Thanks to a particular type of rainfall, one California company has used El Niño to create a useful product for the hvac trade.

The “El Niño Rain Fighter Gable Vent” was created by Beutler Heating & Air Conditioning to fight off the effects of horizontal rainfall.

“Our motivation? Northern California rain typically falls straight down and the winds of El Niño started blowing the water sideways into roof vents,” explained Beutler’s Mel Boyd.

“The odds of winds blowing rain sideways are more prevalent now. When it rains, there seems to be more weather attached to it.”

The vents are made from 26-ga galvanized steel and use a series of water dams to stop rain from entering attic space. Rain stops at the dams and flows out the bottom channel.

The Rain Fighter comes in a variety of shapes, including rectangular, square, round, half-round, and peak and pitch tops.

“The vents are stackable in order to double the size, for larger homes,” said Boyd. The product also is available in “decorator tops.” If there is a special mounting problem, Boyd added that Beutler sells wedges for various angles, depending on the roof design. The Rain Fighter requires no special framing, is water resistant, and warranted for workmanship, he said.

For more information, contact Beutler at 916-369-2222.