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In my new home, on the second floor, the bathroom fans goes outside and under the roof, so the output is upside down.

They installed the type of vent with a flap that, normally with gravity and perpendicular to the ground, stays shut but since they are installed upside down they stay open all the time.

I thought about a vent like we have in the kitchen's fan, a valve that opens only when air is pushed one way, but not sure if there are any off-the-shelf for bathroom fans.

We hit -20C the past few days and the cold air was pretty apparent.

Anything I can do here?

isherwood
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Benner
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3 Answers3

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I am going to answer this even though i should probably wait for more information.

Bathroom, and dryer vent, outlet caps that exit a wall are generally attached to the exterior wall with screws, one at each corner. There may be some silicone caulking as well. They have a male crimped pipe that fits into the duct coming from the source.

You should be able to remove the screws and pull it directly out, turn 180 degrees and re-attach.

Here is YouTube video of one with a spring loaded flapper.

enter image description here

3" or 4" Round Duct Black Wall Cap w/ Damper, supplyhouse.com

Mazura
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Alaska Man
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You could replace the soffit vent with one that has a flap to prevent air coming inside, maybe something like that. But if it's on the second floor, you'll need a tall enough ladder.

enter image description here

Or you could pull the fan out from the bathroom (or visit the attic) and check if it has a one-way flap. Maybe it has one that is jammed open by cobwebs or something, and all that's necessary is a bit of cleaning. If it doesn't have a flap, then you can add one between the fan and the exhaust pipe. I'm not sure how it's called in English, but it looks like that:

enter image description here

Make sure you pick a model that works in the orientation it'll be installed in.

bobflux
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You can try to find an outlet with spring-loaded flaps. (Sounds like you already have one for the kitchen vent.)

Or, extend the outlet with a 90-degree elbow. That way the end will be facing sideways, not down.

Mike Baranczak
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