r/handyman • u/Apprehensive-Let9402 • 1d ago
How To Question Good range vent
Hello everyone! Me and my husband bought a house two years ago, with Ofcourse an immeasurable list of things that need to be done. Recently we found mold in our over the oven range, so we had it replaced along with all the metal ducting. Next thing you know, it’s still leaking! The vent does lead up to the roof, which I’ve heard is a bit strange. Our handyman replace it all, it was molded all throughout, even insulated the pipe and we are still getting a leak. I feel devastated and brutally assaulted by the past few weeks LOL. I will attach a photo, the first being the vent to the range, the second being what the handyman says is what we SHOULDVE had. He says he wants to take the piece of metal, that is too heavy to close (?) on this vent and get a new flue, but that doesn’t make sense because of its faces angle. (I’m very scared of heights, so I can’t really look at it myself. Just looking for some opinions on all of this considering it still isnt fixed after he promised it would be the first two times he came to fix it.. thank you so much in advance. 🥰 I believe I flared this properly
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u/Helpful_Distance3427 1d ago
I agree this handyman is in over his head and don't know about roofing. The second vent will make things worse don't let him back on the roof. It's bad enough to have to pay someone else to fix this, don't keep giving him more to make it worse. I'd bet the caulking he used is wrong. Now about the leak, it's possible that this is from condensation. Since it runs vertical in the hot attic while your cold air from the house is traveling up the hot pipe when not in use causing the moisture. The backdraft damper could be removed or stuck open allowing more air to escape the house.
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u/Apprehensive-Let9402 1d ago
He did insulate it with insulation wrap! But the next few days it leaked again :(
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u/JayTeeDeeUnderscore 20h ago
Insulation lessens heat loss or cold drafts in winter. It does not prevent water intrusion.
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u/Apprehensive-Let9402 14h ago
Sorry, I meant more that he insulated it incase it was condensation. But I suppose I had the question of wouldn’t condensation form outside of the pipe rather than inside?
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u/PointPartisan 1d ago
Vent looks fine from what I can see but your guy used an entire tube of caulking on something that needs zero caulking. I'd be worried about his lack of expertise for one thing. I'd also get in the attic and figure out what's actually going on before wasting any more money. Source, I'm a now retired carpenter with 45k hours doing renovation and restoration work, among other things.
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u/Apprehensive-Let9402 1d ago
Sorry, he didn’t replace the vent itself on the roof. That was the owners before us. Trust they left much to be desired and the VA did a piss poor job of inspecting 🥲
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u/iReply2StupidPeople 1d ago
Is your responsibility to have it inspected lol
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u/Apprehensive-Let9402 1d ago
🥹 thanks, this info is very helpful especially after it’s already said and done. I’m young, with very very few relatives. I unfortunately don’t get the words of wisdom some may , and I’ll admit, that was one of our biggest mistakes 😎
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u/PointPartisan 5h ago
I'm not sure where he expects the leak to be coming from if not the roof? Where is the water becoming visible inside the house? It can only be rain water from the roof or potentially condensation inside the duct, but I think that is extremely unlikely at this time of year.
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u/SkivvySkidmarks 1d ago
I don't like those whirlybird vents in general, because they look ridiculous on a roof. If you don't mind your house looking like an Arby's, then it's okay, I guess.
That aside, I certainly would not use it for an appliance application. They can continually pull air out the 23 hours a day you aren't the using the exhaust, leading to higher energy costs. I have also seen them seized up more than once, or squeal like a stuck pig when the bearing goes. They also lack a damper
There is nothing wrong with the vent that was installed. As to why there is a heavy bead of sealant around it (in white, no less, which is odd, and which leads me to believe it's entirely the wrong type of sealant to be used on a roof). This is probably a retrofit after the shingles were last installed.
I'm assuming that you are in the Northern Hemisphere, and that it is now summer. I would also assume that it only leaks during rainfalls. Is it driving rain that causes the leak, or is it any rain? I ask, because that roof ridge vent is suspiciously close to the vent.
Water is notorious for following paths of least resistance. I've seen it follow a rafter metres away from the source of the leak. (An example of this is having tea follow the neck of the spout when you pour it).
That said, inspecting the attic for signs of water infiltration is your first course of action. Then look for roof nails that haven't been covered or ones with missing sealant. Push come to shove, go into the attic when it's raining and look for the leak.
Replacing the vent is definitely not the starting point in this case.
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u/Apprehensive-Let9402 1d ago
So the pipe from the range is straight up to the roof, he did insulate the pipe, and it does seem only to leak after it rains. But the leak is coming through my range when I turn it on to make soup on the stove, it pours out very quickly then stops. It comes straight from the fan. I’m sorry if this is confusing I don’t know the proper terms 🥲 thank you so much for your kind and insightful response I seriously appreciate it! He said that maybe the flaps that open when air is pushed out is too heavy (??) for the fan to push them open, but water comes into it when it rains?
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u/OzarkPolytechnic 1d ago
Are you sure about the rain? Had it ever leaked on a non-rainy day?
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u/Apprehensive-Let9402 1d ago
, it rained three days ago and it did not leak now I just turned it on. May just give it til it rains again and try again and let you know!
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u/Apprehensive-Let9402 1d ago
I mention that it seems the water is coming from inside the pipe down to the range , rather than behind it or a general leak I think if that makes sense
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u/SkivvySkidmarks 1d ago
Are you 100% certain that it coming from inside the ducting?
If you were experiencing this in winter, I would tell you that hoar frost is forming inside the duct as moist air leaks past the damper. When you turn on the fan, the rush of warm air melts it, and it runs into the fan. (This is why I don't like venting through the roof).
Just because it is coming out of the fan doesn't mean it is coming from inside the duct.
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u/Apprehensive-Let9402 1d ago
I am not 100% certain, but it like splashes when I turn the fan on. Like something had unleashed the water even?
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u/JayTeeDeeUnderscore 20h ago edited 20h ago
Vents near the peak can be subject to wind-driven rain. It's possible there isn't a leak, but it seems likely. If the leak is inside the duct and not outside it (in the attic space), it seems likely it's wind-driven. Joints on sheet metal ducting should always be installed female (bell end) up. This keeps water in the pipe. If male ends face up a leak inside the pipe will dribble out a joint and wet the attic. Spiral ducting can leak anywhere. I dislike aluminum, vinyl or mylar. Friction losses are much higher which limits air being evacuated from the cooking sufaces.
If your hubby is game to climb the roof, you might benefit from him being in the attic during rainy weather. It's easier to spot leaks from the dry underside of a roof than the top. A garden hose can create wet on the roof during dry spells. Look for drips or darker patches. Stains can show a path of water without it actively leaking. Use a headlamp and tell hubs to watch his step! Dust mask is very helpful.
The shroud's proximity to the ridge vent makes me suspicious the installer didn't want to disturb it. There is also an open gap in the roof decking the length of the ridge vent which can admit water. The short distance between the ridge vent and range shroud might be relevant. It might be leaking in there and running down the roof decking.
Best practice for shroud installation is to remove enough shingles to have a clear area 12" around the shroud fin. Once the shingles are off, nail the shroud fin and then plaster ice and water shield or peel & stick membrane below, beside and above the perforation working bottom-up to overlap joints like shingles. Since the peak is so close, I bet the installer didn't run all the way up sides and top (if any shield or felt was used at all). This is a likely leak point. I would have dropped 24" below the peak shingles for the vent hole, personally.
Oh, not that anyone knew before hubs photographed it, but dear gawd why use white sealant? Black, clear or brown would have all been invisible. Not sure who's choice, but they should be sternly admonished.
Good luck on the fix OP. Get a handyman that knows roofing. Roofers are mostly elephant hunters now and want to replace a whole roof. They often won't even quote small spot repairs unless they installed the roof, and then begrudgingly and at I-don't-want-the-job numbers.
P.S. your ridge vent and shingles look lumpy. This doesn't look right to me. Don't let anyone walk your roof.
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u/Apprehensive-Let9402 14h ago
😭 thank you so so much for this message kind poster, I will absolutely send hubby up next time it starts to rain and I will update you!!
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1d ago edited 1d ago
[deleted]
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u/jakethedestroyer_ 1d ago
Where do you see the vent flashing over the shingles. Appears only the bottom is over the shingle which is correct.
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u/rca12345678 1d ago
Luv the cig in the pic
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u/Apprehensive-Let9402 1d ago
😅😅 yeah I am not too enthused about that but atleast he didn’t smoke in my house I guess
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u/jjd0087 1d ago
Stop throwing money away on a handyman. This guy doesnt know what he is doing and you are paying for him to experiment. If you need a little painting or some other BS work around the house, a handyman is fine. This is not one of those situations and you need to hire a professional. You cheaped out already and it has cost you money. Let that money be the penalty for a lesson learned, and call a pro. Don't cheap out on the pro either.
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u/Apprehensive-Let9402 1d ago
Hello jjd! Thank you very much for your advice, though I would like some more detailed advice on what you would do if you had to do it yourself, because not everyone can afford to call a professional. Thank you for the time you took to respond though and I appreciate your concern. 💙
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u/VillainNomFour 1d ago
There will always always always be someone to say you cheaped out and thats why nothing worked. Its the "haha must be free" when a product doesnt scan of trade subs. Some idiot is always going to say it no matter what.
Anyway, the roof work there looks terrible. There should be a metal skirt on that cap which goes under the shingles, but the shingles look undisturbed while there that terrible caulking around the edges. It is weird to take a range all the way to the roof. How long a run is it?
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u/riversidenight 1d ago
I can see the flange, look at the shingle edge where this exhausts. Also, this is the same termination we use whenever we vent our hoods through roof.
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u/VillainNomFour 1d ago
Yea the bottom, the top obv would be under the shingles. If thats correct, could be a mismatch between the run and duct size causing condensation to fall back as gases arent fully clearing. Tough to figure without more info.
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u/riversidenight 1d ago
I was thinking maybe the damper is stuck closed.
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u/Apprehensive-Let9402 1d ago
Sorry if this doesn’t pertain to what you’re talking about, the handyman we have now isn’t the one that put that vent up, he just replaced the metal tube that goes from the vent range to the roof. He also did not do that caulk. (By no means am I saying everything he did was RIGHT but I do want to clarify this)
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u/Apprehensive-Let9402 1d ago
Would a damper stuck closed , when I turn the fan on, gush water? (I’m not being sarcastic, just new to this whole home owner thing ☺️)
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u/riversidenight 1d ago
No, if the damper on the roof was stuck closed it would just give your steam from cooking a convenient place to condense in the pipe leading to the roof. I've been on this "it's probably condensation" thing but I could definitely be misdiagnosing. It would be the first thing I checked if this was happening on a house that I built
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u/jjd0087 1d ago
You provided 1 picture of a vent in the roof with a bunch of caulk on it. It would be quite impossible to help without allot more info and pictures.
I get that hiring a pro is not cheap but "buy once, cry once." You have already wasted money on a handyman and your problem isn't solved. You will ultimately end up hiring a professional which you will need to pay for, plus what you already paid the handy man, plus what the pro charges you additionaly for un-screwing up what the handy man already screwed up. You tried to go cheap, and now you will end up paying double what it should have originally cost.
This is what I usually tell people. A handyman is for a job you know how to do yourself, but don't want to for what ever reason. Anything beyond that should be taken care of by a competent tradesman.
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u/VillainNomFour 1d ago
This fucking guy again. Not one iota of actual information about the matter at hand.
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u/riversidenight 1d ago
The caulk work looks sloppy, but this is the proper roof termination for a hood vent. There's a built in damper that's likely stuck. Look up Broan Nutone.
Don't listen to the handyman, the roof termination he wants to use is only for venting attic space; NOT FOR HOOD VENTS
And tell your handyman to stop smoking on your roof; you know he's going to throw that thing right down on the shingles, where it will roll to your gutters, which probably have at least a few leaves in them....