Duct assembly and method of using the duct assembly in an attic

Abstract

A duct assembly for disposition in an attic of a building includes a first vent and a duct. The first vent defines an opening for fluidly communicating with air in an exterior of the building. The duct includes an elongated side defining a passage. The elongated side extends between a first end and a second end with the first end coupled to the first vent and with the passage in fluid communication with the opening of the first vent. The duct includes an end plate sized larger than the passage and sealed to the second end covering the passage at the second end. The elongated side includes an unperforated portion being unperforated and a perforated portion defining a hole for providing fluid communication from the opening of the first vent to the hole.

1 . A ventilation system for disposition in an attic of a building, said ventilation system comprising:
 a first vent defining an opening for fluidly communicating with air in an exterior of the building;   a duct including an elongated side defining an elongated passage extending along a longitudinal axis, said duct extending between a first end and a second end with said first end coupled to said first vent and with said passage in fluid communication with said opening of said first vent;   said duct including an end plate sized larger than said passage and sealed to said second end covering said passage at said second end;   said elongated side including an unperforated portion being unperforated and a perforated portion defining a hole for providing fluid communication from said opening of said first vent through said hole to a stagnant area of the attic;   a powered vent in fluid communication with said hole of said perforated portion for selectively moving air from the duct through the hole to the stagnant area of the attic; and   an atmospheric control system connected to said powered vent and configured to selectively activate said powered vent in response to atmospheric conditions in the attic.   
   
   
       2 . The ventilation system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said hole is further defined as a plurality of holes. 
   
   
       3 . The ventilation system as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said plurality of holes are spaced from each other along said longitudinal axis of said passage. 
   
   
       4 . The ventilation system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said unperforated portion is further defined as a plurality of unperforated portions and said perforated portion is further defined as a plurality of perforated portions arranged in alternating relationship with said unperforated portions. 
   
   
       5 . The ventilation system as set forth in  claim 1  further including a boot sealed to said first vent and sealed to said first end for forming an air-tight seal between said first vent and said first end. 
   
   
       6 . A method of using a ventilation system to aerate a stagnant area of an attic of a building, the ventilation including a first vent, a duct defining a passage with the duct including a first end, a second end, an elongated side extending between a first end and the second end and an end plate sized larger than the passage sealed to the second end and with the elongated side including an unperforated portion being unperforated and a perforated portion defining a hole disposed in a stagnant area of the attic, a powered vent in fluid communication with the hole of the perforated portion, and an atmospheric control system connected to the powered vent; said method comprising the steps of:
 mounting the first vent to an orifice defined by an enclosure of the attic to fluidly communicate an opening of the first vent with the air of the exterior of the building;   coupling the first end of the elongated side of the duct to the first vent;   locating the perforated portion of the elongated side of the duct in the stagnant area of the attic to create airflow from the exterior of the building through the opening of the first vent through the passage of the duct through the hole of the perforated portion and into the stagnant area of the attic;   providing a powered vent in fluid communication with the hole of the perforated portion;   providing an atmospheric control system connected to the powered vent;   measuring atmospheric conditions of the attic with the atmospheric control system; and   selectively activating the power vent based on the atmospheric conditions measured by the atmospheric control system to move air from the duct through the hole to the stagnant area of the attic.   
   
   
       7 . The method as set forth in  claim 6  further including the step of mounting an additional vent to the enclosure of the attic to allow air to exhaust from the attic. 
   
   
       8 . The method as set forth in  claim 7  further including the step of mounting a plurality of additional vents to the enclosure of the attic. 
   
   
       9 . The method as set forth in  claim 7  wherein the additional vent is further defined as a power vent and wherein the step of mounting the additional vent is further defined as mounting the power vent to the enclosure. 
   
   
       10 . The method as set forth in  claim 9  further including the step of providing power to the power vent to force air from the attic to the exterior of the building and to draw air from the exterior through the opening of the first vent and through the hole in the perforated portion of the elongated side of the duct into the stagnant area of the attic. 
   
   
       11 . The method as set forth in  claim 7  wherein the additional vent is further defined as a convection driven vent and wherein the step of mounting the additional vent is further defined as mounting the additional vent to the enclosure. 
   
   
       12 . The method as set forth in  claim 6  wherein the unperforated portion is further defined as a plurality of unperforated portions and the perforated portion is further defined as a plurality of perforated portions arranged in alternating relationship with the plurality of unperforated portions and wherein the step of locating the perforated portion is further defined as locating each of the plurality of perforated portions in one of a plurality of stagnant areas of the attic. 
   
   
       13 . The ventilation system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said atmospheric conditions are further defined as temperature and humidity and wherein said atmospheric control system is capable of sensing the temperature and humidity of the air in the attic. 
   
   
       14 . The ventilation system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said powered vent includes a fan. 
   
   
       15 . The method as set forth in  claim 6  wherein the atmospheric conditions include temperature and humidity and further including measuring the temperature and humidity of the attic with the atmospheric control system. 
   
   
       16 . A ventilation system for disposition in an attic of a building, said ventilation system comprising:
 a first vent defining an opening for fluidly communicating with air in an exterior of the building;   a duct including an elongated side defining an elongated passage, said duct extending between a first end and a second end with said first end coupled to said first vent and with said passage in fluid communication with said opening of said first vent;   said duct including an end plate sized larger than said passage and sealed to said second end covering said passage at said second end;   said elongated side including an unperforated portion being unperforated and a perforated portion defining a plurality of holes for providing fluid communication from said opening of said first vent through said plurality of holes to a stagnant area of the attic;   a powered vent disposed outside of and spaced from said duct and disposed in fluid communication with said plurality of holes of said perforated portion, said powered vent configured to selectively move air from the duct through the hole to the stagnant area of the attic; and   an atmospheric control system connected to said powered vent and configured to selectively activate said powered vent in response to atmospheric conditions in the attic;   wherein said atmospheric conditions are further defined as temperature and humidity and wherein said atmospheric control system is capable of sensing the temperature and humidity of the air in the attic.