Builder's Best EX-EVW 04 4-Inch Diameter Plastic Eave Vent, White

I bought one of these in 2012 and after 9 years it's in bad shape. The flap warped and will no longer stay in. The rest of the plastic is starting to crumble. I need to replace it. The problem is there is nothing else that will work for my application. Every other eave or soffit vent has either: 1. some kind of grill or screen which will eventually have lint build up or 2. does not have the pipe extension or 3. has flaps that generate too much back pressure. There is a "no pest" product with double doors that is over double the cost without the extension and may have the back pressure issue. There is a Dundas Jafine product that is over double the cost without the extension. For my second floor application that is hard to get to (to clean), with a winding hose behind it that is already reducing the pressure, this thing with its flapping-in-the-wind door seems my only choice. It's also worth noting that a dryer should not be vented through a vented (with holes) soffit because the exhaust can go right back into the structure through the holes.

I have spent many hours searching (both online and at local hardware stores) for good soffit vents for my two bathroom exhaust fans upstairs. At first, I bought the more popular Lambro 143W from Amazon. I was disappointed after receiving it. I kept on looking and finally, I found this much better product.This vent is well-designed and well-made. The plastic body is sturdy. The 3-in aluminum tail makes it easy to connect to duct. The square flange is 5 ¾” wide, with mounting holes on the four corners. This allows for a larger hole (4 ½” diameter in my case) so that 4” duct with a worm gear band clamp could be put back in easily. The damper and bottom of the vent are slightly curved with center higher than the sides. In the winter, condensation from moisture can flow to the sides, preventing the damper from being frozen shut by icing.

The only positive is that it had a larger opening than other models.I picked this item for the metal collar but it was a waste of money.One of the rivets in the metal collar tore the collar during shipping, the collar is no thicker or stronger than a takeout food container, and is crimped to be male which is incorrect and against code for dryer installation, when trying to crimp a male end smaller to fit inside of this, as soon as I gently pressed it together the collar fell apart like it was made of paper, ended up attaching a new collar and tried to make use of it anyway until i realized that the door hinge was also broken and it would fall off every time the dryer turned on.Complete waste of money. My $5 would have been better spent given to the heroin addict at the end of the highway off-ramp claiming he was homeless.

For a start, the flap is open all the time despite the advertisement saying quote `free-swinging back flapper protects against birds and rodents` It is free swinging alright does not swing back closed. The first time I installed this, I had a bird decide that it was going to live inside and had no problem getting in and out again. Ended up putting some fine tough mesh inside the vent in order to issue an `eviction` the feathered friend (making sure that he/she was out first). Am looking to find another vent that that the flapper actually does close when the dryer is off and will toss this one in the recycle bin as the lint will end up blocking the vent as well as the birds.

It could work but this is a cheap little vent that I would not recommend. The backdraft preventer is in-adequate at best because nothing stops it from pulling or flipping inward. (dumb design and confirmed by other reviewers) The materials could not be any cheaper unless it was made from paper which the vent tube is almost like aluminum foil. buy something better, I ended using  Duraflo 646015 Soffit Exhaust Vent, White

I guess I should’ve been more observant but this vent does not have a screen at all. Nothing to prevent something from figuring out the single flapper and crawling in to make a nice warm home. It also feels real cheap and flimsy. But, for the price, I’d expect quality to be low. It gets the job done.

I really like the concept if this item. I have the following concerns over the design of this product:1) The tail is a male, not female. This is backward. Downstream from a dryer should all be male into female fittings. This will help reduce air blow-by, lint build up and assist with any water or condensation that needs to run downhill.2) There is no stopper to prevent the flapper from merely being pushed in by the wind. I watched this happen. The wind blows, the flapper blows back, and lets in all the air (in my case, very cold air) into the house. Terrible choice by Speedi-Products to neglect to incorporate small stoppers to prevent this. Now I will have to fashion some on my own, and it will look bad, but work.3) I am sure the plastic on this item will crumble away due to UV damage, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.4) Birds will not have any problem opening the flapper on this. Eurasian starlings love to get inside, make a mess, have chicks, and clog vent pipes. Ask me how I know! To prevent this, I covered the cap with a stainless steel cage, also available here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052HJ7BO/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_14Your mileage may vary, but I wish I held out for a better product. I would not buy again.

It is a simple design that works. Not at sturdy or substantial as some I found in Home Depot and Lowes, but those were made to handle multiple sized ducts and consequently take up more vertical room in the soffit. This one fits much easier in tight spaces.I used 3m HVAC tape to attach duct work. Worked well on the two different installations I have done with this vent.