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Home > Archive > Home Repair forum > May 2006 > Motor to roof vent not working and just over year old
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Motor to roof vent not working and just over year old
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| jaynews 2006-05-29, 6:21 pm |
| When I moved into my condo, the motor to the mushroom roof vent wasn't
working, so I replaced it in the spring of last year. Now the new one isn't
working (completely dead...confirmed on a test bench). Am I correct in
assuming that nothing in the motor is user-serviceable...like maybe a fuse?
I'm going to call the manufacturer tomorrow and see if the motor is still
under warranty. If not, I may just wind up seeing what Home Depot has
available.
**Wondering...what is the typical lifespan of these motors?** (they operate
under extreme temperatures, and I don't like how mushroom vents leak
slightly or mist under windy conditions when it rains....maybe the moisture
helps gradually damage motor.
This time around I'm running a digital thermometer up there to see if a
working fan *really* makes a difference My attic already has a ridge vent
and soffit vents, but in spite of all the hype about how great a ridge
soffit system is...it still gets HOT up there (was almost 130 up there today
in middle of afternoon...upper 80s outdoors in shade). Will be interesting
to see if the fan really makes any noticeable difference when I get a
working motor again....if not then I may not bother to replace the motor a
3rd time if the new motor goes again.
J.
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| Joseph Meehan 2006-05-29, 7:21 pm |
| jaynews wrote:
> When I moved into my condo, the motor to the mushroom roof vent wasn't
> working, so I replaced it in the spring of last year. Now the new
> one isn't working (completely dead...confirmed on a test bench). Am I
> correct in assuming that nothing in the motor is
> user-serviceable...like maybe a fuse?
> I'm going to call the manufacturer tomorrow and see if the motor is
> still under warranty. If not, I may just wind up seeing what Home
> Depot has available.
>
> **Wondering...what is the typical lifespan of these motors?** (they
> operate under extreme temperatures, and I don't like how mushroom
> vents leak slightly or mist under windy conditions when it
> rains....maybe the moisture helps gradually damage motor.
>
> This time around I'm running a digital thermometer up there to see if
> a working fan *really* makes a difference My attic already has a
> ridge vent and soffit vents, but in spite of all the hype about how
> great a ridge soffit system is...it still gets HOT up there (was
> almost 130 up there today in middle of afternoon...upper 80s outdoors
> in shade). Will be interesting to see if the fan really makes any
> noticeable difference when I get a working motor again....if not then
> I may not bother to replace the motor a 3rd time if the new motor
> goes again.
> J.
My personal advice is to forget the powered roof vent idea. If you must
use them be sure to get top quality ($$$$) equipment as most of them are
designed to work at least 6 weeks and not much more.
Most of the time proper passive ventilation and good insulation will be
far more trouble free and work at least as well.
--
Joseph Meehan
Dia duit
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| jaynews 2006-05-29, 7:21 pm |
| Motor was a Lomanco (replacement for the one that didn't work last year when
I moved in...also a Lomanco motor).
I'm going to call them tomorrow and see if it is still under warranty....if
not, then any suggestions for a replacement motor that should last several
years or more?
Since I'm in a condo, I'm stuck with what I have....I can replace the motor
itself, but not the mushroom vent.
The roof does have a ridge vent, which is relatively short in length, since
the house is narrower from side to side maybe 25 feet versus 35 feet from
front to back. I suppose maybe I could talk the management company into
installing more *soffit* vents I offered to be the one paying for it, and
the vents I have on the soffit aren't enough....it looks like it currently
has a total of six 15x8 soffit vents (3 in on front soffit and 3 on back
soffit)....will adding more soffit vents cool things off up there, in other
words, will more soffit vents really solve the problem of the attic
crawlspace getting 130 degrees or higher?...main concern is the lifespan of
the roof.
J.
<<My personal advice is to forget the powered roof vent idea. If you must
use them be sure to get top quality ($$$$) equipment as most of them are
designed to work at least 6 weeks and not much more.
Most of the time proper passive ventilation and good insulation will be
far more trouble free and work at least as well. >>
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| George E. Cawthon 2006-05-29, 7:21 pm |
| jaynews wrote:
> When I moved into my condo, the motor to the mushroom roof vent wasn't
> working, so I replaced it in the spring of last year. Now the new one isn't
> working (completely dead...confirmed on a test bench). Am I correct in
> assuming that nothing in the motor is user-serviceable...like maybe a fuse?
>
> I'm going to call the manufacturer tomorrow and see if the motor is still
> under warranty. If not, I may just wind up seeing what Home Depot has
> available.
>
> **Wondering...what is the typical lifespan of these motors?** (they operate
> under extreme temperatures, and I don't like how mushroom vents leak
> slightly or mist under windy conditions when it rains....maybe the moisture
> helps gradually damage motor.
>
> This time around I'm running a digital thermometer up there to see if a
> working fan *really* makes a difference My attic already has a ridge vent
> and soffit vents, but in spite of all the hype about how great a ridge
> soffit system is...it still gets HOT up there (was almost 130 up there today
> in middle of afternoon...upper 80s outdoors in shade). Will be interesting
> to see if the fan really makes any noticeable difference when I get a
> working motor again....if not then I may not bother to replace the motor a
> 3rd time if the new motor goes again.
>
> J.
>
>
My mushroom type vent is still working after
nearly 30 years. But, only because I fixed it.
Stupid thing says on it that it should be oiled
every 3 months, but who would do that since you
have to climb up on the roof and remove the motor
to oil it.
First thing to do is replace any thrust washers
that are not steel, brass or nylon with nylon
washers. Most of these motors have at least one
washer that is a composite material that turns to
asphalt and seized the shaft.
Second, the thermostat is often turned up too high
, so the motor may not start until the temp
reaches 110 or 120. Also the turn off temp will
be about 15 degrees lower. If you have any
electrical skills you can wire it so that you can
use the automatic turn off and turn on or give you
the option to turn in on and off manually. Mine
is usually set to automatic (turns on at 95
degrees) but we turn it off in the winter and some
times we turn it on early in hot weather.
How hot it gets up in the attic is affected by
several factors. It could be that you just don't
have enough vent area, either in the soffits or
the ridge. Color of roof makes a big difference
and if you have a black roof, well.......
Also, if you live in area of high solar radiation,
you will have higher attic temperatures with the
same amount of vent area.
| |
| Robert Allison 2006-05-29, 7:21 pm |
| Joseph Meehan wrote:
> jaynews wrote:
>
>
>
> My personal advice is to forget the powered roof vent idea. If you must
> use them be sure to get top quality ($$$$) equipment as most of them are
> designed to work at least 6 weeks and not much more.
>
> Most of the time proper passive ventilation and good insulation will be
> far more trouble free and work at least as well.
>
I will second the above advice. Powered roof vents are a pain
and a danger until they break down, then they are just another
passive vent. n
--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX
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| On Mon, 29 May 2006 21:16:43 GMT, "jaynews" <jaynews@verizon.net>
wrote:
>When I moved into my condo, the motor to the mushroom roof vent wasn't
>working, so I replaced it in the spring of last year. Now the new one isn't
>working (completely dead...confirmed on a test bench). Am I correct in
>assuming that nothing in the motor is user-serviceable...like maybe a fuse?
>
>I'm going to call the manufacturer tomorrow and see if the motor is still
>under warranty. If not, I may just wind up seeing what Home Depot has
>available.
I never looked for a motor there, but I doubt they have it. Most
cities have an electric motor repair shop, and they stock these
things. Take your motor with you.
I wouldn't be surprised if there were a thermal fuse in them, but if
it blew, it seems to me the fan got hotter than the fuse allows
because the fan wasn't spinning. One year is not very long. I hope
they send you another for free.
>
>**Wondering...what is the typical lifespan of these motors?** (they operate
>under extreme temperatures,
Although humans think 140 is extreme, that's because our body temp is
98 and we're not designed for much hotter. For machinery, 98 is of no
special importance.
Despite that, my experience too has been that, in my roof fan, the
first lasted maybe 7 years, the second two years, the third 6 years,
and this one 8 years so far. Or something like that. Almost 23 years
total, and the best money I've ever spent.
I tried to buy the most expensive fan I could find, but at the time,
the difference was only from 65 to 75 dollars. Maybe I could have
found better not at a hardware store. The first time Ireplaced the
motor, I ordered from the factory, but it only lasted 2 or 3 years, so
the next time was at the local motor store, so I think anything I lost
by not buying more expensive the first time has been recovered.
Today was the first really hot day out, I think, and like in past
years I know it would be totally intolerable on my second floor,
without AC, but with the roof fan and not wearing a shirt, it's not
bad, and I haven't even turned on the fan next to my desk yet.
This was a cool May. It was warm enough in the day for the fan to go
on a couple weeks ago, but cold enough at night that I used my bypass
swtich to keep the fan off, to heat the attic so that the house would
be a little warmer at night. I turned off the furnace here in
Baltimore more than a month ago.
>and I don't like how mushroom vents leak
>slightly or mist under windy conditions when it rains..
Mine does that, in the attic. It never gets really wet underneath
(although I wouldn't store my Rembrandt there) and the plywood floor
has shown no damage.
>..maybe the moisture
>helps gradually damage motor.
I've definitely wondered about that, and I think I asked here once.
The rain hits the roof and splatters into the screen, or maybe it
blows into the screen directly sometimes if the wind is enough, and it
breaks into a mist when it hits the screen that's there.
I installed this fan myself, but I'm fat now and don't have a ladder
so I didn't want to go back on the roof. Thought about putting
another screen inside the one it comes with, to let the air in but
cause the water to drain out before the motor, but a) didn't know why
my screen would succeed more than their screen, b) wasn't obvious how
to put the screen in, c) had lots of projects more importnant, and d)
I've got replacing the motor down to 20 minutes, not counting going to
the store and turning off the fuse, and I've decided replacing the
motor isn't so bad.
>This time around I'm running a digital thermometer up there to see if a
>working fan *really* makes a difference My attic already has a ridge vent
>and soffit vents, but in spite of all the hype about how great a ridge
>soffit system is...it still gets HOT up there (was almost 130 up there today
>in middle of afternoon...upper 80s outdoors in shade).
Absolutely the fan makes a tremendous difference. I know because when
I bought this townhouse, with a shingled pitched roof about 10 feet
high in the middle, I had a full width ridge vent and front and back
full width soffitt vents. They are 4 inches wide with no interruptions
for the width of the house, with window screen in the opening. I have
6 inches of fiberglass insulation between the second floor and the
attic.
I would come home from work at 6PM and it was so hot upstairs, I
couldn't even go there (and I was thin then, although as to temp, that
doesn't seem to have made much difference)
I would sleep in the basement and go upstairs the next morning to
bathe and get new clothes.
When I opened the trap door to look at the attic, I'd feel the hot air
rush at me when I still below the ceiling.
Now I do my work in the attic at dawn.
And only need to use the AC for about 2 weeks a summer. The rest of
the time, I have a table fan next to the desk, the bed, the kitchen
table, and the living room tv. It's always cool enough in the
basement to use my workbench.
After the fan had been working about 18 years, I was up there outside
doing something else and noticed a layer of "lint" the whole length of
the soffitt vents. None of my neighbors have that because none have
that much circulation because none have roof fans.
>Will be interesting
>to see if the fan really makes any noticeable difference when I get a
>working motor again....if not then I may not bother to replace the motor a
>3rd time if the new motor goes again.
Very good idea. Do measurements when you have no fan. My fan was
factory set (to 85? degrees) and comes on about 9 to 12 in the
morning, and goes off between 7 and 10 at night, depending on how hot
and sunny the day was. So it's not on when I'm trying to sleep. I put
on much lighter colored shingles a couple years ago, so maybe it runs
less, but I didn't keep records along iwht outdoor temp and sunniness.
The measurements inside your house should really be done with the AC
off for a few days, but I understand why one wouldn't want to do that.
I don't know what danger powered fans present. I have had 3 motors
fail with no problem other than the lack of the fan.
I've wondered about oiling my motor, but I don't think any of them had
oil cups or oil holes.
I'm going to read George's post in more detail. My currewnt motor is
in place and I'm not fiddling with it under any circumstances, but
I'll try to save George's post and review the next motor, someday I
suppose, in its light.
>J.
>
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| jaynews 2006-05-30, 6:21 pm |
| <<I wouldn't be surprised if there were a thermal fuse in them, but if
it blew, it seems to me the fan got hotter than the fuse allows
because the fan wasn't spinning. One year is not very long. I hope
they send you another for free. >>
They are sending a new one for free. It got as high as 136 in the attic
crawlspace today according to the digital thermometer, so it should be
interesting to see how much the working motor improves things. Since
they're not asking me to send failed motor back, I'm tempted to pry to cover
off and see if there are any signs of a thermal fuse that blew. It does say
"Thermal Protection" on the outside of the cover....not sure if that means
there is a fuse or some type of circuit breaker....of if that is the reason
for the failure.
<<I don't know what danger powered fans present. I have had 3 motors
fail with no problem other than the lack of the fan. >>
I'm guessing they likely aren't that dangerous if they have adequate thermal
protection.
<<I've wondered about oiling my motor, but I don't think any of them had
oil cups or oil holes.>>
The manufacturer of this particular motor stated in the documentation that
it is permanently lubricated and doesn't require additional lubrication.
J.
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| On Tue, 30 May 2006 20:40:36 GMT, "jaynews" <jaynews@verizon.net>
wrote:
><<I wouldn't be surprised if there were a thermal fuse in them, but if
>it blew, it seems to me the fan got hotter than the fuse allows
>because the fan wasn't spinning. One year is not very long. I hope
>they send you another for free. >>
>
>They are sending a new one for free. It got as high as 136 in the attic
Thanks for writing. YOu were actually up in the attic at 136 or this
is a thermometer with a remote? I can't imagine it happening to me of
course**  but my mother would say that someone could collapse up
there, and I wonder how many hours it would take to die.
**PARTLY because I don't think I've eever been up there when it is
that hot. I hate heat, plus because of the fiberglass, I generally
wear long pants and sleeves. It hasn't hurt me, but early on some of
it stuck in my skin and was annoying, itchy, for a few hours.
>crawlspace today according to the digital thermometer, so it should be
>interesting to see how much the working motor improves things. Since
>they're not asking me to send failed motor back, I'm tempted to pry to cover
>off and see if there are any signs of a thermal fuse that blew. It does say
>"Thermal Protection" on the outside of the cover....not sure if that means
>there is a fuse or some type of circuit breaker..
I don't think anyone uses breakers, for the reason I gave, so unless
they are relying on their prayers, it's probably a fuse.
They're small, it's probably entirely covered with a soft plastic tube
no bigger than the wire that connects to it, but a couple inches long.
Some look like silver space ships, with a nose cone at one end, and a
flat cut off at the other. Some are probably not silver and they're
always coming up with new shapes for things. Not counting the leads,
it may be less than a half inch long.
They sell new ones, but you don't know what temp it should use. You
might be able to read a number on it. I'm guessing like 180, or more.
It sits right on the hot metal maybe, not counting the plastic tube.
Does it spin easily? Others here will say if there is any chance a
new fuse will get it to work again.
I would save the motor, so when the next one burns out, you can take
the one before it to the motor store. I saved mine but lost track of
which one it is! so next time I'll have to go into the attic twice.
It woudl be easier to remove the motor and have the new one there to
put right back in.
After they're no longer free, you're not going to want to wait for it
to come in the mail, although there is two day. I think my motor 8
or 16 years ago was 70 or 80 dollars, more than the whole fan 23 years
ago. I came across the receipt just a couple months ago. Maybe the
model number is on it.
>..of if that is the reason
>for the failure.
>
><<I don't know what danger powered fans present. I have had 3 motors
>fail with no problem other than the lack of the fan. >>
>
>I'm guessing they likely aren't that dangerous if they have adequate thermal
>protection.
>
><<I've wondered about oiling my motor, but I don't think any of them had
>oil cups or oil holes.>>
>
>The manufacturer of this particular motor stated in the documentation that
>it is permanently lubricated and doesn't require additional lubrication.
>
>J.
>
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| jaynews 2006-05-31, 4:21 am |
| I ran the wired remote sensor of a digital thermometer up there temporarily.
That way I can monitor how hot it gets up there without having to go up
there.
The motor spins freely when I spin it manually so maybe it is the fuse that
went...not sure though.
J.
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