If your house is like most places, you have an exhaust fan in each bathroom, especially if there’s a bath or shower in there. If the builder was hardcore, he added a window instead so you can freeze in the winter trying to defog your mirror. Bath fans are supposed to take out humidity and help remove odors. But you could have a problem if it’s an old fan, no fan or if it isn’t properly installed.
What You Should Know About Bathroom Fans
New Fans Work Better
Did you know there are new fans that can move 100 cubic feet per minute (basketballs) of air out of your restroom every minute, compared to the common 20 basketballs of air that most other fans do? This means a faster reduction of excess moisture.
Some folks say that they can’t see themselves in the mirror for up to an hour after they’ve taken a shower. It’s not because your shower was too hot, it’s because your fan isn’t working properly.
The best part is that they’re more energy-efficient, too. The new fans are ENERGY STAR certified and have a DC motor so they don’t use more energy than a Glade plugin.
They’re Quieter
A lot of people don’t turn on their bathroom fan because it’s loud. (Or perhaps the combination of it not working as well as it should, and the noise means the benefit is perceived to be too low.). However, bathroom fans are necessary in order to keep the moisture out of your bathroom.
Pro Tip: We have our kid’s shower fans on a timer so that they turn off automatically. Now, if they are like most kids and don’t even turn them on, you may want to get a humidity sensor
And Properly Installed by Us
Regardless of the reason, many fans were not properly installed in the first place. That could be why you don’t feel like it’s beneficial to have it on. If the fans just vent into the attic then you are bringing moisture to the attic and that can lead to more issues. If you need to replace your roof, you’ll really be VENTING about your old fans.
The best way of installing a bathroom fan goes like this: insulate the exhaust pipes or ductwork that come from the bathroom fan and make sure the pipe goes out the gable side or a proper roof vent in the attic at the proper pitch.
We can identify this during a home energy audit and if we are insulating the attic, we can install them as part of the scope of work. One of the reasons our clients are huge FANS after our work is done.
Give us a call at 888-490-4376 or complete the Contact Us form if you would like to schedule a home energy audit so we can discuss how we can help your home perform better.