[sse1990]

I recently purchased a house in Northern Ontario and it has an Attic Turbine "whirlybird" on it. I noticed a vent in the ceiling on the main floor and in the basement that both run into the attic. I went in the attic to have a look and found that it was the old system that was probably installed in the 80's. Whirlybird with a pail under it, one or two holes for the attic to vent, and the two vents from inside are also connected to this pail.

I would think that this design is very inefficient for keeping heat in the house in the winter. I have searched online for any info on that old system but no luck.

I was thinking of disconnecting the 2 vents that are connected to the ceiling and leave the openings for the attic venting. Indoor vents would get covered with insulation/vapor barrier/drywall.

How much heat am I loosing in the winter with this system? How much cold air is leaking in through these vents?

 

[yuri]

Do you have electric heat. If so they may be using those vents to get rid of excess moisture which is a huge problem in some homes with elec heat. Block therm and you can create a excess moisture/mold problem in the corners of walls etc.

 

[sse1990]

I do have electric baseboard heat. We are going to be installing one gas fireplace this year and possibly a second one next year. I usually monitor humidity levels in my home. If they get high I do run a dehumidifier. Not sure how this house will be for humidity since we just moved in.

We did get our first full hydro bill and for 2 months it was over 500$.

 

[yuri]

The big problem with electric baseboard heat is the lack of air circulation especially behind sofas and in the corners of walls etc. Most of those homes in that era do not have great insulation in the walls and you get COLD spots and condensation/mold growing there. Best solution is a forced air electric furnace and a ventilation system. Google HRV heat recovery ventilator for more info.