Roof Turbine Vents

Hello,
Do all turbine vents, turn one direction? Fins ))))or does the company make,(((( this dirrection also? Thank you for any info that you may provide.Sincerely, Jeff B.
jeffrey-brown@insightbb.com

They only turn one direction. What difference does it make so long it is spinning?

Wow, I just had a neighbor tell me that "you haven't covered up your whirlybirds! They are sucking out warm air!" I am new to this region of the country, western Kentucky, with no experience with these roof vents. I'm so glad I "Googled" the real solution as it brought me to your website. I will NOT cover them based on your advice. Thank you for the service!

Tamara

Tamara,
You are most welcome. Don't be a stranger. Stop back often.

We have an addition to our home that is about 30X30. It has vented soffits and square roof vents. There is an access to the attic through a closet it the room. When the wind blows at all there is constant air pushed down through the attic access and that area of the room is always cold in the winter. We had 40mph wind the other night. I opened the attic panel and the wind coming down was blowing my hair back!

We are thinking that there is not enough venting for the air to escape the attic area. We are considering installing turbine vents.

Are we on the right track??

DeeAnn,

Yes!

Oppisite turn direction is important, if I plan to build a wind turbin shaped like so O--O After all your company does build to get max spin out of turbin. Thank you

Windy tonight south of Houston along the coast turbine vent squeaking like crazy I climbed up the inside attic ladder and sprayed WD-40 into it. no more squeaking . Hope that ok .

Cosme,
That is an acceptable fix. A slightly heavier oil will work longer. When it starts to squeak again, you know what to do.

I Live In Ontario Canada.The Pitch Of The Roof On Our Addition Is Almost Flat. My Problem Is Snow Blows Thru The Vents. I Wonder If Turbine Vents Don't Allow The Snow In Because They Spin In The Wind? Please Let Me Know. Thanks!

Tom,
That is correct.

How is the best way to lubricate a squeaky vent? What is the best type of lubricant to use?

Garry,
Any spray lubricant will work.

the top of our turbine came off. can you fix it or does it have to be replaced?

Steve,
I think I would get a new one. The existing one might have been damaged and will not spin right as it could be out of balance. A new one is very affordable.

We have a couple of these on the roof, but one is a little noisy (as luck would have it, the one nearest our bedroom) - you can hear intermittent metal on metal striking sounds when the wind blows hard, which happens quite often at this time of the year in southern California. Are these repairable, or should the unit be replaced? Thanks!

Similar problem to Tom. I saw evidence of a leak, (discolored area in the ceiling) and went to the attic to investigate. I found 4 mounds of snow directly under the 4 vents along the roof's peak. It seems those vents are not adequate for blowing snow conditions. Any suggestions?

I have installed a turbine vent on my roof. It spins easilywhen turned by hand. Sometimes it will spin on it own. Mst of the time it does not spin while ohers in the neighborhood are working. What can be causing this problem?

Tom,
It could be out of level, it could be a defective ball bearing and/or the thing may be a piece of ........ Remember, always try to buy the highest quality when it comes to things you depend on.

Do my roof turbines need to be covered when it rains?

Techgy,

Roof turbines do not need to be covered when it rains. The spinning of the turbine shoots the rain away from the openings.

My gas central forced air unit is located in my attic, is it safe to cover the turbine vents? I have found some turbine covers simular to the air conditioner covers.

Denise,
Do not cover the turbine vents.

My turbines stopped turning in the wind. Do I need new ones or can they be fixed so they spin again?

Tim,
I have a new edition on my house, one story with a peaked roof . one half is a kitchen with vaulted celing the other half a bedroom with standard height celing. the contractor installed a turbine vent on the roof about center of the two rooms . the rooms have no windows on the south wall and the kichen has sliding patio doors on the east wall with floor to celing cupboards on the south wall.my problem is the kitchen is cold in the winter and you can feel a cold draft comming from behind the cupboards along the south wall and in the summer its warmer air. i do not believe the soffits are vented on the new edition. if i close the new bedroom door for a period of time that room gets cold. could this vent be creating a big vaccum? the previous owner of the property had these vents covered in the winter

Hi..sorry I disagree with everyone not putting a cover on your whirly birds {Roof turbines} when you have heavy rain & wind the rain will come right through the whirly and right into your attic. JUST HAPPENED Sacramento Calif.
Home Depot $9.00 a piece Put them on!

Alice,
Try spraying one of the aerosol lubricants on the ball bearing. Spin it by hand as you spray.

Kevin,
The cold rooms, in my opinion, are related to deficiencies in insulation, air infiltration, heating design, etc.

Steve,
This may have happened if the vent stopped turning or is turning slow. I am here to tell you the way they are designed they fling the rain away. I am proof of this and you can come see that mine do not leak even in the worst storms. Your leak may be a flashing issue, not the top of the vent.

Do turbine vents actually create a siphon (suction)when spinning?

Steve,
Yes indeed! Did you read all of my columns about these awesome vents? In one of the columns you will discover the huge amounts of air they suck from an attic at given wind speeds, No pun intended, but the figures will blow your mind.

Sorry I have 3 on my roof. The roof is 2yrs old. Everything is new. Has not leaked since I put the covers on. They do leak!! Come see my sheet rock. If you can look up and see daylight out It can & will Leak. I speak from Experience
Steve

Steve,
You made them leak...... You are NOT supposed to cover turbine vents. The moist air from your house migrated to your attic where it floated to the top of the roof TRYING to escape. It found the METAL turbines and the water rapidly condensed on the cold metal just like it does on a cold can of pop or beer in the summer. Remove the covers immediately. Whomever told you to cover them obviously did not pay attention in their high school physics class.

Hi
After a recent blizzard our roof turbine vent has become noisy at times. Is it possible to lubricate it from the roof? I would hate to have to try and get at it from inside the attic.
Thanks
Phil

Phil,
You may be able to use one of those thin straws that attach to the tip of those spray lubricants. You want to direct the spray to the ball bearing. I think you can do this easily. Be careful and don't fall off the roof!

Your comments about a squeaky turbine vent were very helpful. What type of heavy oil would you recommend to stop the noise? Is the turbine sprayed from inside the attic or outside? Are there any other recommendations to stop the noise? Once again, thank you for your valuable help.....we couldn't sleep all night.

Terry,
All of your questions have been answered in other comments. Maybe you were too drowsy to see them...... We had storms overnight and I am operating at about 50% today.

Hello, I have a question regarding vents. I live in Yuma AZ and the heat in my attic is insane (180+). I do not have soffits on my house. There are 4 gable vents but no way for air to get in. I do have short eaves and I was wondering if I can run three 2" holes (backed by metal screen) in every third or fourth eave to get the air circulating. Your thoughts?

We had turbine "Airhawk" vent installed a few years ago. It was very quiet. Last year we replaced the roof and the roofer commented on how quiet the vent was. This winter, we can hear the vent while inside the house (in just about every room) and even when the winds are slightly blowing. Do you think it was reinstalled incorrectly? Should we oil it? If so, what type of heavy oil?
Do we call the roofer back to check it out? Thanks, Jeanne

I have installed new roof, 30 year shingles by WinArt Roof, and have two roof turbine Vents. I have installed new Thermo Windows Brick to Brick.
In the winter I found water vapour inside my front bayview room and also water inside the upper level windows.

Any answer or help on this issue ?

Thanks .. Peter

Mark,
Why not install a continuous soffit opening? Cut a 2-inch-wide strip and put up the screening. You also need four of the turbine vents.

Jeanne,
Regular motor oil. You can also try the popular spray lubricants.

Peter,
Please go read all of my Condensation columns.

"AsktheBuilder
14 Feb 2008, 16:18
Mark,
Why not install a continuous soffit opening? Cut a 2-inch-wide strip and put up the screening. You also need four of the turbine vents."

Tim, thanks for the suggestion, but as I stated, I do not have soffits on my house, just an aproximate 8" painted wood overhang. Are you meaning to put 2" wide strips insted of holes in the eave? I was intending to put these in about every 4th frame in the eave header. Also the house is aprox 63' x 36', is four fans going to do the trick? Thanks for your time.

Mark,
There are innovative venting products that fit on the roof for your situation. Google continuous roof edge vents.

I live in Montreal and have a turbine vent installed. Last night I discovered a pile of snow directly beneath my vent which I quickly removed. The reason I was up in the attic was to search for the source of water dripping right through a light fixture in my bedroom. Any advice on how to stop this snow from piling up again?

I have a single wide mobile home that I am having the roofing replaced. Because the front 2 small bedrooms have an attic
space above them, they get exception-ally warm in the summer. I live in Alamogordo, New Mexico. I want to have a small turbine roof vent installed over the above area. However, I am having trouble finding anything that is less than 12 inches in diameter. The storage shed in the lot next to me has a small 8 or 10 inch turbine on the roof, however, the present owner does not know where this vent was purchased as it was installed by the previous owner. Can you provide me with the name or names of any suppliers that would have small turbine vents. No one locally can help me, as they only carry 12 inch or larger turbine vents.

Hello Tim, I need to vent my range hood. Scared to punch a hole in my roof, I have 2 turbines and soffitts, can I vent my range hood into my roof turbine vent? Ideally I will run ducting as far into the inside of the turbine to limit what enters the attic - might not be code but will it work?

Hello,
My friend is looking to install a turbine vent on the top of his roof. The diameter of his venting duct is 6 inches. We have looked all over the place and can't seem to find turbine heads with less than 12 inch diameter? Do those even exist or is it ok to put a 12 turbine of a 6 inch venting duct.
Thank you so much

David,
I wonder if it needs to be oiled. When it snows there is often a gentle wind. This would turn the turbine and expel snow. A static turbine will allow rain and snow to enter.

Howard,
No! You can't run the hood to the turbine vent. You can install the new hood cap! Did you not watch my video about this???????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gee3itzjOG0

Stevezy,
Why not just install the 12-inch turbine vent the right way? Go watch my video about Installing a Bath Fan Flashing.

My fabulous turbine from 1939 has started making a banging sound. I oiled it but it still bangs. I checked on the roof, and I noticed it feels a bit loose and can move it back and forth. When it spins the middle rod spins with it. Is it supposed to be a bit loose? Is the middle rod supposed to spin or stay still?

Mel,
It sounds like the bearing is worn out. Time for a new high-quality turbine!

Hello Tim,
We are buying an older home that has rusted tourbines that the inspector mentioned in is report. Are rusted tourbines a big deal and what are the consequences of not replacing them? Thank you for your response.

Shireen,
Get some paint...... and oil the bearings.

We are having a new roof installed and the roofer has recommended installing 3 turbines. How does one determine how many turbines to install. Also, what is the best placement for them?
Thank you,

Janet,
I cover this in some of the other columns I have about Turbine Vents. You should read those.

Steve mentioned when he covered the turbines the rain intrusion stopped. I have not installed my turbines yet, but have read instructions that talked about caulking the seams inside and outside base along the slide junction on the base and other external seams where the top slides onto the base jack.

Perhaps the installers didn't get something sealed properly, with tens of thousands of the turbines sold yearly I can't imagine there would be a design problem with rain. One builder has started using them on new houses in our city.

To settle the issue of leaking I have had two turbines now for almost thirty years on the same roof and have through a lifetime warranty always kept them spinning. Only once in all that time I did see a watermark on the celing drywall under one of the vents and it was after an exteme downpour that had absolutely no wind associated with it. Very very rare but can happen.

Jim,
Thanks for that data. Very fascinating. You bet it is rare to have rain like that with no associated wind. The fall of the rain itself produces outflow as the water droplets displace the air. The air needs to go somewhere - down and then sideways - so wind is produced at some point.

I am having a new roof installed with both continuos soffit vents (because we have no overhang) and rigde vent. We have a gable roof and 2 gable vents (front/back). The roof is not large (about 12 squares). Would it be counter-productive to add a turbine in addition to the ridge/soffit system?
Thanks.

Claire,
I would forgo the ridge vent and install two 14-inch turbine vents.

Since my last post I have installed two 14 inch Lomanco turbines. If we build another new home I will use turbines and soffit vents from the start. The turbines are quiet and do a far better job. This morning we had a strong down pour and I went into the attic to see if I had any leakers. So far so good. I love these things, glad I didn't install a power vent.

Hi,

I live in Miami and have 2 broken turbines on my roof which i am considering taking out they have been like that since i purchased the property - is that a good idea? it seems that they are more for cold places...my attic has insulation, do i still need to replace turbines with new one's and if so are they noisy and do they need maintenance?
thanks...
N

Noe,
If anything, you should be adding three more.

I had 3 turbines installed on my roof but they were not placed vertically to the ground. They tilt with the slope of the roof. They spin OK but I am concerned if they were installed correctly. All the other turbines in the neighborhood are aligned vertically. Do they need to be adjusted? Thanks.

Jack,
The installer goofed up. Fix them.

Tim,
I recently purchased a new home and it has an electric exhaust fan. I have alway lived in a home with turbuines. My questions are: How do I know it works (moves enough air)? Does it kick on/off auotmatically? Would installing turbines in addition to the electric fan help or hurt? FYI - BOTH my electric hot water heater AND my AC/Heat-pump are in the attic. I live in central Arkansas and the summers usually get brutally hot and humid.
Thanks for any advice at all!

Mike,
I have a few columns about these powered fans. They are called Powered Attic Ventilators or PAVs. Please read all of my columns about these. They can move tremendous amounts of air, much more so than wind-powered turbines.

I see that this article is a bit old but hopefully it is still active.

I have seen covers for these turbines in the stores. I have seen people cover their turbines during the winter. It sounds like it shouldn't be covered.

I live up in the mountains where we get snow, lot of rain and lots of pine needles. If I don't cover these turbines then will rain water and pine needles get through it to the attice?

Thank you.

Is it possible to generate electricity from your attick wind turbins?

Thanks,

Barry

I'm getting a new roof because of hail damage(my first experience).The roofer is putting in 3 turbines (I have none).
My neighbors have square boxes, no one has turbines .Am I doing the right thing or should I get those little square thingies instead.

We are considering the solar roof fan or the turbine type. We live in the desert in southern Nevada, we have a triple wide mobile home 60' x 34' and the solar type I'm looking at are rated at 500 cfm and that means I need 4 units. Would I be better off with wind turbines?

I have 3 turbine roof vents that are approx 2-3 ft off the roof ridge but unless there are extreme winds, they don't spin. They spin easily by hand but quit after a few minutes. Should I replace them?

I have gable vents, but no soffit vents ... will turbines work ok? Will solar roof fans hold up to TX weather (hail and heat)? Thanks!

We have 2 wind turbines like the one you show, on our roof. We put them there years ago and they are doing a fine job on keeping the attic cooler. They run almost all the time.

Is there any way that they could be "hooked" to a system to harness the wind power for electicity?

Is there such a system already in place that I could look into?

do the whirlybirds work better than the vents that are shaped like a half moon???

I HAD 2 ROOF TURBINES BUT WHEN I PUT THE NEW ROOF ON I LEFT THEM OFF HOW MUCH TO INSTALL 4 NEW ONES

Hi Tim,


I have 6 wind powered turbo vents (aluminum)on the roof of my very small factory space.

Was wondering if I can add electric exhaust fans to these as it's extremely hot where I am all year round and the natural ventilation effect with the wind is not enough to cool our space to an acceptable level.

I really want to pull the hot air out.

So can I just attach some kind of fans underneath these turbine vents which would be speedy adjustable and on really hot days turn them on?

Or do I pretty much just have to buy new electric turbines to replace these?

Also was thinking of putting together a home made sprinkling system on the roof to help cool it further on the hottest days (the water would come out in a spray form and evaporate before spilling over the edges of the roof).

Appreciate your comments on these ideas.

Thank you very much and warmest regards,

Matt

Hi again Tim,

Matt again.

As I just thought of another option.

I could leave the 6 turbines as they are and instead install a couple of powerful roof exhaust fans for use during the Summer months (would space them evenly between the turbines)?

What do you think would work best for moving a lot of hot air out fast?

Thank you and warmest regards,

Matt

You mentioned 12" and 14" turbines. Are these the only sizes I need to Look for? I am replacing three power vents whose motors never last.

send info pls

I am selling my home - the buyers had a roofer inspect our roof. We have a brand new roof (just put in all new shingles last month.) The Roof inspector said that you can't have turbines next to ridge vents as they counter act each other. My turbines are NOT electric- they are passive. My roofer says this is incorrect - they are both passive and will not conflict. Who is right??

Are turbines the best form of roof ventilation, or is there a better method?

I have a duplex, and during the winter the pilot lites go out on two seperate furnaces, once in a while about 2 or 3 times for each furnace, and of course I need to go back out to the apartment and re light them, the furnance is 40 years old and has new thermocouples and the thermostat works fine on both.

The vent is an 8" and has both furnaces and both water heater venting out it and up to the roof, which the vent pipe comes out right at the peak of the roof tip.

I have a rain cap, but it is also 40 years old, would a turbine wind roof vent cap work to reduce this problem?

Thanks
Rob

I recently bought a duplex and it has a large vent between the 2 units. I realy can't get to it through the attic. How can I teel if this is electric? tks.

i have a hip roof (8:12 pitch) with no soffits (i.e. no overhangs) and only 2 small eyebrow vents together providing about 1 sq. ft. of venting. neither of the eyebrows is very low on the roof. (the house was built in the '20's and wasn't properly vented.)

i'm going to install a whole house fan with low speed 3200cfm and high speed 4500 cfm. my understanding is i need venting of at least 4 sq. ft. net free area to accommodate the fan.

any suggestions? turbine vent? or vents? how do you measure "net free area" with a turbine vent? would you suggest another solution? do i need several passive lower vents for general attic health? thanks so much.......steve

we live in nebraska and we have wind our house roof is steep our water tank vent is on the east side and everytime we get east wind it blows out like blowing out a candle we have had plummers change the vent top and we are looking into lenghting the pipe more but then we have a huge pipe with guide wires and i would really not like that is there a vent top that would stop that

Why do power roof vents include a bug screen when turbine roof vents do not? Can the bug screen be removed to improve air flow for the power vents?

I just installed a 12" attic vent with a friend of mine who is a builder. We made sure it is level in every way and the unit only spins when it's a fairly strong breeze. My father the heat from the attic rising should cause it to spin too. Think it may be defective?

I heard that if your turbine roof vents spin the wrong way, you could end up voting democrat. Is this a danger, especially for 2008?

Tim,
Would I be able to use the turbine vents to allow air IN? I have a power "mushroom" vent, although the house has no soffitting originally. Would the turbine vent work in reverse, or should I use reverse vents low on the roof? Thank you, Anthony

I converted the space above my garage into an attic. I have soffit ventilation but it gets hot up there in the summer. Should I install a fan to blow the hot air out?

Thanks
John

Have a 32X68 doublewide home with plenty of soffit venting and those weird looking roof vents (like little bunkers). Will adding turbines help or is there a need. We have a lot of shade with sun hitting the roof only between about noon and 4pm. Thanks

I have a 14 x 20' cottage at the lake with no attic and no ventilation. Would it be adequate to put a single turbin vent on the roof?

Know of any manufacturer that has combined a small generator in their turbine roof vent? I want to create a rooftop electrical farm on my roof. Obviously the turbine(s) would sit on my roof and spin without venting the roof.The purpose of this turbine would be to generate electricity,feeding a battery pack or going straight into my homes electrical grid. A $40.00 turbine with a $20.00 generator inside would be very practical.
As a kid my bicycle was equipped with a generator that spun off the tires with wiring for a headlight and tail light. This should be simple technology.

I live in upstate NY I have a flat roof 7ft by 7ft that was a Widows Watch on top of the house with a hatch we rebuit the roof and removed the hatch now in the winter I am getting moisture I am going to install a spinning type vent , how should I install it.I assume it should be raised up at least 6" because of snow Please help.

Question: I live in a tropical climate with heavy rains and flying termite infestation during the start of the rainy system.

What is the best Roof ventilation for a house under these conditions..

Thank you in advance.

Herb

What brand of turbine would you recommend? We have attic air from Lowes. Is this a good quality?

We are discussing adding turbines with our new roof installation. Does it make a difference on North or South side of roof and should we keep our electric attic fan in case it is really hot?

so i am about to install two of these w/ soffits to match and i am wondering how high up to put these. it seems that it isn't desired to put them to where they are to be higher then the roof. what is the general idea behind this? is it merely cosmetic or does this serve a functional purpose? thanks

Thank you for the information on turbine roof vents. I live in a flat roof trailer in the desert's of Arizona. The roof is sheet metal thus causing the place to be very hot even though I run 3 a/c units and numerous fan's. Would a turbine roof vent benefitmy situation in any way? I heat with a wood burning stove. Any other suggestion's to cool this place down?

I already have a flashing and raised tin installed in my garage roof for what was supposed to be an opening for a chimny and wood stove.
Is there a wind turbine made that will simply slip down over the existing metal and flashing?

I am replacing my power roof vents because they are shot. I am going with turbine vents. They other problem is I have found racoons in my attic. If I replace the vents with new ones, will the animals be able to get in through the new turbines?

No soffit vents - house (Michigan) is approx 1400 sq ft 1950s ranch w/o soffits. Have 8 static pot vents and 1 solar vent unit (w/o thermostat) already. Want to install radiant barrier over attic batt and blown insulation and think these might not be sufficient to remove hot air and moisture. Would adding a turbine vent help? BTW - what are your thoughts on radiant barriers (foil laid over insulation)?

I'm in Mississippi...i have 2 gable vents with soffit vents.it stays really hot in my attic..it is a large open attic about 2,000+ square feet.i wanted to add some turbines to the roof. need to know whats the difference between internally braced and externally braced turbines?and which ones u might suggest

My husband just installed two roof turbines, one is turning with little breeze but the other does not. Shouldn't they turn at the same speed?
Thanks, Aline

Simple question. Should I consider installing electrical turbines? I am in Denton, TX and the attic is so very hot that I am having trouble cooling my 3,000 sq ft home. Thanx!!!

I hate hornets and bees!!
is there a screen on the inside of turbine that keeps these pesky creatures out?
or should I install a piece on the inside of the attic?
if so, would the size of screen make any difference in the air flow?
great site!

When installing a roof turbine on a
garage roof, does it depend on the
square footage of the garage as to how
many turbines you install?
Thank you for an answer. Neal

Hi Tim, I have a customer who wants to vent an attic, approximately 1200 sq.ft. She has one gable vent and nothing else. She does not have soffits that can be vented. So, would putting a turbine vent in be ok to work with this gable vent? The reason there is only one gable vent is that at the other end of the attic there is a wall and cathedral ceiling going into the rest of the house. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I have an older house built in the 50s. There are several standard top vents, but very little ventilation on the lower part of the roof. There are no soffits that I can put vents in the lower part. I am putting more insulation in the attic. Will this be sufficient to prevent Ice Dams, or should I use a turbine or fan vent in the top. I live in Colorado, so 120 deg. temp swings from summer to winter are common.
Mike

I live in Florida 2 Questions. In high winds 75mph+ would the spinning of the roof turbine could it create a partial vacume changing the air pressure under the roof and allowing the hurricane to lift the roof easier? also if a house was constructed with eves that would break away in high winds and the wind had nothing to get under and lift. would it still rip off the roof. Please answer ASAP we have a hurricane about 36 hours away. Thanks J

Great article. We have a few of these turbines and they don't spin at all, i have never once seen them spin. Should I replace them with newer turbines? Is it possible that these current ones have "gone bad" and lost their ability to spin freely?

We have 2 turbines on our roof. Sometimes they squeal. We know they can be oiled. But from the ground we can also see that they are rusty. Should they just be replaced?

It looks like rain can enter a roof turbine vent, I assume the design prvents this. What is the principal behind this?

I recently had turbines installed on my house. Sometimes they do not turn at all while neighbors beside me and across the street are turning at a good clip.

My turbines do not appear to be installed where the top is level. Could this be the reason. Also my attic is very well insulated.

I had two turbines installed on my house but one turns more often and faster than the other. Is this normal or does it mean one is not working well?

1) I have 14" aluminum turbines I bought from sears 30 yes ago. Many need bearings. Were can I get bearings and how to install.
2) I'm considering non powered vents from roofvents.com. Do you have any idea of the difference of airflow characteristics between turbine and passive vents?
Hurricane Gustav blew off one vent so I need an answer asap
Thanks

How is it that these vents allow air to pass out, but not allow water (rain) to pass in?

I have a workshop attached to my garage. There is insulation between the rafters, but no vents. I occasionally heat this space in the winter. This summer, moisture collected on the surface of the insulation. Would a turbine vent be a food fix to help remove the moisture and what should I do in the winter when I heat this space. Thanks.

Lets try this again as I think my message was lost.
I have a little bit different use in mind for the passive wind ventilator. I would like to use it as a power source to produce a small amount of electricity. I would like to know what the torque is at or near the base of the lower bearing a different wind velocities. Thank You

Hi

Just wanted to check re: roof turbines - do they need to be covered or removed during hurricanes?

The ones we have is supposed to withstand winds up to 200 km/h - but never had the experience for this.

Thanks for your comments

Vicky

Hello Tim, I just wanted to confirm if rain, no matter how strong its pouring, does not get in through the turbines to the attic. I did not think so since I've had mine for about ten years and I see no leaks but it just bothers me to think about it. Thank you and take care.

We're in the process of contractor hunting for our new roof. We currently have two passive turbines and two gable vents (about 3'x4') on each side of our ranch home. The attic gets very hot (beyond normal) and is definitely not removing as much hot air as it could. Some contractors are pushing removing the turbines and putting in the ridge vents. We currently don't have soffits and putting soffits in would be difficult at best. will the ridge vent work well with the gable openings, or are soffit and ridge vents a non-separable item?

We have just had a storm shelter installed with 2 4" air vents coming out of the ground covered with standard vent covers. Are there turbine style vent covers that will fit on a four inch pipe which will draw air out?

I was wondering if I can put a wind tubrine in my living room (sort of off grid). It is an old double wide with pitched roof inside and out. I am building a straw bale passive solar porch facing due south with 4" pvc at floor level for air to come in and am thinking the turbine for air to go out with a cover for the winter (am in North Georgia mountains, temperate weather, very sunny). So the question is: Would this work as a passive cooler in summer for house?
Thank you very much. Good job Builder Man.

I have a box semi-trailer, aluminum sides and roof, 2240 cubic feet. we store metal chairs and round plywood tables for an assembly hall.
Tremendous condensation; what size turbine vent would be the correct size [CFM] for New England's temperature range from -5° to 100°F ?

hi i have a group of people and we are doing a project on how wind turbines might help decrease the chance of having ice dams. we either have to make our own solution of improve on a existing one. can you help us out. we have to have this dont by next tuesday. thanks

has anyone ever used wind turbines to make wind energy and if they have how well did it work

I have a new Ag building 60 x120 with a 4-12 pitch and 18' eaves. I am currently having a great deal of condensation even though the building has a vapor barrier and a vented ridge cap. Part of the problem is a drainage issue but I thought that some wind turbine air vents might help the situation. If so, how many and what size would you recommend. Also is there a company that powder coats their products?

I have two 4" pvc pipes atop of my in ground storm celler. Do they make a turbine to fit a 4" pvc pipe?

One of my 3 attic turbine vents has begun squeaking/moaning and not spinning freely. I will have to purchase a 28 foot extension ladder to reach it from inside, which I am willing to do if it sounds like a problem I can fix from the inside. Are the ball bearings accessible from underneath?

Thank you so much

I recently had a new roof put on and added 2 turbines to supplement ridge vents. The past few times the turbines have dripped(leaked) water through the fins when it rains. Is this common?

If the house has ridge vents and turbine vents - is that bad ?

Should it just be one or the other ?

So apparently I should leave my turbines alone, which leads me to a new question. Since the attic air should be nearly the same temp as the outdoor air should I leave all my insulation laying on the ceiling rafters? The ceiling rafters had their own insulation as did the roof rafters. The insulation from the roof rafters fell down so I was intending to re hang it. Sounds like it may be more useful right where it is.

I'm wondering if it's a good idea to connect my roof turbine to pull out damp/foulded air from a room?
I saw that before, the same turbine was pulling air from attic and also from inside the house.
Do you think that can be efficient to prevent windows condensation? Thanks!

What is a butler roof vent?

Hello ATB, I am building a 1000 square foot rancher style home in the Philippines.I would like to install two 14 in turbines too keep the hot air from accumulating in the attic. I hope that it will also act somewhat like an air conditioner. My question is "Can the turbines be installed on any style roofing?

I have roof turbines and always cover them in the winter is this ok?
I live in Houston, not always a cold winter but sometimes.
I have checked with other experts and they say to cover them is fine.

My question,is can these turbine fans be also converted to produce electricity while they also vent. I would think since they are low wind it may be an affordable idea without the need to add poles and such. Especially in urban areas

Should i cover my turbine vents?? I live in Oklahoma and it's freaking cold but theres not snow...

Tim,
I live on a hill in the Sierra foothills of Northern Calif. During the storms in the winter it is common to have 40-50mph winds blowing thru. 10 years ago I built a 24X36 detached garage workshop and installed two 14" turbine vents on the 6:12 pitch roof. Last weeks storm blew one of the turbines off the roof. I am considering replacing the turbines with two 14" Aura, retrofit vents by Active Ventilation Products. Do you have any feedback on the Aura vents. Thanks. --Leo--

I have 3 turbines and 6 turtle vents on the main part of my house. My west facing attached garage is unbearable during the Texas summer. Should I put some vents over this space? Turbine or turtle or a combination?

The entire roof is decked with Solar Board.

Thanks.

I have sprayed silicone spray and other lubricants into my home's turbine vent several times to prevent squeaking; this usually works temporarily. (My vent is galvanized metal.) This morning, however, it was squeaking bad and my trip to the attic did not pay off. The squeaking seems to be coming from within the turbine sleeve that fits over the vent sleeve. It's the end of December--any tips?

In many of Tim's answers to Readers' Comments, he mentions not to cover the Turbine Vents. Type "cover roof turbine vents" in the search box and read his replies.

My house has two old turbines and during very heavy rains I have a small trickle of a leak that comes down into my carport -- just above where the turbine is. Is it possible for a turbine to allow rain water into your roof?

We live in Northern ON. Our turbines get stuck/frozen and jammed up with snow and ice. As a result, they stopped spinning and condensation began to drip down our drywall. Help!

My cousin has one of these vents... It squeaks a lot... I wonder if we can lubricate it? He also has some problem with snow blowing it... Could it be that it is blowing in because it isn't lubricated? or is this a problem with the design?

Michael

Hello,

I was hoping to get a cfm number for a smaller vent turbine like 4". So I was wondering where you get your number for the amount of air that can be removed with these turbine.

Thank you,
Chinh

I live in a climate where we can just get by without AC when we have a nice breeze circulating through the house. I was thinking about instaling a couple wind turbines directly into the interior of the house. I thought it would help with the air circulation to make ut more comfortable. What are your thoughts and recomendations.

An open pipe directly outside is not a good idea even if it is covered so critters can't come in. What you want is a whole house fan. It sucks all the air out of your house... usually you place it on the top floor in a stairwell... not sure if they vent outside or just into your attic.

With the recent fires in Victoria, I am wondering whether the turbine roof vents increase the fire risk for my home? Will they allow embers and sparks into my otherwise well sealed roof space thus increasing the risk of my house catching fire in the event of a bushfire?

can the top of the turbine vent be removed to more easily lubricate the squeaky vent

Where can I get replacement parts for the turbines, bearings and bushing, have 3 perfectly new turbings with bearing gone?

Is there any speed adjustment on these turbines? Mine are very fast all the time.


THANKS,
ED

I live in the desert in Southern California. I live near wind farms, so needless to say, it gets windy here. I am going to buy a storage shed and buying a wind turbine is an option. I would like to keep the items stored in the shed as cool as possible. While humidity is low, the temperature can be 110 degrees + in the summer. Is a wind turbine a good idea for the shed?
Thanks

Hi,
I just had a new roof (steep pitch)
with a turbine vent installed. However, the spinning part of the turbine is not level and I don't know if mine is adjustable. It looks funny, but I am more concerned with this effecting the bearings or proper air flow. Is it difficult to level the turbine? Do they have to replace the whole unit? Thanks

I live in Tampa where the hurricanes roam and I'm a bit concerned about rain getting into the attic. Is this ever a problem?

I have "permanently lubricated" turbines, which after 15 years are still working but making alot of noise....3-in 1 oil?...just squirt it in there? or open it up to lube?

Patricia,

If you can get drops of 3 in 1 into the bearings, that is a good start. 15 years is a long time before squeaks. That promise is usually a marketing message as the average person NEVER stays in a home that many years.

Some friends are in the porcess of helping me put in the foil barrier in my attic. We have done 10 house no but mine seems to be the hottest attic. I have one wind turbine right in the middle of the roof that faces west(runs n & S). I am guessing it is 14" Would an additional wind turbine help and where do you put it.

HELP! My roof vent on my garage is SQUEAKING. Can you please tell me how to remedy this? We have tried oiling it from inside the garage but it is still squeaking?
Thank You

My neighbor's turbine is clacking all night and keeping me awake. I wwant to help get it fixed. What is causing this, bearings or bent fins?

We have a manufactured home that receives direct sun all day plus all of the windows are on the east and west. The house is large and it difficult to cool during the summer months. Would turbine vents make cooling the house easier?

A recent hurricane blew my turbines off and I had to have new ones installed. The new ones don't spin like the old ones did. In fact, I have 1 that was undamaged that still spins most of the time, but these 2 only spin if its fairly breezy. Its frustrating to see all my neighbors spinning and not these.

Any suggestions?

I have to replace my roof shingles due to age. I was wondering if it is just a myth that white is so much better than any other color? Also I notice here in Florida when it is really hot my attic entrance in the garage has hot air pouring out when I remove the attic door. Does this indicate my soffits are not enough and I have reverse pressure up there? Finally I've heard that if I put in turbines with a ridge vent I will "blow" the ridge or basically only have air coming in the roof vent only to be sucked out by the turbines leaving all the heat in the attic. What is your opinion?

Thanks.

12 and 14 inch turbines are the most common turbines I've come to find out, but is there a manufacture that makes an 18 inch turbine?

Great article.

I am trying to understand what you say here compared to what you say in the solar powered attic fan article.

In the solar powered attic fan article, you stated that 800 CFM was not enough to lower the temperature in your attic at all based on "very precise measurements". Here you are recommending turbine vents that will move far less than 800 CFM out of a hot attic on a day where there is little to no wind (typical dog day of summer).

So why are you recommending against the solar units, but for the turbine units?

Only for the winter advantage?

Thanks.

I live at the end of a 30 mile long lake that runs from the east to the west. but the wind blows the from the west.
IN our 16 foot wide by 76 foot long mobile,we have an electric fan in the roof. It is over my head in bed and keeps me awake. Can I put a Turbine Roof Ventilator in it place? The wind blows from the west at 40 to 50 MPH many times. Can a Turbine Roof Ventilator take that?
Thank You for andy HELP on this matter>
Old Bob

have seen turbine ventilators on roofs nearby island but do wonder what precautions should be taken in event of hurricane approaching???
Install on base for quick release and snap on cover?? Climbing on a pitched roof and probably wet could be dangerous to ones health. Similar to shoveling snow I know

What kind of turbine ventilator "brand" would you suggest installing? I know you place alot of importance on installing quality ventilators, just not sure which brands are quality.

Dear Tim, I live in Coimbatore,India.I was wondering if these vents are use full for industries, particularly textile spinning mills.There is a humidification plants that runs 24hrs and consumes a lot of electricity, i have seen these turbine vents on some factories near by but i am not sure if they help in maintaing humidity and temperature inside the factory.

There is a false ceiling that separates the roof from the factory floor area, does these turbines help in maintaining temperature inside the factory with out the humidification plant? Should i remove the false ceiling if i install these vents to allow the warm air to raise up?

Thanks.

I'm installing some bathroom exhaust fans in the bathroom,is it a good idea to have the flex pipe up close to the turbines vent.I was thinking that this will work instead of cutting anymore holes in the roof for venting.

I live in Texas, We recently had a hail storm and now I am going to haft to replace my roof. Currently I have(2) turbines and I have been told that I need at least (4) more. I have approximately 5000 sq feet of surface roof. Can you tell me if that is over kill or the right thing to do.

How do I determine the pitch of my roof so I know which roof turbine to purchase? We bought a house that has nearly zero ventilation in the attic and it is suffocating up there especially now that it is 90+ F outside. We'd like to have a couple turbines installed to help relieve the heat up there and allow our central air unit (located in the attic since the house is on a slab) to function better.

Thanks for any help you can provide!

I know this has not been answered in some time... but heres hoping.

I moved into a rental that has a finshed attic. It was fairly warm up there. but not blistering. We installed an 11000 btu portable ac unit and hooked it up to the small window. That helped alot.
My wife noticed what she called "lots of hot air" coming IN from the vent that I beleive goes to the Turbine. The maintenence guy was in and he blocked off the vent. How often do you get air hot air coming in?
I am trying to decide if I need to uncover it or not.

We have a warehouse space and in the summer months the heat here in Georgia gets crazy even with all the shop doors up. I was wondering if these vents should/could be utilzed in this scenario. Unlike residential applications we want the heat to stay in the winter. Is there a better option for our commercial building?

How do you get the wobble out of your turbines. I just had new ones put on and it has a small wobble when it spins fast. The directions speak of prying up on the side? Which side??
Thank-you

Help me please.

I need to replace a wind turbine that is on my gas vent tube from my water heater. It looks just like a regular roof turbine but needs to fit on a six inch tube. All I can find are the twelve inch turbines for attic vents.

Thanks, Ron.

I never see my turbine vents turning. The only other ventilation is soffit vents. Is this normal?

Hello,

I live in an old farm house and the upstairs gets terribly hot. Most of this is due to not having much if any insulation and no roof vents. You know how them ole houses are? 2x4 joists, no room for insulation. Anyway I have what I would call probably an 8/12 pitch or so. Is there any turbines that adjust to that pitch and could you refer me to a high quality product. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of turbines on the web?

Thanks

tom i live in a mobile home size about 1,200 sq. it already had a five flat vent and the heat is still blowing inside the house.. will the turbine works on mobile home without attic?.. i am trying to keep the heat out and i am worried about the winter time..will the cold air comes in the house? which air vent is best for mobile home? i live in indiana thanks mark

Our contractor wants us to replace our power vents (3) with turbines. We live in the deep south and it gets REALLY hot 100 today. Do turbines
work just as well as power vents?

Can I use a high velocity fan to blow air out of a passive vent such as the one pictured on this page ?

If so will it work or back up into the attic ?

I have a split roof, one side shorter than the other. There is
an insidewall also. Where can I find a 3 foot tall turbine to install on the shorter side?

where can I find a 3 ft tall roof turbine vent?

I live in south NJ in a 46 yr old bi-level home that has no attic or roof ventilation. I am experiencing the paper from the wallboard peeling from ceilings and walls with some signs of mold. Would an attic fan or a turbine fan help to remedy this and which would be better?

I live on the gulf of Mexico in Florida, and i just recently replaced my Turbine vent with a new one. The old one had a bad bearing.
Well the thing is that the new one barely spins and even when it is very hot outside and in the attic i have checked the attic temperature and it is usually around 115-135 F.

i only ask this because my neighbor s vent spins continuously and our homes are pretty much the same style.
It is level but his vent is slightly more elevated from the peak of his house. could this be the problem (height) mine is above the roof peak.

Thanks

I live in central Texas where the summer temperatures reach the hundreds and so my attic gets quite warm. Would it be cost effective to have a couple of those passive turbine vents installed and could you explain why? Thanks.

Hey Whirly-Gig Man.....How about a dozen of these things up on my roof producing electricity for me ??? Maybe a 12 volt lighting system ??? Spin an alternator to keep my batteries charged and install car headlights in every room.

I live is Springfield, Il. A couple of weeks ago I noticed that one of our turbine attic vents came off. (the part that twirls) We had no idea when it came off until I saw my neighbor today. He said that they have found it a year ago after a bad storm. My question to you is how do we find out the extent of the damage this could have caused? Do we hire a professional to check it out? Will this cost a lot? Do we buy a new turbine or can we reuse the one that blew off?

I have a gas tankless water heater in my attic. What potential issues could I run in to if I install a turbine? I currently only have gable vents on a 1,150 sf house. Thank you.

I have noticed that my whirly birds have not been spinning. They were installed in 1999 when I had by roof redone.
I live in Houston, Texas and it is very hot here. Is there something that I can do or check to see why the whirly birds are not spinning. My neighbor's house has them also and they don't seem to stop spinning. Could you tell me what might be the problem?
I have been in the attic and it is pretty hot in there to cause the air to rise and make them spin but yet they are not. Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Al Salinas

I have just installed a 30" 2 hp whole house fan with a 7000 cu ft/min exhaust (at high speed). I find there is inadequate attic exhaust even with new gable vents. A roofer has suggested a new ridge vent and placing a turbine vent in the roof over the fan. I suspect the turbine fan won't exhaust any more air than a regular vent since the turbine is not designed to spin from air pushed from below the turbine. Any suggestions??

I've noticed that my turbines are spinning very slowly compared to my neighbors' turbines. Theirs is just buzzing along and mine is barely moving, even after installing new ones! What gives? Will that make it hotter in my attic?

can i add an powered fan to my turbine vent. i need more venting. i have vented gables but would love to vent out the top of the roof where the turbine vent is. can i use the turbine or do i need a different cover for it?

If there is no wind will a roof turbine fan spin with the heat from the atic? If so what CFM or speed would it work at?

did anyone ever think of turning the vents into a passive wind turbine and generating a small amount of electricity off them it wouldnt be that hard at all just connect a generator under the vent and when it spins get the power and transfir it to the house it may not be alot but anything to cut down on the power consumption

I live in Ontario Canada and develop huge icicles even though my attic is well insulated. Would a turbine vent be of any help ?

My husband continues to tell me the turbines on our roof move due to the heat rising. I continue to tell him they turn due to the wind. How could the heat rising turn them>

An engineer has recommended using whirlybird air turbine on a 4 story multi-residential building to replace existing power vents that are depressuring the building. Vertical conduits contains about 8 branches for kitchen exhaust or 8 branches for dryer exhaust. The engineer's claim is that the whirlybird will produce at least 0,1 inches of static pressure necessary to provide a enough suction to pull the fans. You have any experience regarding this issue. Thanks,

Ian

I don't have any vents on a 30 X 44 metal building (garage). What is the proper way to vent this building? It has the foil type of insulation on the roof and sides. About R9, I believe. Any help is appreciated.

i just had my house refoofed. i had the roofer remove 3 square pasive vents & install 3 turbin vents. he put the turbin vents in the same holes the pasive vents were in which i think is to close to the roof ridge. how much of the turbin vent should be sbove the roof ridge??? i'm concerned that the vents will catch too much wind & spin to fast & wear out to quick. thank you, john in okla

I know this question has been asked several times, but why not harness the energy created by the turning of the turbine, and use it to help power your home? C'mon Builder-guy...give us an answer! Also, anyone else with any info on such a product, contact me!

Regarding the question about turbine fans turning only one way: the blades on the fan point in opposite direction, relative to the axis, on the opposite side of the fan. That allows the fan to turn when the wind is blowing from the other direction, which is your stated objective. If you reverse the pitch of the blades it will only accomplish the turbine turning the reverse direction for the wind's unchanged direction. As far as maximizing effectiveness, a 90 degree blade pitch would allow it to change direction yet reducing the draft effect, hence, defeating the purpose. Manufacturers won't be changing the design. Buy the fan now.

Our home is about 1,550 sq ft of air conditioned space.
We live in the Dallas, Tx area and many of the summer day highs are triple digits.
What would you recommend in the way of roof vents?
Also, what might you know about the Lomanco brand?

Any of your suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

I live in an underground home, and have 4 tubine vents. I have installed every other eave soffit with vented pieces. I have gable vents on each end of the house. My problem is that the turbines do not spin unless there is a strong breeze. Sometimes,if the rain comes from the wrong direction, they leak. All of my neighbors turbines turn all of the time. Mine seem to be installed like all of the others. Any suggestions????

My problem is when it rains really hard rain pours in thru the vent, especially wind driven rain, help.

I JUST HAD 2 TURBINES INSTALLED ON MY ROOF WE HAD THEM BEFORE BUT WHEN THE HOUS WAS ROOFED THE ROOFER SAID RIDGE VENT WORKED BEST I BEGIN TO HAVE LEAKS IN MY HOUSE SO WE WENT BACK TO TURBINES ONE OF THEM WORK GOOD BUT THE OTHER DOES NOT MOVE. SHOULD BOTH BE MOVING AT THE SAME TIME THEY ARE ON THE OPOSIT SIDE

It is true that the intake capacity of the soffit vents must balance the exhaust of the roof vents. The thing is that with turbine vents, the ammount exhausted depends on wind speed. At times turbine vents will draw more air than the soffits can handle and will draw moisture into the insulation. Control is the key. A continuous ridge vent or properly space passive vents work better for all conditions.

Hi,
I saw your post about roof vents and generators. I have been building rooftop wind turbines since 2002. My design is similar to the everyday roof vents most folks are used to except they are quite large. 3' x 4' and larger..My units produce from 500 Watts up to 2.5 kW right now. They work on residential and commercial applications.

http://rooftopwind.biz

How do these vents stand up to a hurricane.I live in Houston.Thanks

Here in Nova Scotia, Hurricane Bill arrived last weekend and Tropical Storm Danny arrived this weekend. (Always on a weekend!) The roof of my house has a low pitch, with a new turbine vent that spins freely in the slightest breeze. During each storm there was heavy rain, sometimes straight down, with no wind. After the first storm, there was water damage to the plaster ceiling below the turbine, so before the second storm I applied roofing sealant around the base of the turbine and on the nearby roofing seams, but after the second storm the ceiling and the floor below suffered even more water damage. I appreciate the physics of a spinning turbine, as well as the detailing of the turbine itself, but it's clear that rain is getting in, probably when the turbine is stationary. Has anyone tried installing a hood that shelters the turbine while continuing to let it run freely?
Thanks in advance for any tips.

I live in the tropics.Most year long I have warm summer. Beneath my roof tiles(terracotta type) I have a layer of insulation to keep out the heat. I want to install a turbine ventilator to draw air through the house as my house is pretty stuffy.Should I install a vent pipe from my ceiling directly to the ventilator or just have a opening on the ceiling to allow the ventilator to draw warm air from attic cavity then from the house? My purpose is to create ventilation within the house.

HI
My daughter is doing a school project on air and air movement and she is looking for a basic cross section sketch of your rooftop turbine vent. Can you assist at all. Much appreciated.
Pieter

Roofers installed a new roof and destroyed my existing turbine which had flex tubing from my ceiling to the turbine. I had the roofers install another turbine, since then I have moisture on all my windows. I installed a Venmar as well, still I have moisture on my windows. What can be the problem? Help!!

I am in the HVAC business & we sometimes install powered attic vents - however I have a question- when you have the little turtle back vents on your roof & a powered attic vent does this shorten the life of the shingles on your roof by pulling the hot air on the roof in & then blowing it back out?
Please advise!

I need to order these turbine vent to ST.Lucia west Indies, in the Caribbean. Please inform where and how can i obtain this product and for how much?

My AirVent brand roof turbine died...plastic bearing wore out...went to Lowe's and was told they stopped carrying 12" turbines...only carrying 14" units!!!Is there a shift in the roofing or framing trade that stimulated this or is Lowe's just reducing stock to remain economically competitive? The other big box building stores only carry the externally braced units that look like a design from the '50s.

Hello, I live in Milford CT across from the water and our attic has a turbine vent - I noticed when it gets really windy that a breeze comes in from the vent into the attic, the attic door is attached to a main bedroom that has always been cold because it's in front of the house - Should we cover it during the winter? other thing is I noticed the attic isn't insulated all over, just half the floor is covered and the attic roof isn't covered by any insulation at all? I can take photos if it helps to see. I would appreciate any help you can offer - my father left my mother the house when he passed and I take care of her and myself and there is a ton of issues with the house - mostly the heating bills so every winter I am covering all the windows with that plastic covering because the windows are old and are drafty. I don't think the house walls are properly insulated but I am not sure how to fix that?

Thanks,
Paola

Why does my turbine roof vent roar in s stiff wind?

we have turbine vents on our home. my question is,should they have screens on the hole in the roof under the turbine to keep insects out? ours does not. thank you james mack

Our roofer removed our turbine vent w/out asking when he replaced our roof. At his recommendation we added ridge venting and we already had an attic fan. The roof does look nicer w/o it but has he just messed things up? Should we insist he put it back even though he is done with the shingles?

Thanks,

Cathy

What is your take on solar powered
Roof Turbine Vents? Having a new roof installed and was told to install solar turbines instead of the regular type. Live in So. Califonia and days can get hot with no breeze.

I replaced my turbine vents because the old ones stopped spinning and these new ones only spin when there's a good breeze. All of my neighbors are spinning mad with no breeze at all. Whats going on?

Thanks!

Live in Saskatchewan, just had a cold snap of -35 - -45 I noticed
my turbine roof vent wasn't turning.
Heavy frost build up on the turbine vent making it impossible to turn and frost on any metal, screws, nails, etc in the attic. Old house
1930's with hardwood in the attic with 2 layers of fiberglass laying
on top. Hardwood appears completely coverd, and roof covered with a
level covering of snow. House 800 sq.ft. with 2 other gable vents.What could be wrong? Thanks

I'm concerned that I'm losing a lot of heat through my upstairs. I have a walk-in attic upstairs, but the vents are above the rooms, rather than the attic. Would it be wise to relocate the vents so that they're above the attic instead?

Thanks on the info on covering the roof vents.Its going to drop to 20* with winds around 20mph here in HOUSTON TX !!.. I thought about covering them so my warm air would stay in the attic.Im leaving them alone.. Your advise makes perfect sense..Thanks for your web site..Lee

I just had a new roof put on this summer. I have a 36 foot long roof, in a dutch colonial style, meaning I have no soffits from the top roof to the mansard roof on the side.
I had edge vents installed front and back, and a ridge vent. The roof contractor suggested I cover up my existing eve vents, to get proper air flow from the edge vents to the ridge vents.
It snows here in Cleveland, and I have more ice now than I did before. I strongly suspect I need more roof ventilation, and am considering some passive roof vents. I don't know how many I need to do the job, or what the best type would be. I do get snow buildup, and I've heard too much from others, including the comments here, that whirly vents can leak.
What do you recommend?
Also, I have a whole house fan that exhausts out through the attic, and the extra venting will make this more efficient.

I live in a trailer in central South Dakota. We have High winds that push snow thru the vents and into the attic space between roof and ceiling.When the temp. climbs to 40 we have wet spots on our ceiling. Is there a roof vent that won't let snow in??

Hi,
I am a first time home buyer and am closing next week. One of the things on the list of repairs for the seller is to fix the roof turbine vents, on two of them the part that spins with the wind has risen up several inches off the base creating a gap which the inspector said could lead to leakage. We are doing a walkthru today and I know for a fact the seller hasn't had them fixed. If it comes down to them giving me money to have them fixed, is this a very simple cheap fix or would they have to be replaced? Thanks for your help and expertise. :)

I was in the attic today to check out the insulation. My house has 2 turbine roof fans and I noticed from the attic side that each one had a circular metal flap covering the base of fan on 2 pivot points. When I push one side the flap opens and a spring pulls it back shut. How is this type of turbine fan suppose to work if the flap is closed and the turbine is spinning? I was very hot in the attic so I'm guessing that the hot air was not getting out. Can I prop it open so air can circulate or will water enter without it?