Spiders, flies, ladybugs, hornets and beetles
Oak_Orchard
| Posted in Mechanicals on
I have just installed both range and bath vent fans and 4 passive air inlets. We live in big orchard and farm country where the flying and crawling insect populations are often swarming. When they hatch they can reach infestation levels.
None of the fan and make up air products have adequate protection and none have exterior (intake side) filters. The Panasonic and Aldes products are particularly weak in this area.
Anyone have a suggestion of filter screens (not window screens) that are a 1/4″ or more thick, which can be cut to shape and pushed into the openings – washable/resuable.
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Replies
Oak,
One way to avoid problems with "intake side" insect entry is to build a house without any passive air inlets.
In most homes, passive air inlets are unnecessary. Here is a good way to check if you need passive air inlets:
1. Seal up your existing inlets temporarily.
2. Turn on your exhaust fan and measure its airflow. If your 50 cfm fan is exhausting 50 cfm, it's obviously getting enough makeup air without the passive air inlets.
It seems to me, Mr Holliday, that no matter what I post on Greeen Building Advisor, asking for help and advice for my own projects, that you have something dismissive to say. You do not offer advice, you offer criticism, and dismiss my concern in such a way that no one else is comfortable or willing to offer a truely helpful reply. In this recent case you're telling me not to do something that is already build as if you're trying to make fun of me. Or get a laugh at my expense.
This is a pattern I experience on GBA and the reason I have reduced my involvement ... to avoid you. I though that by posting under a different section than Energy or General, that by selecting Mechanical, I might get a reply from someone other than you.
You are acting like the bully on the board.
Your treatment of me should have nothing to do with your technical disagreement with me. That means yoru using the power of your positon to mess with me. That's abuse. You already know I don't agree with your approach of "random spot infiltration" to condition the air in my house. Its not your job to take advantage of your positon by sticking it to me every time I post a question.
Oak,
I'm sorry if you found my suggestion unhelpful. I certainly meant no disrespect. If a simple experiment reveals that your passive air inlets aren't necessary, you may solve the insect entry problem and reduce your home's energy bill.
Seriously, Oak Orchard, I was trying to help. Is there any reason that you don't want to use brass insect screening? That's probably what I would use if I wanted to keep critters out of the openings.
Oak,
Since I was (frankly) somewhat blindsided by your reaction, after I tried to answer your question, I decided to search our archives a bit.
First of all, I noticed that you have posted at least 13 questions on the GBA forum. That's good, and it's reassuring, because it shows that you have returned regularly to our site -- presumably because the responses provided by the GBA community have been useful and helpful.
As far as I can tell, your questions have been addressed respectfully by the GBA community, including (I hope) by me. For example, when I answered your questions posted on 3/14/13, the first two words of my answer were, "Good questions."
I also noted that in one of your comments, posted on one of the threads started by your 13 questions, you mentioned your decision to include passive air inlets in your house. You wrote, "I would rather install the make-up air vent (or vents) now while under construction for obvious reasons. It's that control neurosis of mine. I would rather control the make-up air intake location rather than rely on infiltration."
I'm sorry that I didn't remember that piece of information from February 7th. Perhaps you expected me to remember, and that's why my response irked you. The fact is, GBA receives about 200 questions per month, and I find it hard to memorize all of the questions, posts, and answers that appear on our site.
In any case, if you want to install passive air inlets, you should certainly do so. I hope you try the brass insect screen suggestion.
Oak,
I don't have deep expertise to offer so I read much more than I post. I appreciate threads where there are differing perspectives because I learn a lot from them. Granted I don't know the history of your previous posts but as a casual observer, I didn't feel like Martin's response was bullying or condescending. If you disagree with his suggestion or with his assertion that you shouldn't have passive air inlets, what's your reasoning?
Thanks,
Scott