lower in the soffits.
Hot air rises so the vents in the soffits take in air while the vents at the peak dispel the heat. The circulation of air reduces the moisture and temperature in the attic that improves the efficiency of the heat and air systems.

I was thinking about running some ducts to the outside. Shouldn’t be that difficult. I have a bunch of soffit vents but only one vent on the top of the roof. The builder was so cheap he didn’t use anymore. It’s one of those fans that when the temp gets above 80 in the attic it kicks on. When I get a new roof I am having a bunch of vents installed.

 

[swampratt]

When I roofed my house (Myself) I stuck plenty of roof turbines on it. I had 5.
The house was built in 1974 and like always happens in these older homes I got a busted water line under the concrete.

I fixed that with Pex ran into the attic and I laid fiberglass insulation over it.

Well cold air just falls from the sky and I had one vent almost over that pex.
There was 3 feet of space between the Pex and the roof decking.
Still that cold air falling would freeze that water line.

I removed that turbine.
I am down to 4 and during cold winter days I bag them as I also have a gable vents and soffit vents and 14+" of insulation in the attic.

You can sure feel the heat difference in this 2 story when you bag the turbines.

People say it is not good to do that.. well I have tested humidity bagged and not bagged and there is ZERO difference in my attic.

If I re-roof this house again it is getting steel.
Same goes for all my houses.

 

[Forgalspop]

When I roofed my house (Myself) I stuck plenty of roof turbines on it. I had 5.
The house was built in 1974 and like always happens in these older homes I got a busted water line under the concrete.

I fixed that with Pex ran into the attic and I laid fiberglass insulation over it.

Well cold air just falls from the sky and I had one vent almost over that pex.
There was 3 feet of space between the Pex and the roof decking.
Still that cold air falling would freeze that water line.

I removed that turbine.
I am down to 4 and during cold winter days I bag them as I also have a gable vents and soffit vents and 14+" of insulation in the attic.

You can sure feel the heat difference in this 2 story when you bag the turbines.

People say it is not good to do that.. well I have tested humidity bagged and not bagged and there is ZERO difference in my attic.

If I re-roof this house again it is getting steel.
Same goes for all my houses.

I'm with you. I would go with a metal roof if our HOA would allow it. Our covenants require a composite roof. I have tried to get our members to change the covenants. Our roof is from 1999 and have plans to replace this spring. The roof does not leak and most likely would be good for another 10 years, but cosmetically not the best. The roof has a fair amount of hail damage, We have 2 whirlybird type turbines and when we had our solar installed I had a solar powered roof vent installed. In the past I have covered the turbines for the winter with no moisture problems. It does make a difference. Our house has soffit vents all around the house on 4 sides. Plenty of ventilation.

I did not get around to bagging the turbines this fall and yes it makes a difference. Think as soon as it warms a spell, I'll get up on the roof and cover the turbines and cover the solar powered vent.

 

[swampratt]

I did not get around to bagging the turbines this fall and yes it makes a difference. Think as soon as it warms a spell, I'll get up on the roof and cover the turbines and cover the solar powered vent.

When it is like this if you are able to do so you can get in the attic and push a section of fiberglass insulation up into the wind turbine hole.
This is as good as bagging it.
Easier to remove in the summer also.

 

[turkeyrun]

Some of you are solving life's problems while sitting on the shtter.

Are you peeping, again?

 

[tynyphil]

Thanks to last year's ice storm I have enough firewood to heat the house for 3 years. In fact it heated me 3X...once when cleaning and cutting the damage into 10-12' poles.......then again when I cut and split it into firewood.....and now in the stove. Making lemonade out of lemons so they say.