Whatever area you block with the exhaust duct is a reduction in the area of the gable vent.
Bathroom duct to attic gable vent.
Crawling in the attic revealed the connection of four bath fans into one long duct going to a gable vent.
The resistance to the airflow in the long duct caused the air to back up in the nearest bathroom especially when more than one fan was on at the same time.
First off you ll be reducing the size of the gable vent.
And of course a bathroom with a window doesn t require an exhaust vent.
When venting a bathroom exhaust fan make sure to vent the air to the outside rather than into your attic where it can cause mold and mildew to form.
Depending on how the attic ventilation is designed the hot moist air exhausted from the duct could be drawn back into the attic through the gable vent.
If you vent the bathroom exhaust fan to close to the soffit vents which are vented plates under your homes outer edge and roof your home the air can be sucked right back into the attic from the soffit.
Bathroom exhaust fans perform an important function by removing excess moisture from your home.
The best way to vent bathroom fans is with schedule 20 bell end drain pipe.
A 3 or 4 inch duct connects to the outlet on the fan housing and runs to a side wall or to the roof and connects to a vent cap that allows the exhaust to disperse outdoors.
Bathroom exhaust venting does not have to exit up through the roof and in fact that s not necessarily even the best termination.