Troubleshooting a Spinning Roof Vent

Climb up on the roof via the ladder. Visually inspect each turbine vent for damage. Vents may become dented from tree limbs, birds may nest in the slats, or leaves and debris may block the air flow or spinning ability of the vent.

Remove any obstructions from the vent you can see. A brush or screwdriver should loosen and lodged items.

Climb into the attic and look around. Sap droplets sitting on the walls suggests the attic is getting too hot and is baking without adequate ventilation. Look at the vent locations. You should be able to see light shine through the vent.

Remove and clear any debris from around the vent from the attic side.

Make sure there is enough ventilation. There may be nothing wrong with the turbine vents, but you may need more ventilation. Take the square footage of your attic and divide it by 300 to determine the total square footage needed of ventilation. An average turbine has approximately one-fifth of a sqaure foot in ventilation space. A 1,200 square foot attic needs 4 square feet. Add more turbines, gables vents or attic fans to increase air release.