Famco Product Information

If you have ever entered your attic on a warm summer day, you are well aware of the heat buildup that can occur in this space.  Adding roof caps to the roof of the home can allow this air to be exchanged continuously for cooler outside air, making it easier to keep your home temperatures at a comfortable level.  Roof caps can provide an attractive or even practically invisible solution to the problem of a hot attic in the home.

The design of roof caps is very important.  First, these devices should allow warm air to escape from the attic area.  This is often accomplished by providing an opening near the peak of the roof where the hottest air collects.  Providing an escape for this hot air creates a chimney effect that draws cooler air into the space without the use of fans or other types of ventilators.  A second function of the roof cap is to keep rain and moisture out.  The cap provides an elevated umbrella like structure that allows air to escape without allowing rain to fall into the attic.  The pipe like structure that elevates the cap above the roof ensures that runoff water from the roof is deflected around the device.  Finally, the cap should prevent small animals and insects from moving into the home.  Good roof caps employ a screening material that allows the hot air to escape but keeps uninvited guests from moving into the attic.

In order for the roof vent to remove heat and moisture from the attic, it should be paired with soffit or gable vents.  The soffit or gable vents provide entrance for the cooler air that will replace the warm, moist air removed from the attic.

FAMCO is a manufacturer of roof caps and other ventilation supplies.  Located in the Pacific Northwest, FAMCO has experience in manufacturing vents that are effective at removing heat and moisture while preventing leaks from rain or snow.  They manufacture roof caps in copper, galvanized steel and pre-painted steel that are appropriate for use in home and business settings.

If you find that you are having difficulty in keeping your home cool during the summer, the problem may be the heat buildup in the attic.  Roof caps provide an effective method of reducing the attic temperature and in turn making it easier to keep the interior of the home comfortable with reduced electrical costs.

When you need a hole through the wall for an exhaust fan or dryer, wall caps help to prevent water, insects and other pests from entering the home.  A well-made wall cap does not interfere with the aesthetics of the home yet stands guard for many years to do its job.

Wall caps can be made from many different materials, including aluminum, copper and plastic.  Aluminum caps can be purchased in the natural silver color or in a painted finish to match the home.  The copper cap begins with a natural polished copper color that eventually develops into a blue green copper patina.

The wall cap is attached to a pipe that passes through the wall to connect to the appliance that is being vented.  This pipe keeps materials such as dryer lint from collecting in the walls where it could form a fire hazard.

Wall caps can be used with an exhaust fan, which removes moisture, smoke from cooking and smells from the home.  They are often used in bathrooms, kitchens and laundry facilities.  The wall cap can be used with clothes dryers to remove the moisture that accumulates as wet clothes dry.  In the kitchen, the cap is connected to the exhaust fan over the cook top to remove steam from cooking, cooking odors, smoke from burned foods and the oil and grease that evaporate into the air when foods are being cooked.  In the bath, the vent can remove moisture from showers and baths as well as bathroom odors providing positive ventilation to the small area.

Since most wall caps are used with some type of exhaust fan, they provide a closure for the vent when the fan is not in operation.  The closure may be a single flap or several smaller louvers that open due to the positive pressure of the blower and then close when the device is not operating.  This provides an important function of preventing wind from blowing back into the home and causing a cold draft.

Wall caps are useful when rooms need ventilation.  The caps connect with exhaust fans of many different types, to reduce moisture, odors and other problem substances from the air inside the home making it a more pleasant place in which to live.  FAMCO provides wall caps as well as many other types of air ventilation and specialty products for the home.  These quality devices can help to make your home a more comfortable place in which to live.

Return air vents are an important part of your HVAC system.  These vents allow the air that is in your home to return to the system for heating or cooling in order to maintain the proper temperature in the home.  In addition, the air that is returned to the system will be filtered, lowering the amount of dust and dander that collects in the home and during a humid day in the summer, excess moisture will be removed before the air is returned to the home.

A fan or blower inside the HVAC system draws air into the cold air return or return air vent.  After entering the vent, it works its way through a filter before it enters the heat exchanger or the cooling coils.  With heat pumps and air conditioning systems, this is of vital importance as the space between the fins on the coils is very small and dust from unfiltered air can quickly reduce the airflow through the coils and reduce efficiency.  The bottom line is that without the filtration, you will eventually pay more to heat or cool your home.

When the system is working in the heat mode, the air from the return air vents is heated.  In heat pumps, this means the air passes through the air conditioning coils that are working in reverse and are with warmed refrigerant.  In other systems, the air may pass through a chamber warmed through the combustion of natural gas, propane or heating oil.  Older resistance heating units may use electrical heating elements to heat the chamber and in turn the air.  Once warmed, the air returns to the house through a series of ducts and air vents.

Return air vents are generally located near the center of the homes.  Older and newer homes often have one register per floor, but homes built from 1960-1990 may have a cold return air vent in each room.  The high capacity and high efficiency furnaces allow the contractor to install fewer returns and still maintain efficient air return.

Return air vents require very little maintenance.  The suction that causes the air to pass through the system may also pick up dust and draw it into the system.  Most of the time this dust simply passes on through the system and a filter traps it.  Over time, dust may begin to collect on the grate of the vent.  Remove the dust by simply dusting on a regular basis.  Leaving the dust in place can allow moisture to collect on the vent and cause rust.

If the return air vents in your home are no longer aesthetically pleasing, you might want to replace them with a new vent cover.  Covers are very affordable and can do a lot to improve the looks of a room.

While the register vents in the home serve an important purpose they should also look right for the space. There are several styles to choose from and in some cases, color choices are available. Whether the vent is on the ceiling, a wall, or the floor there are plenty of options.

The ceiling diffuser usually comes in several different sizes. The round diffuser is available in white or brown. While most homeowners are likely to choose white the brown option may be suitable for ceilings with natural wood beams or exposed framework. A square diffuser also comes in powder coated white or brown.

Several register vents are suitable for a side wall or a ceiling. They may include a damper to prevent air from concentrating in one spot. Some models come with vertical louvers while others come with horizontal louvers. Some come with louvers in multiple directions. The design choice may depend on where the heat or air is needed and the size of the room.

The floor register with damper is most often used for floor vents. It can be adjusted for direction and the level of air flow. Many newer homes and town homes use this type of vent for cooling and heating systems. It is simple to install and can be easily removed for cleaning duct work if necessary. The floor model is available in brown and white options.

When choosing register vents another consideration is size. Most wall,floor, or ceiling openings will be a standard size. The grill is measured from the inside so it can be matched to the opening. Some openings may be slightly larger. This is done to allow for proper leveling of the vent and is especially important for many wall installations.

FAMCO is a company that manufacturers register vents for most home heating and cooling systems.  The company also offers vents for chimneys, roof installations, soffits, and wall vents. There are plenty of options for each type of installation or each use.

When choosing register vents it is important to consider style. However, size and usefulness of the vent for a particular purpose is also critical. Special products like motorized dampers may be needed for some areas like the soffit or a wall vent. FAMCO offers quality register vents and other products for home ventilation needs, including products for venting appliances like dryers. The experts can even make recommendations on products based on specific situations.

A return air grill connects to ductwork that allows air to return to any cooling or heating system. The openings that connect to ducts and other spaces for the returning air are normally covered with grillwork.

Every cooling or heating system will have air being pushed though into rooms and spaces through a system of ducts. This increases the air pressure in the conditioned area and at some time will act to even prevent any further air from entering unless a circulating system is set up to relieve the pressure. This is done normally through return ducts which allow the air to be recirculated or completely vented to the outside in certain cases. A return air grill will cover such ducts, and can also act to regulate the flow of air. They also act to close off the ducts from view. A return air grill also has a filter mounted on it to trap particulate matter and thus ensure that the recirculated air is more pure. This can also in the long run reduce the amount of cleaning required for ducts.

Ducts for returning air are located at floor level or in the walls depending on the design of the system.  These require to be covered by a  grill that will ensure that duct is  protected. It is considered very necessary to use filters over such grills, which in turn can lead to higher efficiency in cooling or heating. The filters in a way also help to reduce air flow and thus help improve efficiency. Such filters can have increased ratings which in turn can reduce allergens and dust and thus make the circulated air more healthy. A return air grill looks very much like the supply side grills and can only be detected with the direction of the air flow in front of the grill. It is necessary that the space around such grills be kept free of any obstruction, as this can affect the entire system. As a matter of fact, it is best to ensure that all grills, whether supply or return, are kept clear and allowed to function as they are designed.

A return air grill and its filter needs to maintained and cleaned at least once every quarter. Such cleaning can also lead to a system functioning with less noise, as a clogged filter can increase the noise level, because of the greater strain placed on the blowers and fans.

Our Manufacturing Plant Located in Meridian Idaho, USA

Started in 1989, FAMCO has build a tradition of building the best ventilation products available in the world.  They are made in the USA, and made to last.   Our products are available to purchase through our safe and secure website 24/7, by phone during our normal business hours.

Buying cheap imitations, and poorly constructed alternatives may be a no brainer for some contractors or vendors, but we believe that supporting our own U.S. Economy matters.  We manufacture the highest quality products in this industry, and we are committed to keeping our manufacturing on US soil, creating jobs, and helping to re-build the economy.

You many have read that over 5.5 million manufacturing jobs have been lost in the last decade, causing millions more to be lost as a result.  According to the Economic policy Institute, from 1993 to 2003, the US-Mexico trade balance went from a positive 4.9 billion, to a negative 40.6 deficit.

It seems that every day the news outlets report that more and more people are losing their jobs, and many who have jobs, are unsure of the future.  The more workers and businesses that stay committed to keeping their money cycling through our own US economy will be one of the major factors in how soon our economy rebounds.

We many not offer prices as low as the off shore low quality products, but we can offer better quality, service, and durability, at competitive prices.   Help protect our jobs, security, economy, and our communities, by buying products made in the USA.