Hi all,
Attached is a photo of a ceiling cover for a bathroom vent (from the 50’s) and I have noticed that when we get a good wind, the inside air is sucked right up through the cover and out of the house. Okay during the summer, but not what I want in winter.
Is there some kind of replacement cover that stays closed until the fan is turned on, or is there some other way to control the draft?
Thanks.
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Replies
Is this fan in the ceiling or wall?
Ceiling.
Could put a "butterfly" damper in a vertical piece of duct. It would open with the force of fan air and then fall shut when the fan is off. This is a common piece of gear. I have one sitting in my basement shop about 20' from where I sit. Too bad you're so far away.
There should be a damper (one-way valve) at the output port of the fan box, and generally the vent on the exterior of the house also incorporates such a damper. However, neither of these will prevent air from being sucked out, since the dampers can't tell the difference between air being blown out and air being "sucked" out.
Reorientation of the outside vent to reduce the suction effect may be the only solution.
However, note that the real problem may be air INFILTRATION in a strong wind (air blowing through the siding/around windows on the upwind side of the house), and the air is being "sucked out" through the fan only to reduce inside pressure.
Change the whole fan unit out for a new Panasonic and be done with it.
agreed.