Vent to Attic in Winter: Good or Bad?

[Perpetual Nooch]

My room is kind of hot and I need another vent. Right now I'm shooting the hot air down through the house heating vent, which is unconnected from the furnace. But I'm finding that there is not enough air flow through the door to keep temps down. I left the door open for a tester and temps (measured at the canopy) dropped to 84-86. With the door closed, it was 90-92. So, it looks like I just need a bigger passive intake. Unfortunately, I can't leave the door open all the time because of:




So, I have a plan to cut a hole in the ceiling and vent into the attic, and use the floor vent as an intake. What I want to know is what would happen if you vent hot, humid air into an attic in winter. Would you get a bunch of condensation in your attic, or are there passive vents in the roof to allow the air to escape?

If anyone has done this or knows about it please post your experiences.

Thanks.

 

[MTF-Sandman]

Since you're in the Northern Hemisphere, why don't you duct it into your house to help heat it during winter? The heating savings will help offset the cost of the electricity that the light consumes...

 

[Perpetual Nooch]

Well, that's what I'm doing now but I'm worried that as they move further along in flower the carbon filter will not be enough to cover the smell. Also I would still need to cut a hole somewhere for a passive intake.

I'll probably just end up cutting a hole in the ceiling and using that as intake.

Thanks for replying.

 

[Japanfreakier]

I vent to my attic with an ozone filter in the line. I do not that the supreme court has ruled against heat imagining in the states, but that is only for cause. I'd still be worried a little if you lived in an urban place that has choppers.

 

[Guest]

I used a portable AC and vented to the attic all the time,no big deal at all.

 

[SpacedCWBY]

If you have gable vents on the ends of your house, put a vent fan in each one. One pulling in and the other pushing out. That would definetly get rid of the hot air before it would be noticed on a snowy roof. Probably pick up a couple at menards, home depot or www.grainger.com for $100-150.

Be safe.

Spaced...

 

[Guest]

Be carefull man, I heard of a guy who vented hot humid air in his town house attic durring cold winter. Roof caved in from the weight of the ice buildup...

 

[HeadyPete]

Hello,

You also must be aware of moisture damage and mold issues in your attic. The warm moist air will cool and condense and you will get a buildup of moisture in your attic, which may lead to all kinds of problems (including interior ice buildup and water damage to your ceiling).

There is a reason it is called the cold space. Any ducting going through there must also be insulated or water droplets will form on the inside of any cold surface and drip down inside your ducting and cause corrosion and mold.

This is the dilemma I am currently wrestling with. I am also concerned that any active venting to the outdoors, if strong enough, may pull CO and other gases from my two gas fireplaces into the living space. This goes for gas furnaces and hot water heaters (without dedicated fresh air intakes to the outside air) located near a vent intake. I'm hoping my kitchen and bathroom vents will allow enough fresh air to enter the house to make up for the exhaust flow (max 270 cfm - actual much less due to speed control) and not pull from down the chimneys.

Install a CO meter near your intake to make sure it is not drawing in dangerous gases.

I don't think this is an issue for gardens that simply recirculate scrubbed air inside the home, only those systems that exhaust to the outside.

If any HVAC experts would care to chime in, it would be appreciated!

 

[Guest]

I've also heard of that melting snow on the roof and really sticking out in a neighborhood of snowy roofs...maybe I'm high

 

[HeadyPete]

Another thought:

Are you air cooling your light? If you have a fresh air intake then you can vent it in the house - no smell.

Any way you slice it you are going to need a fresh air intake, not just for cooling but also for fresh air for the plants to breathe.

I don't recommend conpromising the seal between living space and attic unless it is sealed duct to the outside. There's insulation fibres, possible asbestos contamination (vermiculite insulation), animals droppings, molds, and other crap up there that you do not want to suck into your house. Also, the intake air would be too cold in the winter to draw straight into your garden.

Can you go through a wall and draw from an adjacent room with a stealth vent cover (ie. darkroom louver)?

If so, your best bet would be to draw from there, exhaust into your heat duct, grow low odour plants and oversize your carbon scrubber and hope for the best.

Good luck!

 

[Perpetual Nooch]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. Moisture buildup and ice is exactly what I am afraid of so I decided not to use the attic.

Can you go through a wall and draw from an adjacent room with a stealth vent cover (ie. darkroom louver)?

This is exactly what I did and am happy to report that it was successful. Thanks again to everyone who replied.

 

[HeadyPete]

Excellent! I'm happy you got it all squared away.