Exhaust Fans (August 16, 2001):

Do you have an exhaust fan over your stove or bathroom? Do you feel cold air coming in during the winter and warm air during the summer? You can have air movement in and out of the exhaust fans without running them. Most of them are exhausting into the attic, which is a fast, cheep, and easy way to get rid of the air you are removing. The problem with this is that you get unwanted air in your living space. To prevent this, go up in your attic and put a vent cover on the vent like the one you have on the exhaust on your clothes dryer. This will help keep unwanted air from moving in or out of your living space, unless you turn the fan on. Also, make sure you cover the vent pipe with insulation except for the end where you want the air to exit. While you are checking your exhaust fans, check your attic insulation and make sure you have enough. If you have lights in your ceiling (can lights), make sure you’re not letting heat escape from them. Most new lights are insulated, but some older ones are not. The light will have a tag on it with information about how far away you should keep things from the light. The heat from the light may cause a fire if insulation or other items are too close. You can take valley tin and make a round canister around the light fixture. Make it tall enough to give a good 10 to 12 inches of space above the light. Cover it with a piece of tin and insulate around and above the light. Use caution, these lights need room to let the heat form the bulb escape.