Power roof vents

My old house when it got reroofed the contractor put 5 static vents in on the back side of the house over a 50 ft. length. Snow zone in NW NJ so ridge vents are useless to prevent ice dams but yet they put them in. Roofer did not argue when I said no ridge vent.
 
I disagree, he has it in writing for a specific brand to be installed, and they chose not to do it. They chose what was available, or what was layin around from another job in storage. Honestly, I'm not too familiar with these situations ( as my GAF fans just turned on, just about on schedule, 10am ish , How ironic ) He'll have to dive in, and see what happens if he wants the GAF fans he requested, in writing, from the get go. You're probably right, will cost him some money....nothins for free. I will tell you, my GAF fans have been trouble free since 2016. They won't turn off till midnight. Saved me alot of $$$ on my electric bill. Got 2 of those in the attic suckin out the hot air. Builder thought I was nuts wanting 2 of them for a 2,000 sq ft house. I did my homework prior. One doesn't cut the mustard.
 
Ridge vents are the worst. I had no choice because my house was a lego house built in Pennsylvania, trucked here, then literally bolted together in New York. Had the Ridge vent replaced 2X already due to shingles flying off them during storms. Could see daylight after every bad storm, and some water damage in the atttic. Modular houses are terrible. Walls & ceilings are always cracking in the SAME spots, no matter what I use to re-enforce the area ( mesh, metal strip spikes ). But the house is pretty airtight ! The widows move when you close an outside door. Go figga ?!?!
 
Could you replace the failed power vent with the wind powered turbine style vents?
They work very well and last a long , long time ( 20 yrs plus ), and add zero to the electric bill.
 
50yr Street Mech said:
Ridge vents are the worst. I had no choice because my house was a lego house built in Pennsylvania, trucked here, then literally bolted together in New York. Had the Ridge vent replaced 2X already due to shingles flying off them during storms. Could see daylight after every bad storm, and some water damage in the atttic. Modular houses are terrible. Walls & ceilings are always cracking in the SAME spots, no matter what I use to re-enforce the area ( mesh, metal strip spikes ). But the house is pretty airtight ! The widows move when you close an outside door. Go figga ?!?!
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Never had a problem with a ridge vent.
 
That should not have happened at a year. My original vent went over 15 years before dying. I acquired a replacement motor from Grainger. Been going good now for 13 years.
 
tbm5690 said:
My understanding is that these all have short lifespan on the motor. My Lomanco was replaced 4 years ago and just recently when it turns on it has become quite loud and vibrations can be felt through the walls below it. I'll have to climb up and deal with it next Spring at this point.

Had I known better when I had the roof replaced in 2018 I would have had them get rid of the power vent and go passive.
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Passive venting for the win!
 
Donald's vent never failed. He installed a new roof and specified a GAF attic fan to be installed , in writing, during the process of the job. The contractor took it upon himself to install a cheaper exhaust fan, going against the signed contract. This is the quandry Donald is in. He wants his GAF exhaust fan because they have a very good reputation for longevity, and are maintenance free. Not to mention, the GAF is in the signed contact, which the roofer totally ignored. Basically, he got shafted by the roofer / contractor and wants it corrected.
 
50yr Street Mech said:
Donald's vent never failed. He installed a new roof and specified a GAF attic fan to be installed , in writing, during the process of the job. The contractor took it upon himself to install a cheaper exhaust fan, going against the signed contract. This is the quandry Donald is in. He wants his GAF exhaust fan because they have a very good reputation for longevity, and are maintenance free. Not to mention, the GAF is in the signed contact, which the roofer totally ignored. Basically, he got shafted by the roofer / contractor and wants it corrected.
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I should also say I talked to several roofers. This one was recommended by a guy at church who uses them on custom homes he builds and by an electrician at church who knows the construction trade. I did not decide by Yelp reviews. Or other homeowners. Recommendations from others in the construction business.
 
Then the choice is yours Donald. Keep em and wish for the best, or battle with the contractor/roofer because GAF was in the contract. You should do some researching on the internet to find out which model has better reviews.
 
Fattylocks said:
Never had a problem with a ridge vent.
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My experience as well. Properly installed, they should never be an issue. I have a family member who was getting snow and driving rain in an attack section of their very expensive new home years ago. I traced it to the ridge vent and found a section with no baffle installed in it. That was the problem. Shoddy install.

The problem with fan powered vents is just as Donald has experienced. They can last 1yr or 10yrs. You will never know because you are not going to find a residential grade unit with a quality fan motor on it anymore. The replacement will most likely fail quickly as well.
 
In looking at a lot of replacement motors for power roof vents I see the ones for Air Vent Inc seem to have a rectangular capacitor and 2X to 3X the cost of the others. The other motors do not appear to be capacitor start motors.
 
Not sure if the GAF fan motors have a capacitor on them. Gotta go in the attic tomorrow to get something. I'll take a look at mine and get back to you.
 
I assume the capacitor on a no load to start motor like a fan is a run capacitor vs a start capacitor. A quick read on the Internet says the motor will run without the run capacitor but will have issues. If motor seems dead it's probably not the run capacitor. My Dad would know all this kind of stuff. Miss him.
 
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This bungalow has a long roof, about 75 feet. The shingles would start curling up after about ten years. Late eighties, I nstalled two power vents, one on each end gable. First pic shows the grill for one of the fans. In the summer the fans run all day, exhausting hot air. The shingles stopped curling. The present roof, shown in the second pic, was installed in 2003 and is still in decent shape. These were good quality shingles but not the top of the line laminated ones. In this case, the power vents helped.

I have to go up into the attic and replace the motors about every five to seven years. It is quite a hassle getting up into the attic, so I don't oil the motor bearings. They would last longer if I oiled them.
 
My roofing company (recommended by a custom builder at church) has yet to call me back. I have emailed, text and called.

The Air Vent Inc appears to have a 5 year warranty. But I have no receipt. Only a contract for the roof that says they will install a GAF roof vent.

I found a phone for Air Vent Inc. Will call Monday.

And if push comes to shove, wife is retired Asst Attorney General experienced in litigation. Almost as bad as a women scorned is a litigator with nothing to litigate.
 
I called up Air Vent Inc and they said could I send them a receipt for buying the power vent or a contract to replace my roof which specified an Air Vent Inc power vent. My contract says GAF power vent but they installed an Air Vent Inc.

Got the part number from Air Vent Inc and ordered a new motor for $79.

Still trying to contact the routing company. They came recommended by a guy at church who builds custom homes. No idea what's up there.

This was about the third thing I got involved with today where everything turned to stupid. I figured at this point best bet was to order and pay for a new motor.

Honestly if the broken motor ends up being the only issue with my roof over the next 25 years I will be happy with the roof. (I won't be happy today, but hopefully the stupid will wear off in a few months).
 
For $79, I would do what you did. Buy it , install it and move on. It's not worth any further aggravation and effort.
 
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