Question:
Greetings: I just purchased a house a year ago, and the previous owner (for some STRANGE reason) exhausted the over-the-stove vent DIRECTLY into the attic — which of course put lots of nice hot, humid, greasy air into my attic (and created a nice ice dam as it heated up the roof!) Now that it’s starting to warm up, I need to reroute that exhaust. Currently it enters the attic close to the soffits. Could I just route it down through the soffit? Or do I need to run up and through the roof? The shingles are brand new, and I’d prefer to not have to cut a hole in the roof if possible… also, running it out the soffit would keep water from entering… The vent currently enters the attic about 2 feet from the soffits, and terminates about 3 inches below a roof joist (basically right at the corner where the roof meets the soffits) What is the best way to vent this outside? Also, how do I keep cold air from entering the house via the vent in the winter? Thanks, Curt
Response:
Replying to my own posting (yeah yeah … I know…) Upon further thought, the "exhaust out of the soffit" idea was a DUMB one. Exhausting that much warm, wet air will rot my soffits in a HURRY! I’m going to cut a hole in the roof and exhaust it out that way… Curt
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Greetings: > I just purchased a house a year ago, and the previous owner (for some > STRANGE reason) exhausted the over-the-stove vent DIRECTLY into the attic — > which of course put lots of nice hot, humid, greasy air into my attic (and > created a nice ice dam as it heated up the roof!) > Now that it’s starting to warm up, I need to reroute that exhaust. > Currently it enters the attic close to the soffits. Could I just route it > down through the soffit? Or do I need to run up and through the roof? The > shingles are brand new, and I’d prefer to not have to cut a hole in the roof > if possible… also, running it out the soffit would keep water from > entering… > The vent currently enters the attic about 2 feet from the soffits, and > terminates about 3 inches below a roof joist (basically right at the corner > where the roof meets the soffits) > What is the best way to vent this outside? Also, how do I keep cold air > from entering the house via the vent in the winter? > Thanks, > Curt
Response:
>Upon further thought, the "exhaust out of the soffit" idea was a DUMB one. >Exhausting that much warm, wet air will rot my soffits in a HURRY!
I totally disagree with you. Soffit exhaust is in fact a pretty standard way of exhausting bathroom fans, which are if anything warmer and wetter. Hey, the exhausted air just blows away and dissipates, you are vastly overestimating the ability of this fictitious cloud to remain tight to the underside of your soffit. What’s it gonna be on for, as much as one hour out of each 24??? -v.
Response:
:> :>Upon further thought, the "exhaust out of the soffit" idea was a DUMB one. :>Exhausting that much warm, wet air will rot my soffits in a HURRY! : : I totally disagree with you. Soffit exhaust is in fact a pretty : standard way of exhausting bathroom fans, which are if anything warmer home depot sells a plastic soffit vent cover. has little flaps that cover the opening(s) when the fan isn’t running, but they’re not that great a seal. i’d imagine other vent covers are available, but that was the only one i could find. paul
Response:
>Upon further thought, the "exhaust out of the soffit" idea was a DUMB one. >Exhausting that much warm, wet air will rot my soffits in a HURRY! > I totally disagree with you. Soffit exhaust is in fact a pretty > standard way of exhausting bathroom fans, which are if anything warmer > and wetter. Hey, the exhausted air just blows away and dissipates, > you are vastly overestimating the ability of this fictitious cloud to > remain tight to the underside of your soffit. What’s it gonna be on > for, as much as one hour out of each 24???
Hmm… interesting thought. I’d like to see this expanded… One nit: It’s not a bathroom exhaust fan, it’s the above-the-stove exhaust (so the air will likely be hotter, less humid, and greasier than a bathroom fan… SO: What is the right thing to do? Exhaust out the roof? Or exhaust down out the soffit?? I *KNOW* terminating the exhaust in the attic (like it is now) isn’t correct 
One other item: I am considering putting in a bathroom fan (the bathroom & kitchen share a wall — and the stove is against that wall). Could I Y the two exhausts together before exiting the house? Thanks, Curt
If you like this post and would like to receive updates from this blog, please subscribe our feed.