Improve Your Indoor Air Quality With Backdraft Dampers

Have you ever visited a home where the air just smelled … stale? Maybe you have a room or two in your own home where the air isn’t as fresh as you’d like.

Without optimal air flow through your home, dirty, greasy, or smelly air can collect and become stagnant. Many homes are equipped with exhaust fans — like your bathroom fan or range hood to pull stale air out of the house and bring fresh air in.

These usually work fine when the fan is running — but problems can arise when the fan is turned off. You see, there will always be some air flow through your home even when the fans are off. For healthy indoor air the flow direction should always be in the direction the ventilation system was designed for. 

If there’s nothing to prevent it, air can come back the wrong way through the exhaust fan opening. This is called a backdraft, and it can cause stale air that should be flowing out to back up and collect where it’s not wanted.

Install a Backdraft Damper

Fortunately, this problem is easily solved with an unglamorous but very effective little device called a backdraft damper, which is basically a one-way valve that keeps air going the right way.

Backdraft dampers allow air to efficiently flow through exhaust ducts to the outside, yet prevent the unwanted flow of air into a house when the exhaust fans are off. They stop cold air from coming in, allowing a more comfortable temperature in your home. These dampers are most often used in bathroom exhaust systems, clothes dryer vents, kitchen range hoods and microwaves. 

Backdraft dampers, such as the Fantech Backdraft Damper or the Cape Backdraft Damper by Tamarack, are usually easy to install and come in various sizes to fit your ductwork. 

Use them to facilitate air flow, equalize pressure between different parts of a building, and in chimney, furnace, attic and stove vents to release hot air and prevent outside air from backing up.

Fantech sensitive spring-loaded backdraft dampers provide a good seal against backdrafts. They are easy to install and work without noise or vibration.

The Cape Damper from Tamarack is made of a metal duct with a fabric sleeve attached. It is a one way air flow valve, designed to overcome the inefficiencies and limitations of traditional gravity or butterfly dampers. It is quiet and can simply be installed in either a vertical or horizontal position.

Either option will help prevent outside air from leaking into your home and allow you to save on energy costs.