Remote bathroom exhaust fans quiet, efficient
Dear Tim: I have several bathroom exhaust fans in my home, and all of them are inexpensive, builder-grade exhaust fans. They are noisy, and I don’t feel they do a good job of getting rid of the moist air produced by the shower. Is it possible to get high-performance ventilation with little or no noise? I would like a bathroom exhaust fan with a light. Can you tell me how to install a bathroom fan so I do not cause any damage to my home? – Faith F., Mt. Crawford, Va.
Dear Faith: Bathroom fans are a critical part of a home-ventilation system. If improperly installed, a bathroom exhaust fan can create all sorts of hidden damage to a home. All too often installers just let the moist air escape into an attic space. This moisture can condense on the cooler surfaces in the attic, creating mold on wood surfaces and leading to wood rot.
The good news for you is that the exact fan you are looking for is available. It has been around for years, but many builders choose to install cheaper fans as a way to make their houses more affordable – even though many consumers would gladly pay slightly more for the option of great ventilation and less noise in the bathroom. I hope builders learn to offer home buyers more choices, but I feel that day may never come, as builders argue that more choices equate to more problems.
I have had fantastic luck installing bathroom exhaust fans that are actually located in the attic. They resemble central vacuum systems, inasmuch as the fan motor is located 8 or 10 feet away from the bathroom. Most builder-grade fan motors are just inches away from the bathroom ceiling, which is one reason why they are so noisy.
These remote bathroom exhaust fans have insulated flexible duct that extends from the fan motor to small exhaust inlet boxes attached to the framing members in your bathroom ceiling. The box extends up into your attic, and all you see on the bathroom ceiling is a sleek round inlet cover. The powerful fans can slurp up massive amounts of moist air that rises to the ceilings as you shower. This air is ducted through the roof of your home in a special roof vent cap that is easy to install.
The insulated flexible duct that extends from the roof to the fan and then to your bathroom ceiling does two important jobs. It helps to suppress noise from the fan and prevents condensation from forming inside the flexible piping. Many people complain about a leaking bathroom fan, when in fact the water is not a roof leak but condensate water that forms inside of uninsulated exhaust piping and flows down the piping into the bathroom.
The bathroom exhaust fans I use come with or without lights. The ones with lights use brilliant compact halogen bulbs that fit into the center of the small circular vent covers. I always place two of these inlets with lights in each bathroom, one immediately adjacent to the shower area and the other towards the center of the bathroom. These lights produce good overall lighting for the average bathroom. You will need additional lighting above any mirror.
To avoid damage to your home while installing a bathroom fan, always follow the written instructions that come with the fan. If you are not comfortable working with high-voltage electric wire so it will pass inspection, you should hire a competent electrician to connect the fan. The most important aspect is to duct the air from the bathroom to the exterior of the house. You should do this through the roof.
Avoid the temptation to vent your fan through the horizontal soffit that can be found in many roof overhangs. All too often the moist air billows up under the soffit and is sucked into the attic. If this happens, mildew and wood rot are a certainty.