Thanks Homepro01, for getting back to this question. I hope that others can benefit from my little hi-jack. What I did was buy 4" rigid duct so that I wouldn't have any sags to collect condensate. I worried about this as my 2 vents lead to the "Y" connector then hooks to the motor in the attic, which then goes straight out the top. To insulate, I already had some insulated 6" duct, can't remember why. So I split the the duct's insulation - aluminum and the fluff - away from the plastic slinky part. This was done longitudinally, the lengths that I needed. I then had my DS in the attic wrapping the stuff around the rigid pipes and securing it with duct tape. I will have to do a check next summer to see how the duct tape holds up. I had wanted him to use the 3M aluminum special tape but he didn't. I don't know if it would have worked anyway. The carpenter, plumber, and electrician all say that it is the turbulence within the rigid ducting making the sound. The insulation quieted it down somewhat. It isn't too loud now. And anyway, a little noise is good at times in the bathroom. This post was edited by enduring on Sun, Jan 5, 14 at 18:07

Nana, I got on last night with the intention of reading all the posts and commenting....of course when I saw the word "purple", that was the first one I read being me. When I went to comment I just started falling apart and realized I couldn't act 'normal' afterall. I'd finished writing my Dad's obituary and picking a photo for it a few hours earlier, so that's probably why I was a mess. tho I seem to be staying that most of the time. I'm clearing things from Dad's room, except things special to me, because I 'have' to. I need to see that room in a different way as soon oas I can. It hurts too much otherwise. The hospital bed has to go back to the VA, so I hope to find some different furniture for that room in the future. The gigantic old dresser needs to go, but Zorro can keep the easy chair. He claimed that years ago. ;o) Basically I'm just donating Dad's clothes and going thru loads of paperwork. He saved every scrap of paper and trying to sort the necessary from the useless has been a challenge. After Mom died 10 yrs ago, and he moved in with me, he really kept very little. "Stuff" was her thing, not his. He stopped driving when she died too, their car was totaled in the wreck and he didn't want another one. So Dad's belongings are very few, except his clothes and a lot of framed family photos. I'm so glad I don't have a lot to go thru again, like when we lost her. this is the photo I chose for his obituary, its how I'll always remember him with his wonderful smile, ready to tell someone a joke. hugs, Karen

If you do choose tile, please educate yourself on how a proper tile shower pan should be built. Unfortunately there are a lot of hacks out there doing it all wrong.

Lazarus - again, thanks so much for another reply. What he told me during the first conversation was that there is a shower pan liner, mortar bed, and some kind of paint on system with the Sioux Chief 821 series drain. I went and talked to my friendly neighborhood tile shop and they basically agreed with you. Given what I see I doubt there is any kind of paint on barrier given the amount mineral deposition or the mortar bed and barrier have failed and there is a crack allowing the mortar to absorb water. Does the mineral deposition come before mold or vice versa? Would think they would appear at the same time but I don't see any mold and there is no foul odor. I talked to the tile shop about doing something temporary because we will likely redo the bathroom at some point in the future (5-10 years). I specifically asked about tiling directly over the current tile and how to potentially do that with the intent of completely sealing the shower pan. He suggested using a product called Mapelastic 315 to seal the current tile/grout and then to apply the new tile with an appropriate thinset directly to this surface. The junction between the wall and the new tile would be sealed with 100% silicone. I am curious about folks opinions on this temporary fix. Fun, fun, fun! Brian