Do Crawl Space Ventilation Fans Work

Contrary to common belief a ventilation fan actually does more harm than good.

Do crawl space ventilation fans work. And 12 stick framed homes in cold dry flagstaff ariz. Unfortunately the natural humidity toxins pests and irritants that accompany that outside air also tend to wind up in the crawl space effectively nullifying any positive effects of the vent fans. You re using unconditioned air from outside your home and pumping it into your home.

Though the crawl space is an area of the home not often thought about it acts as a barrier between the home and the ground below. When you use a crawl space fan you also have to have crawl space vents. Using crawl space fans to blow outside air in and control moisture in the crawl space sounds like something that makes a lot of sense.

According to home energy magazine as much as 40 or more of the air you breathe in your home comes directly from your crawl space. That s important because ventilator fans tend to be effective over a much smaller area than dehumidifiers so if you have a large space that you re working with you ll need several fans where a single dehumidifier would do the job. Crawl space ventilation is the best solution for all homes in our illinois climate as they successfully ventilate the crawl space and prevent moisture condensation and keep the air inside fresh and clean.

However a crawl space fan is probably a bad idea regardless of why you re using it. Dehumidifier in basement and fans into each crawl space and then easy breate fans in both crawl spaces to expel musty air. In december 2009 they released an exhaustive report about crawl space ventilation as it pertains to a variety of different climates across the country.

Crawl space insulation crawl space insulation absorbs this high humidity that has been introduced from the condensation of the air ducts and leeches that high humidity into the wood and sub floor which causes mold growth. The reason crawl space vents don t work is simple math. Researchers monitored two sets of new homes in different climates.

In addition it s been determined that crawl space vents contribute to something known as the stack effect this is a phenomenon whereby warm air rises and leaves from the home s upper levels. A 15 home modular housing development in hot humid baton rouge la. A crawl space ventilator can work for you though under the right circumstances.