Help!

[kurtdesign1]

With 3 bouts of sickness in the past 3 weeks, I've forgotten to post this up here. After episode 95 my wife commented that it seemed my room had developed a leak.

For those of you who don't know, I built a room in my basement when I bought the house and sealed it up to prevent smoke leakage to the rest of the home. I used construction overruns and random products on hand and produced a rather rustic, very functional, cigar retreat. I covered the ceiling joists (floor joists of 1st floor) with two layers of heavy visqueen (plastic sheets) and overlapped down the walls a bit. All joints, corners, penetrations, etc were caulked, foamed, stuffed and covered, leaving the only source of entry/exit from the room (for anything) as the door and exhaust fan. I undercut the door so that any air exhausted out could be replaced by "make-up" air brought in due to the fan's vacuum effect (affect?). The perimeter was weather stripped and sealed completely.

All of this is background for where I think I've traced the leak. My exhaust ductwork is an old disconnected dryer vent that conveniently was never used by the prior homeowners, AND was 3 feet from where my fan sits outside my room. What I need help with is a method to find this hole so it can be patched or removed. I'm thinking a smoke bomb in my room so it exhausts out some funky color smoke that I can see from the adjacent area of my basement, but I'm worried that my room will then smell like sulfur fireworks and have a color residue. Any other ideas? The very recording of Half Ashed hangs in the balance. I don't think she'll tolerate more than one or two more shows before she drops the hammer and I need to repipe the entire exhaust run.

[Zedman05]

What about light, if you don't want to have a smell issue. Check the venting by putting a bright light in the vent from the outside. Take the flaps off outside and put the brightest light in. Turn off all the lights and see if you can see light from the vent to the fan inside.
There really isn't much for checking leaks like that other than sulfur sticks. I guess a positive pressure would be the only other way to check.
Have you checked that fan, to see if the wheel fins are getting dirty, and can't move enough air volume ? Maybe the outlet flap/flaps are not opening as much anymore, and thus causing a loss of flow ?
What kind of fan ? Backwards incline, forwards incline, centrifugal ? Forewards incline fan blades with grab and hold build up faster, especially if they are plastic. It spins the same speed, and sounds like it is working, but just doesnt move a whole lot of air.

Cigar F^iend

[kurtdesign1]

What about light, if you don't want to have a smell issue. Check the venting by putting a bright light in the vent from the outside. Take the flaps off outside and put the brightest light in. Turn off all the lights and see if you can see light from the vent to the fan inside.

This is a good idea aside from the fact that it's a hooded vent termination. I've got it foamed in on the inside so removing it would be a bear. I've been thinking of upsizing the duct to a 6" so maybe if I'm going to cut it out I just redo the ducting and solve the problem altogether.

Have you checked that fan, to see if the wheel fins are getting dirty, and can't move enough air volume ? Maybe the outlet flap/flaps are not opening as much anymore, and thus causing a loss of flow ?
What kind of fan ? Backwards incline, forwards incline, centrifugal ? Forewards incline fan blades with grab and hold build up faster, especially if they are plastic. It spins the same speed, and sounds like it is working, but just doesnt move a whole lot of air.

I have not checked it yet. Maybe I should do that. It's a wall mounted "squirrel cage" that moves like 350cfm if ducted with a 6. It does a great job BUT it does have plastic blades.

[Kip]

How about you just sack up and be the man of the house.





Just a hillbilly, Tappin and a-Talkin

[Zedman05]

How about you just sack up and be the man of the house.





Just a hillbilly, Tappin and a-Talkin

Boom....problem solved

Cigar F^iend

[kurtdesign1]

My wife says to stop.

[Stewmuse]

How about you just sack up and be the man of the house.

Wooowwww.... and this from the guy who has to dress like a northern Alaska eskimo to do a podcast in November.

[kurtdesign1]

How about you just sack up and be the man of the house.

Wooowwww.... and this from the guy who has to dress like a northern Alaska eskimo to do a podcast in November.

Hey, take it easy. It was 59 outside...

[Zedman05]

How about you just sack up and be the man of the house.

Wooowwww.... and this from the guy who has to dress like a northern Alaska eskimo to do a podcast in November.

Uh oh, the gloves are off....even though I do agree.

Cigar F^iend

[Kip]

I have probably spent more time with a lit cigar/pipe in my house than any other married dudes around these parts...

Just a hillbilly, Tappin and a-Talkin