Air Sealing

GetGreener · 04-03-13, 06:54 PM

The best way to reduce your utility bills is to eliminate air leaks in your house. I want to tell you about an existing product that offers an additional way to save energy that many homeowners do not know about. The Larson Fan Company offers a replacement fan assembly that has an automatic, built in damper for the most common bathroom ventilation fans in this country. Their product has a true damper, not a flimsy flap that is design to let air out when the fan is running.

When the fan is not running, which is most of the time on average, the damper is close, keeping warm air in the house during winter or hot humid air out during the summer. That reduces the amount of time your heating or cooling equipment needs to run, and that lowers your energy usage and utility bills. It really is a simple concept and will save the most when central air is being used because cooling uses more energy than heating.
This is a great DIY project with a low upfront cost, easy installation from inside the house that you can do in about five minutes.

stevehull · 04-03-13, 07:34 PM

Getgreener,

Welcome

! We lived in Michigan some 30 years ago (Durand and East Lansing). Great suggestion on the Larson fan.

A good alternative if you can't get the scratch together for an heat recovery ventilaror (HRV). Just finished a home where we put four of the Panasonic units in.

Steve

Servicetech · 11-09-13, 09:18 AM

Could something like this work to prevent heat loss for bath fans?
HEARTLAND 21000 Dryer Vent Closure - Amazon.com

Daox · 12-17-13, 10:28 AM

I would certainly think so.

pinballlooking · 12-17-13, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Servicetech

Could something like this work to prevent heat loss for bath fans?
HEARTLAND 21000 Dryer Vent Closure - Amazon.com

Thanks for posting this link. My dryer is leaking cold air in so I just ordered this.

Servicetech · 12-18-13, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinballlooking

Thanks for posting this link. My dryer is leaking cold air in so I just ordered this.

I have one, works well. I had to caulk around the brick where the vent goes through the wall in order to get a good seal. No more cold laundry room from dryer backdraft.

ecomodded · 12-19-13, 11:33 PM

A small heat exchanger even homemade would be good to incorporate as a tight house is not necessarily that healthy to live in.

My Stove/ Oven vent provides circulation , from the basement up, I Imagine anyways.

ecomodded · 12-19-13, 11:43 PM

On a side note , I unplugged & blocked my bathroom fan off with cardboard so the roof is not venting its hot air. I use the bathroom window instead of the fan in there.

I leave the Stoves exhaust fan operational with a sloppy vent flap as it does provide about all my built in ventilation. Pretty cheap ventilation system at that haha..

pinballlooking · 12-24-13, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Servicetech

Could something like this work to prevent heat loss for bath fans?
HEARTLAND 21000 Dryer Vent Closure - Amazon.com

I installed this over the weekend. I had to use calking and I used Tap-Cons I had left over from the mini split install. This is a great item it lets no air in from the outside. This was a major improvement.

I did read in the instructions it can be used for bathroom vent they have a spring kit for low flow applications.

Servicetech · 12-24-13, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinballlooking

I installed this over the weekend. I had to use calking and I used Tap-Cons I had left over from the mini split install. This is a great item it lets no air in from the outside. This was a major improvement.

I did read in the instructions it can be used for bathroom vent they have a spring kit for low flow applications.

I figured if air is goign to leak OUT of a room to the outside, the bathroom is at the top of the list

I just used a "dryer flap" on my bathroom fan.

04-03-13, 06:54 PM	#1
GetGreener Lurking Renovator Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Michigan Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Air Sealing The best way to reduce your utility bills is to eliminate air leaks in your house. I want to tell you about an existing product that offers an additional way to save energy that many homeowners do not know about. The Larson Fan Company offers a replacement fan assembly that has an automatic, built in damper for the most common bathroom ventilation fans in this country. Their product has a true damper, not a flimsy flap that is design to let air out when the fan is running. When the fan is not running, which is most of the time on average, the damper is close, keeping warm air in the house during winter or hot humid air out during the summer. That reduces the amount of time your heating or cooling equipment needs to run, and that lowers your energy usage and utility bills. It really is a simple concept and will save the most when central air is being used because cooling uses more energy than heating. This is a great DIY project with a low upfront cost, easy installation from inside the house that you can do in about five minutes.

04-03-13, 07:34 PM	#2
stevehull Steve Hull Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: hilly, tree covered Arcadia, OK USA Posts: 826 Thanks: 241 Thanked 165 Times in 123 Posts	Getgreener, Welcome ! We lived in Michigan some 30 years ago (Durand and East Lansing). Great suggestion on the Larson fan. A good alternative if you can't get the scratch together for an heat recovery ventilaror (HRV). Just finished a home where we put four of the Panasonic units in. Steve __________________ consulting on geothermal heating/cooling & rational energy use since 1990

12-17-13, 10:28 AM	#4
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	I would certainly think so. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-09-13, 09:18 AM	#3
Servicetech Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Moore Oklahoma Posts: 267 Thanks: 108 Thanked 23 Times in 21 Posts	Could something like this work to prevent heat loss for bath fans? HEARTLAND 21000 Dryer Vent Closure - Amazon.com

12-19-13, 11:33 PM	#7
ecomodded Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Vancouver Island,Canada. Posts: 1,037 Thanks: 116 Thanked 100 Times in 87 Posts	A small heat exchanger even homemade would be good to incorporate as a tight house is not necessarily that healthy to live in. My Stove/ Oven vent provides circulation , from the basement up, I Imagine anyways.

12-19-13, 11:43 PM	#8
ecomodded Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Vancouver Island,Canada. Posts: 1,037 Thanks: 116 Thanked 100 Times in 87 Posts	On a side note , I unplugged & blocked my bathroom fan off with cardboard so the roof is not venting its hot air. I use the bathroom window instead of the fan in there. I leave the Stoves exhaust fan operational with a sloppy vent flap as it does provide about all my built in ventilation. Pretty cheap ventilation system at that haha..