Birds in outside wall vent covers.
#1
05-04-16, 04:28 PM
Birds in outside wall vent covers.
I am trying to solve the birds-in-my-bathroom exhaust/dryer/heater wall openings problem and I need a bit of help with the right keywords to find what to order for the intake ones.
Three story building, I think I have 7 of these covered holes overall. I am positive that I have birds nesting in two of these - probably bathroom exhausts, but I would love to cover all wall holes and I guess some are dryer exhaust and I suspect that at least one could be heater intake (?).
There are two kinds of these on the building - the ones with three little door looks like these only open one way - these are probably for exhaust? These ones looks like "4" WHITE SUPURR VENT HOOD".
The ones with just two larger doors seem to be opening both ways - I think I see the wind blowing and pushing the door inside. These are the ones where the birds are flying in. These are the ones I need to replace and I am failing to find anything similar on amazon or anywhere - the ones which would open both ways. Part of my concern is that these are ~35ft from the ground and I am not sure which one is intake which one is exhaust so I need to be ready before the guys with a tall ladder come here. I do not want to use the ones which only open one way since I guess these would not work for intake and this would ruin my heating?
Here are the ones I am looking to replace and that's where I need help with the right term/keyword/model number. Local Lowes and Home Depot only have the ones which open one way in the appliance accessory section.
I've ordered a bunch of "Deflecto Universal Bird Guard, Fits 3" to 4" Vents" to cover - hope these are the right size.
Sorry for too much text. Finding anyone with a 35+ft ladder is stressful
Three story building, I think I have 7 of these covered holes overall. I am positive that I have birds nesting in two of these - probably bathroom exhausts, but I would love to cover all wall holes and I guess some are dryer exhaust and I suspect that at least one could be heater intake (?).
There are two kinds of these on the building - the ones with three little door looks like these only open one way - these are probably for exhaust? These ones looks like "4" WHITE SUPURR VENT HOOD".
The ones with just two larger doors seem to be opening both ways - I think I see the wind blowing and pushing the door inside. These are the ones where the birds are flying in. These are the ones I need to replace and I am failing to find anything similar on amazon or anywhere - the ones which would open both ways. Part of my concern is that these are ~35ft from the ground and I am not sure which one is intake which one is exhaust so I need to be ready before the guys with a tall ladder come here. I do not want to use the ones which only open one way since I guess these would not work for intake and this would ruin my heating?
Here are the ones I am looking to replace and that's where I need help with the right term/keyword/model number. Local Lowes and Home Depot only have the ones which open one way in the appliance accessory section.
I've ordered a bunch of "Deflecto Universal Bird Guard, Fits 3" to 4" Vents" to cover - hope these are the right size.
Sorry for too much text. Finding anyone with a 35+ft ladder is stressful
#2
05-04-16, 04:47 PM
Member
None of those vents you've pictured are intake vents.
If the birds are already in there, there's going to be all kinds of trash in there that needs to be sucked out with a long vacuum hose.
There's 4 screws holding in the vent that need to come out.
I'd replace the whole thing with one like this.
Shop IMPERIAL 4-in Plastic Preferrered with Guard Dryer Vent Cap at Lowes.com
Those louvers always end up sticking.
If the birds are already in there, there's going to be all kinds of trash in there that needs to be sucked out with a long vacuum hose.
There's 4 screws holding in the vent that need to come out.
I'd replace the whole thing with one like this.
Shop IMPERIAL 4-in Plastic Preferrered with Guard Dryer Vent Cap at Lowes.com
Those louvers always end up sticking.
#3
05-04-16, 05:24 PM
Joe, thank you for you help!
You are probably right - five are bathroom exhausts and two are dryer exhausts, this case the number 7 adds up and none of these have anything to do with heating.
Three more questions just to help me understand this completely:
The ones with two doors, do you think these ones even could open both ways or am I making this up? Do not the floppy doors help with not letting the cold air in?
I guess the design you are showing would help fight the cold air as well since the opening is only on the bottom.
The reason I am so focused on the cold air is that I actually have another maybe related problem: The top corner bathroom pipes got froze during the two coldest nights this winter (we are talking NYC area).
Only one bathroom got frozen and the five water points (cold/hot sink, toilet, cold/hot shower) were freezing/unfreezing one by one. The other bathrooms were perfectly fine - so it's not the main which froze. There is a theory that this could be cause by the cold air blowing in and freezing that top corner of the house - the idea is that the problem is not with static insulation but with dynamic insulation. I wonder if it's even possible that the two-doors ones are the reason my bathroom got frozen?
You are probably right - five are bathroom exhausts and two are dryer exhausts, this case the number 7 adds up and none of these have anything to do with heating.
Three more questions just to help me understand this completely:
The ones with two doors, do you think these ones even could open both ways or am I making this up? Do not the floppy doors help with not letting the cold air in?
I guess the design you are showing would help fight the cold air as well since the opening is only on the bottom.
The reason I am so focused on the cold air is that I actually have another maybe related problem: The top corner bathroom pipes got froze during the two coldest nights this winter (we are talking NYC area).
Only one bathroom got frozen and the five water points (cold/hot sink, toilet, cold/hot shower) were freezing/unfreezing one by one. The other bathrooms were perfectly fine - so it's not the main which froze. There is a theory that this could be cause by the cold air blowing in and freezing that top corner of the house - the idea is that the problem is not with static insulation but with dynamic insulation. I wonder if it's even possible that the two-doors ones are the reason my bathroom got frozen?
#4
05-04-16, 09:28 PM
Group Moderator
The pipes probably froze because either they are in an uninsulated wall/ceiling section or are on the cold side of the insulation instead of the warm side.
It is possible that a vent door getting stuck could cause the ceiling to get cold but it would only be in the one beam section. Usually when a vent gets stuck you get excessive cold air back thru the vent fan unit. If it's a vent in a bathroom then insulated ducting should have been used although that is not always the case.
I have never seen the two door style before but for the most part those units need to open out. It is possible that a bird hit it hard enough to cause it to push in.
It is possible that a vent door getting stuck could cause the ceiling to get cold but it would only be in the one beam section. Usually when a vent gets stuck you get excessive cold air back thru the vent fan unit. If it's a vent in a bathroom then insulated ducting should have been used although that is not always the case.
I have never seen the two door style before but for the most part those units need to open out. It is possible that a bird hit it hard enough to cause it to push in.
#6
10-20-16, 06:36 AM
The issue has been recently resolved, the last vent required a 40 feet ladder so it was a challenge to find someone interested in a small job so high.
Just for history here's a video of what the builders have originally installed. Sorry for vertical video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S09Unq0by-I
Just for history here's a video of what the builders have originally installed. Sorry for vertical video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S09Unq0by-I
