Attic Fans Cause Headaches for Plumbers
by Guest Post on Jan 13, 2016
Many homes have attic fans. These fans used primarily to help exhaust hot air from your attic keeping your home cooler in the summertime. Typically the fan is operated by a control that senses heat and humidity in the attic. As the heat and humidity rise the fan turns on sucking the unwanted heat out of your attic and replacing it with cooler air from outside keeping your home much cooler.
Sounds great right? Hold on just a minute before you rush out to have one installed in your home. There are a few things you need to know about attic fans.
When these fans turn on they remove air at a pretty fast rate. This rate is measured in C. F.M ( Cubic Feet Per Minute ). For every C.F.M the fan draws out of the attic it must be replaced with new incoming air from outside the home. Since air is being used to keep the house cooler there is a good chance it's summertime, the windows are closed and the air conditioning is on.
The theory behind this is when these fans are installed is that it will draw new air from other vents placed in and around the attic during construction. The problem is that most installers fail to measure the roof vents to see if they are equal to or greater than the C.F.M of the attic fan rating.
It's easy to run down to the local supply house pick up an attic fan, install it and think you just solved the homeowner's issues... Or you just created a nightmare! If the attic fan draws out 2,000 C.F.M and the additional roof vents will only allow in 1,000 C.F.M, the fan will be looking for other areas of the house to draw the remaining balance of air from.
Because most attics are not isolated from the rest of the house, the fan begins to draw from every nook and cranny of the house. If your home has an atmospheric vent water heater it will have a vent pipe leading to the outside of the home. Since all the windows are closed and the A/C is on guess where that balance of 1,000 C.F.M is going to come from? You got it! The water heater exhaust vent.
The next time the water heater burners start the carbon monoxide it produces will be leaching into your home instead of going outside. It can leave a local plumber scratching his head if they are not familiar with the depressurization of a structure. It can be frustrating knowing the water heater worked just fine in the wintertime but in the summer it's poisoning the occupants.
Correcting the issue on the plumbing side of things is easy. TURN THE ATTIC FAN OFF until proper make-up air can be supplied to the attic. The gas-fired water heater will begin to draft immediately.
Popular Articles
Three Places to Spend Money on the Exterior of Your Home
When you have the exterior of your home remodeled, you are investing, time, energy and convenience into the project and you want to make sure that...
93680 Views
Homemade Headboards-Make an Upholstered or Wooden Headboard
Homemade headboards can add a lot of personality to any bedroom. They can be coordinated with existing furniture and room decor or they can be the...
73780 Views
When to Use a Brush, Roller or Sponge Brush
Brushes are a good choice for painting trim and woodwork. They are also useful for cutting in the edges around the top and bottom edges and corners...
71532 Views
Creating a Cottage Kitchen with Bead Board
Kitchen decor can range from modern and bold to elegant and elaborate by using strategic kitchen pieces. One of the most popular decorating trends...
52274 Views
Gas Fireplace Diagnostics and Troubleshooting
Follow these steps for diagnosing and troubleshooting Gas Fireplaces repairs. For the average DIYer, this may seem intimidating, depending on the...
30391 Views
Latest Articles
Troubleshooting Excess Water in Your HVAC Secondary Condensate Drain Pan
When maintaining your air conditioning system, it is easy to overlook the condensate drain pan - until excess water starts pooling in places where...
on Jan 12, 2025
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): A Beginners Guide
By combining the advantages of stock market and real estate investing, Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs, offer an alluring investment...
on Dec 19, 2024
Global Real Estate Trends: What’s Driving Property Investments This Year?
For investors hoping to optimize returns in the ever-changing world of real estate, knowing current trends is not merely a matter of staying...
on Dec 19, 2024
5 Reasons to Use Gutter Cleaning Services
Gutters protect your home from water damage by directing rainwater away from your roof, walls, and foundation. However, they often required regular...
on Nov 14, 2024
Before You Sign: How Home Inspections Identify Hidden Hazards in Your Future Home
Buying a home is exciting, but hidden dangers can turn that dream into a nightmare if not addressed early on. Beyond what is visible during a...
on Oct 18, 2024
Featured Articles
What Type of Licensed Contractor Should You Hire?
on Feb 28, 2017
Hire Contractors / Estimates

Looking for a specialty project? There are many types of contractors available for your home improvement needs. Finding the right type of...
Actions
Top Categories
- Garden / Landscaping / Patio — 263
- Kitchen / Bathrooms — 240
- Real Estate / Finance — 202
- Appliance / Repair — 186
- Interior Design / Decor — 184
- HVAC / Air Conditioning — 148
- Cleaning / Maintenance — 144
- Improvements / Remodeling — 131
- Plumbing / Basements — 118
- Floors / Tile / Hardwood — 116
- Doors / Garages — 113
- Safety / Security — 113
Articles Archive
More DIY Articles
8 Tips for Easy Shed Building
You and your family have finally settled on the type of shed you want to build, congratulations. You have most of your materials ready to go and...
5 Top Tips for Designing the Bathroom of Your Dreams
Designing any room in your home from scratch can be an intimidating process, and this is especially the case when designing a bathroom. Bathrooms...
Mississippi Local Builders Associations
Find a local builder or council, please contact the home builders' association (HBA) in your area.
Ohio Local Builders Associations
Find a local builder or council, please contact the home builders' association (HBA) in your area.
Tips to Use the Extra Garage Space
The garage is one of the places in a house that is usually not well taken care of. Most people tend to just park their cars and rush inside their...