Speedi-Products AC-BD 06 6-Inch Diameter Galvanized Back Draft Prevention Damper

The product seems to be performing as advertised. I needed a damper to keep cold air from making its way down my range vent and into my kitchen. I installed this damper vertically, in my attic, without any issues.The first image shows how much the flaps open after I connected the damper to my range vent and turned on the lowest fan setting. Not too shabby considering that the product I received actually had two sets of dampers, offset from each other on the inside (see first image and compare it to the image shown for the product listing). Because of this, I could only give 4 stars. Maybe two sets of dampers is better than one, maybe it's worse, I don't know. I'm not a damper expert. But aside from my product not matching the one shown, this thing seems to be performing as intended, quality is good, and the cold backdrafts have stopped. Note: I am using an Arietta Model # DKI001MX36 range hood, and according to their specs, the blower performance is 160 CFM (1.5 Sones?) on speed 1. Maybe this info could be helpful if you're wondering how much air is required to open the damper (or dampers in my case).

First thing about this damper is that it is bigger than it needs to be, if you are trying to fit this in a tight spot then I'd recommend going with an Air King. In fact, I have both speedi 6" and air king 8" dampers and the air king damper is superior in every way.(1) The dampers spring is very weak. This thing absolutely must be installed in the vertical position, which is not unusual, but it can be a PITA if your planned HVAC run does not have a vertical component in it mostly because this damper is rather large and you'll need 2 elbows to get it back in the horizontal position. In my case that meaned replanning the run a little.(2) The seal is foam, not even rubber, and it's sure to wear out sooner rather than later as a result of that,Overall this unit is about as poor as it could be and not have me send it back. I'm not happy with this damper, but it'll work in a pinch.

Well it's a backdraft preventer and it looks like it will work but I have my reservations about it holding up. It doesn't completely seal right there are pathways, albeit narrow ones, for air to leak backwards even when shut.I purchased it for an unorthodox use but the concept is not out of realm of uses for this in my opinion. I had planned on using it as part of a crawl space exhaust ventilation system. I was hoping its default position in the horizontal application would be closed but there is no spring and even the slightest tilt causes the flaps stay open. So my hope was this... even that slightest winter air would stay out of my crawl but I don't trust it. It is hard to tell what sort of CFM would be required to close it to prevent backdraft.

I'm not exactly sure what all the complaints about this are...like...whatsoever.Its supposed to stop backdrafts. I installed it. It stopped the backdraft. What more can you ask for?Basically my vented range in my kitchen has a ridiculous amount of backdraft from being vented outside. So I wanted to install something to stop it. This seemed to fit the bill. Fit in perfectly. I put it in horizontally because it was much easier to install and it did exactly what it should. Before I installed it, I could hold my arm over the vent and feel a steady cold breeze of air. Now? Nothing.What more can you ask for for 20 bucks?

Really was grumpy that the only option I could find in 6 inches for a damper were about $25. But when I got it I was impressed with the piece. It's a lot more air tight than my previous range hood damper which was the kind you push into a separate piece. This one has a gasket that the damper flaps rest on. This is great for reducing back flow but also reduces noise when the flaps come back down when the range hood is turned off. There was a handy sticker on the outside of the pipe that said Air Flow and an arrow.

Simple to install either horizontally or vertically. I really valued the flexibility as I wasn't sure of the exact path new my exhaust vent duct would take. It seems to seal up quite well and takes very little air flow to open fully and I'm really glad I don't have to worry about spring issues.The only nit I had was the gender of the ends. It seemed like both ends were female which made connecting the duct a little interesting so I would suggest considering having a male gender changer available before starting your project if you are unsure of how the pipe flows together.

It is what it is and it works well. Silent opening and closing.

Works well as a vent damper but it doesn’t seal very tight as there is still some air flow backward when closed. However minimal