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How bad is it to not have bathroom venting to outside?


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2017 Dec 18, 8:42am   5,008 views  23 comments

by zzyzzx   ➕follow (5)   💰tip   ignore  

#housing
At a friends house, it's vented to the attic. I know it's supposed to be vented outside, but it's been vented to the attic since the house was built in 1950 with no ill effects. They are going to sell the house sometime in 2018, and don't want to potentially get hit with a last minute thing from an inspection.

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1   FNWGMOBDVZXDNW   2017 Dec 18, 8:48am  

It only costs a few hundred to run the vent through the roof. It's unlikely that it will be an issue, though, so I'd just wait to see if the buyers complain. The inspector will look in the attic. If there is mold up there, it will be a problem, and the inspector might point to the attic fan situation. The issue might be worse if there is no ridge vent. Most houses in our area have switched to ridge vents, and I believe that those work better than the ones on the side of the house. The soffit vents have to be clear, though.
We have ours vented into the attic, and it is not causing us any issues. It's on my list of potential projects, but it's pretty far down the list, as there are no issues at the moment. Whether or not this is seen as an issue by a buyer probably depends on the state of the house in general. If it's an expensive house/area and everybody has everything in tip top shape, it might stand out more.
2   Strategist   2017 Dec 18, 9:00am  

zzyzzx says

At a friends house, it's vented to the attic. I know it's supposed to be vented outside, but it's been vented to the attic since the house was built in 1950 with no ill effects. They are going to sell the house sometime in 2018, and don't want to potentially get hit with a last minute thing from an inspection.


The code should be grandfathered by now. I would not worry until it surfaces as a problem.
3   anonymous   2017 Dec 18, 9:11am  

As long as the attic is vented, no issue.
4   zzyzzx   2017 Dec 18, 10:35am  

HEYYOU says
Patnet is the outhouse of the web & things are shitty around here. rofl


At least I asked a real housing question!!!


Strategist says
I would not worry until it surfaces as a problem.


That is what I am leaning towards recommending. It's not causing a problem, so unless someone complains, do nothing!



FNWGMOBDVZXDNW says
If there is mold up there,


No mold or anything.
5   anonymous   2017 Dec 18, 11:41am  

How did you check for mold?
6   Ceffer   2017 Dec 18, 11:59am  

It just leaves a little dripping skid mark in the attic, no biggie.
7   zzyzzx   2017 Dec 18, 1:25pm  

errc says
How did you check for mold?


Visually.
8   bob2356   2017 Dec 18, 1:52pm  

zzyzzx says

At a friends house, it's vented to the attic. I know it's supposed to be vented outside, but it's been vented to the attic since the house was built in 1950 with no ill effects.


The only problems are small chance of mold and if you don't have a whole house trap your attic is directly connected to the sewer system. If it doesn't stink then it doesn't really matter. Usually there is some smell at times. Inspector is going to note it.

Why not just stick a AAV (air admittance valve) onto it? Most places allow it and it's better than having sewer gas in the attic. Look for units certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 14 and ASSE Standards 1051 and 1050. AAVs are not accepted everywhere, but they are approved for use under the International Plumbing Code (IPC), Section 917 and IRC, Section P3114.
9   RWSGFY   2017 Dec 18, 2:34pm  

Depends on whether or not the attic is rented out via Airbnb.
10   anonymous   2017 Dec 18, 2:56pm  

bob2356 says
sewer gas


Interesting point.

In the OP, are you talking about the PLUMBING vent from the sink, toilet and bathtub, venting into the attic, or are you talking about the EXHAUST fan venting into the attic? That's two completely different animals.
11   FNWGMOBDVZXDNW   2017 Dec 18, 3:05pm  

I thought he was talking about a fan vent. I wouldn't vent a fixture in the attic. That sounds really weird.
12   anonymous   2017 Dec 18, 3:06pm  

anon_05ed1 says
bob2356 says
sewer gas


Interesting point.

In the OP, are you talking about the PLUMBING vent from the sink, toilet and bathtub, venting into the attic, or are you talking about the EXHAUST fan venting into the attic? That's two completely different animals.


Yea I assumed he was talking about the bathroom exhaust fan venting into the attic
13   anonymous   2017 Dec 18, 5:35pm  

FNWGMOBDVZXDNW says
I thought he was talking about a fan vent. I wouldn't vent a fixture in the attic. That sounds really weird.


I've seen it, as well has the vent pipe simply left in the wall going nowhere. I assumed plumbing since bathroom fans in the 1950's weren't that common. Mercury nutone fan was pretty much the only game in town and they came out in the early 50's.
14   anonymous   2017 Dec 18, 7:24pm  

anon_e144f says
FNWGMOBDVZXDNW says
I thought he was talking about a fan vent. I wouldn't vent a fixture in the attic. That sounds really weird.


I've seen it, as well has the vent pipe simply left in the wall going nowhere. I assumed plumbing since bathroom fans in the 1950's weren't that common. Mercury nutone fan was pretty much the only game in town and they came out in the early 50's.


We're assuming it was a exhaust fan. It also could have been installed years later, not during the original construction, and the installer was too lazy to vent it to the outside, just cut it into the ceiling and let it vent into the attic. I've actually seen more than one installed like that, as long as the attic has decent ventilation.
15   Strategist   2017 Dec 18, 7:39pm  

APOCALYPSEFUCK_is_ADORABLE says
If you shit out the window, you don't have to worry about flushing.


You know it, I know it, but the idiots don't know it. How do we educate these people who don't shit out the window, is the real problem we face.
16   FortWayne   2017 Dec 18, 9:27pm  

Never heard of it being a problem, I've seen bathrooms with no vents at all. But look at it this way, few hundred bucks worth of fixing a vent will probably increase the property value, why not do it? As long as you don't get mold... I'm no health inspector though.
17   anonymous   2017 Dec 18, 10:14pm  

I imagine this depends highly on the climate in your area. Where I am, we get winters that can reach -40C temperatures. Vent hot, humid air into your attic during this time, and it will immediately condense, freeze up, and you'll have no end of moisture problems.
18   zzyzzx   2017 Dec 19, 7:33am  

Just to be clear, yes it's the vent fan that moves air our when you are showering or taking a dump.
Yes, the fan was probably installed in this bathroom in the 80's. I replaced said light/fan recently (original installer did a shitty job too).
19   zzyzzx   2017 Dec 19, 9:57am  

I just trapped a semi-feral kitten in the crawlspace of this house!!!
It's reasonably friendly. I think it's mom just abandoned it there a couple of days ago.

20   zzyzzx   2017 Dec 19, 12:30pm  

I've moved it out of the trap in into a good sized cage now.

21   zzyzzx   2017 Dec 19, 2:44pm  

GF says someone in her office will take it if it's a girl!
22   Ceffer   2017 Dec 19, 2:54pm  

Looks like an owl. Sure it's not a mutant caused by the wayward attic vent?
23   Automan Empire   2017 Dec 19, 10:54pm  

On a composition shingle roof, cutting in an exterior vent and connecting it to the vent pipe within the attic is a 1-2 hour, $40 materials job. Venting all of that moisture and bathroom odor to the exterior is a no-brainer.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Broan-Roof-Vent-Kit-RVK1A/100344509

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