• Microwave vents directly to outside

    Jan.13.2011

    I have a microwave that vents directly to the outside of the house. The temperature is 43 degrees inside the unit with a draft felt from the outside coming through the underside fan air intake. Is there a way to block the air from coming into the house through the exterior vent? The outside vent is on the north side and has a spring loaded, standard range vent.

    Peggy, Cary, NC

    Your current vent may be old, warped and/or poorly sealed. A good solution may be simply replacing your current vent with a new outside boot with damper, making sure it is properly sealed. Many of the new vents also have louvers which help significantly with deflecting drafts. A second possibility is relocating this vent to a roof jack. If the vent is on the wall surface then wind blowing into it can force air through the vent. This problem is more likely to happen when the microwave vent is on the side of the house with prevailing wind. A roof jack could help prevent wind from forcing air into the vent. Placement on the roof should also take into consideration the prevailing wind. A backdraft damper should be installed as well in the duct or be integral to the new roof jack. I suggest you contact a professional repairman who can assist you with reworking this vent. We are sorry, but ARS/Rescue Rooter in Raleigh, NC does not provide this type of repair service. Please contact us for all your HVAC and plumbing installation, maintenance, and repair needs.

Comments

POST A COMMENT