How to remove dead animal from roof vent?

Question

We started to detect a nasty smell in our bedroom two days ago, and it has gotten so bad that we no longer sleep there.

The smell was strongest in one part of the room, directly below a roof vent (there's a cathedral ceiling in the room, top floor). I went to roof and detect the same smell coming out of a roof vent. It's stronger when I turn on whole-house fan, but other vents have no scent. So I think the animal is inside that vent, and slooowly decomposing.

Thing is, I can't figure out how to remove the vent without destroying it. Any tips? And if it's not in the vent but has slipped into the wall area of the cathedral ceiling, what then?

The irony is that just a week earlier we killed a mouse that was trapped in a bucket in our shed. This must be the revenge. Or maybe those are mouse babies in the roof? I suspect squirrels, though.

Answer 1

if it is a power (electric) vent, turn off power to it and from above remove 3 or 4 screws, the fan will then be accessible. If static vent there will be some sheet metal screws below`the top.

Most likely it is somewhere in, on, or under your insulation. They can't get in the vents if the roof has any pitch.

Look as close to the smell as you can. Under the vent.

Answer 2

What kind of roofing........should be able to take a few somethings off and open it.........not simple but a good carpenter or roofer should have you back together in a half of day......... if not as you say.........rip it out and put a new one back...........nasty smell.........If its in the wall get the shop vac out...lol.......it's not funny I know...........Wish you all the best. Had a cat die under my deck one time...........so I decided it was time for a little pond to be cut through my deck.......best thing I ever did.........wife dropped her keys thru to. now i jjust remove the pond and under I go.   bye

Answer 3

The smell should not increase when you turn on the whole house fan unless there isn't enough relief from the attic to the outside and the air is being forced back into the house.  Interesting way to find that problem!  

If you have access to the attic and it is a tradtional whole house fan, it should be fairly simple to see what is going on from the attic side.  When you say "vent", I assume you are referring to the louvers?  Those are usually gravity "powered".  You might be able to just push the louvers open to see what's going on inside.

We also live in an old house.  Things die in the walls periodically.  The smell goes away eventually.