Exhaust fan cover?

[Rtstrider]

As you guys know I just moved into a mobile home not too long ago. We are fighting massive heat coming into the living room during the day. I have caulked the inside of the windows, added blinds covered with curtains. That has helped, but the main culprit of this heat appears to be coming from what looks like an exhaust fan cover (pardon my french but some people know it as the ummm.... Flatulence Fan in the bathroom) There are these plastic covers in every room in the house in the ceiling. The only area delivering massive heat is in the living room. I did google these and it looks like it may be used for circulating in fresh air or possibly have something to do with negative pressure. But I have pondered with the idea of pulling just that one cover off and adding a few rags to slow down the flow of incoming air, or just sealing it up with cardboard and duct tape. Has anyone done this or have any advice? I have a pic but it's on my tablet at the house. Can post a pic up later if needed

. Sorry for the long post

 

[The_Jeff]

You can certainly try it. I would keep up the good fight of covering the windows. Maybe you can get insulated shutters for the outsides as well as your curtains inside?

A mobile home is not too much different from a car in the sun, both are metal boxes isolated from the ground which would otherwise soak up and conduct some coolness.

 

[Rtstrider]

Well actually I'm renting so not going to install the shutters, but I guess this weekend, Ill get some old rags and try stuffing them up there, just want to make sure this would be ok first though

 

[Smokescreen]

Window tint works not only on cars but also in the home give it a try maybe even get the reflective kind.

 

[callbay]

We looked at a condo recently in the Gulf area of Alabama that had a large rectangular hole in the ceiling of the closet. It was about two feet by four feet. I could see the attic rafters. I asked the salesman what they were thinking introducing hot attic air into the condo from the attic and he did not know. If that is your case I would insulate above those vents and seal them off well asap.

 

[Rtstrider]

Ok I'm going to start one vent at a time when I get home....Cardboard and duct tape here I come

 

[Cup of Joe]

How old is the home?

It sounds more like covers over the electrical for ceiling lights if its in every room.

Does the home have ceiling lighting already? If it was ventilation you would have vents on the roof matching the interior location.

 

[opus1]

Originally Posted By: callbay
We looked at a condo recently in the Gulf area of Alabama that had a large rectangular hole in the ceiling of the closet. It was about two feet by four feet. I could see the attic rafters. I asked the salesman what they were thinking introducing hot attic air into the condo from the attic and he did not know. If that is your case I would insulate above those vents and seal them off well asap.
I'll tell you exactly what the builder was thinking -- "it meets BOCA". I went through the same thing when I had my townhouse. The furnace and water heater were in a utility "room" on the second floor and to get the required combustion air infiltration, the builder punched a hole into the attic and put a vent cover over it. When I pointed out that this was letting heat in in the summer and heat out in the winter (and maybe, just maybe why we had such a problem with ice-dams...) I was informed "it meets code."

And before anyone asks, I made sure to disclose that when I sold the place....

 

[Rtstrider]

This is not for lighting as ceiling/fan lighting is already in the room. The mobile home was built in 93. Would it hurt anything if I sealed the holes up?

 

[FL_Rob]

Heat coming in through the roof is the prob.the A/C will only lower the temp 20 DEG or so.,along with the de-humidification should bring it down to livable.We have four A/C units here and thats' just barely able to keep up .But the attic/crawlspace gets real hot .One time I had an Attic rat run some wires..holy cow I brought him Ice water every five minutes just to make sure he wouldn't die up there.
edit:Ive done attic work,as an electrician apprentice. so I know.