Bathroom Fan Installation
A Comprehensive Guide
An effectively working bathroom fan is essential for your home as it replaces contaminated air and unpleasant odors in one room with pleasant and fresh air from an adjacent hallway or room. There is no doubt that a bathroom without adequate ventilation often suffers from unpleasant odors and foggy mirrors.
An extractor fan or bathroom exhaust fan is excellent at removing excess moisture and unwanted or unpleasant odors from your home. A bathroom vent fan is also an inexpensive upgrade that can pack a value punch. Note that the shoe-box-size extractor fan helps removes moisture and reduces the risk of mold and mildew, which protects your home as well as your health. Also, this reduces maintenance costs.
Bathroom exhaust fans remove excess moisture from the air. As a result, they can also prevent paint and wallpaper from peeling and keep windows and doors from becoming warped. Replacing or installing a bathroom vent fan is a relatively simple DIY project for many homeowners with basic carpentry and electrical skills.
While most homeowners with some electrical and carpentry experience can easily approach bathroom fan installation as a DIY project, if you have not worked with electrical equipment in the past, you should hire a professional Vancouver electrician to make sure that everything is installed safely and correctly.
What does a Bathroom Fan do?
A bathroom vent fan is a small, wall or ceiling-mounted fan that efficiently pulls air from your bathroom and sends it through venting (four-inch is ideal), finally depositing it outside. You will be pleased to know that modern bathroom extractor fans come with several benefits.
For example, they remove any excess moisture from the air and keep mold from growing. This stops many adverse effects like rusting as well as paint peeling.
Bathroom vent fans help you and your home as they:
Improve indoor air quality, particularly by getting rid of bathroom smells
Remove bath and shower humidity
De-fog mirrors
Thwart mold growth
Slow down fixture rust
Prevent window and door warp
Retard wallpaper peel and paint blister
Things to Consider Before Replacing Your Bathroom Exhaust Fan
Check the Duct Size and Housing
It is an excellent idea to remove the fan cover before buying a new bathroom vent fan. You should also measure the bathroom exhaust fan housing carefully in between the drywall.
Is your new bathroom fan larger than the existing one? If that is the case, you will have to cut some part of the drywall using a keyhole saw. You may also need to attach wooden supports to the joists.
Keep in mind that if you do not have enough space in your ceiling cavity, then you may buy a low-profile bathroom vent fan. It is worth noting that these bathroom fans tend to have a more compact housing (particularly thickness) than standard bathroom exhaust fans.
Also, note that this is a perfect time to check the size of your fan duct. In most cases, they are always either 4″ or 3″.
Select an Appropriate Style and Size
The best thing is that bathroom vent fans are available in several sizes and styles, from compact units that exhaust only fifty CFM (cubic feet of air per minute) to much larger ones that remove up to 200 CFM.
Remember that choosing the most suitable bathroom fan size from this diverse and wide range is essential to the safety and well-being of your family. For example, a bathroom exhaust fan that is too small will not be able to remove enough moisture or odor.
On the other hand, an extractor fan that is too big may create a very dangerous negative air pressure condition that pulls lethal carbon monoxide gas back through the water heater flue or furnace.
In order to calculate the fan size that will meet all your needs, you should multiply the length of your bathroom by its height and width to arrive at the total volume in cubic feet. After that, multiply this number by 0.13, rounding up to the nearest 10.
Wall Switches for Your New Bathroom Vent Fan
Do you want your new bathroom exhaust fan to use the old switch? If so, you will not need any new switches. However, if the new bathroom exhaust fan comes with a light, humidity sensor, or heater and you would like to control the fan with a separate switch, you’ll have to buy and wire the new switch. Bathroom fan lights are popular these days. With bathroom fan lights, you can easily add extra lighting to brighten the room.
Deciding on Extra Features
Did you know that modern bathroom fans come with many fantastic features, such as bathroom fan lights? This is why before purchasing a new bathroom vent fan, you should decide if you want any extra features that usually come with most new bathroom fans on the market.
You will be happy to know that many bathroom exhaust fans that come with top-notch humidity sensors. These sensors can automatically turn off and on based on preset moisture or humidity level in your bathroom.
Do you want more lighting in your bathroom? If so, exhaust fans with lights can easily improve the lighting, or it can be the only lighting fixture in your bathroom.
You will also find bathroom exhaust fans with heaters that will efficiently heat up your bathroom in a couple of minutes. As a result, you will not need to touch your central thermostat in order to have a warm and comfy bathroom floor. These fans are excellent substitutes for bathroom heaters. They are ideal for people who cannot afford a separate bathroom heater.
How to Install a Bathroom Exhaust Fan
Turn the Power Off
When you work on any electrical system, it is vital to turn off the power to the relevant room at the circuit breaker. This will prevent the risk of burns, shock, and fire.
You should carefully remove the cover from your old bathroom exhaust fan and then test it with a voltage tester. This will ensure that no electricity is running through it.
Install the Vent Cap
The first step is to make a suitable hole in the siding or a soffit. To do this, you should trace the outline of your vent pipe carefully and then cut a hole with a hole saw. It is best to drill a pilot hole through your roof if the vent cap is on your roof. After that, go on your roof and carefully trace the duct opening. You can cut the roofing using a knife.
However, if you are changing to a much larger vent cap, it can be more complex, especially if you’ve stucco, brick, or vinyl siding instead of wood.
If you are not sure how to proceed, it is best to check with a professional siding expert for advice. You can attach your vent cap with a few screws and seal around it with the help of weatherproof caulk.
Install the Ducting
The next step is to secure the ducting to your vent with quality metal duct tape or metal clamps as your local code requires.
You may run it to your fan location with fittings in order to change direction as required and secure it with hangers and clamps. Some other venting options are running the ducting up through your roof or down through your soffit.
Keep in mind that the bathroom extractor fan should always exhaust air to the outdoors. This is why you should never allow your duct to just blow into your attic or crawlspace. Also, it is best to check the manufacturer's recommendations and guidelines for the maximum number of bends and maximum length.
Cut an Opening for Bathroom Fan Housing
The next step is to measure all the housing dimensions. You can also look them up in the installation instructions that came with your bathroom vent fan. Now draw the outline and then cut it out with a drywall saw.
Are you replacing an existing bathroom fan? If so, you can use the drywall saw to make the hole a little bigger. After that, cut around the outline carefully with the saw.
Install the Bathroom Fan Housing
You should place the fan housing over the hole. After that, secure the housing to the two joists on each side by gently driving all the screws through the housing brackets. Ideally, it is best to have a helper on hand that can hold the fan housing snugly to your ceiling while you are securing it.
In some cases, you may have to work from underneath. This is why you may not get access to your attic. In this case, all you have to do is push the fan housing gently through the hole and then secure it by driving all the screws through the fan housing itself into the joists.
Securing the Ductwork to the Fan Housing
You can use either metal-backed duct tape or metal clamps in order to secure your duct to the fan housing outlet. Also, use a 4-inch x 3-inch reducing fitting as well as tape or clamp the housing on both ends, if needed. If you do not have access to the attic, you will need to connect the duct to the fan housing before securing the housing to all the joists.
Make the Electrical Connections
Depending on the way the bathroom exhaust fan is set up, you can complete the electrical wiring from below in your bathroom or above in the attic. For example, you can screw a cable clamp firmly on the electrical knockout on your fan housing.
After that, feed all the wires through the clamp, tightening it to hold them. It is best to consult the wiring diagram on the instruction sheet in order to double-check your electrical connections before you restore power.
Now splice all the circuit wires to the bathroom fan receptacle wires —white to white, black to black, and ground to ground. It would help if you capped all the wires with wire caps. Also, install the protective cover that came with the unit.
Install the Bathroom Fan
The next step is to push the plate on which your bathroom fan is mounted into the fan housing and then secure it with the help of spring-loaded clips in your housing. After that, plug your bathroom fan carefully into the receptacle.
If your extractor fan has any other feature, such as bathroom fan lights or bathroom heater, follow all the manufacturer's instructions to install them.
Attach the Grille
Note that the bathroom fan cover, or fan grille, has a couple of tension wires on each side splayed out at a specific angle. You should hold your fan's grille close to your ceiling.
Squeeze the tension wires together, and then insert them carefully in the slots on your fan housing. After that, push the fan grille into place. In most cases, the tension wires will be able to hold it.
If the grille does not hold tight against your ceiling, you should spread apart all its mounting wires and create more tension.
Benefits of a Bathroom Fan
It is no secret that the main purpose of a bathroom exhaust fan is to remove excess moisture from your bathroom. Bathroom vent fans also help control and minimize bathroom odors.
Eliminate Bad Smells and Odors
One of the primary reasons for buying an exhaust fan for your bathroom is for odor control. Note that if an unpleasant or foul odor emanates from your bathroom, you can quickly draw it out with an exhaust fan.
So, the ventilation system will help you keep the bathroom well maintained and offer a clean and fresh atmosphere for the next person.
Say Goodbye to Foggy Mirrors
You may have seen foggy mirrors in a movie. For example, they look great in a Hitchcock movie. However, in real life, foggy mirrors can be a nuisance.
Did you know that wiping your mirror after taking a shower can leave streaks? A ceiling exhaust fan for your bathroom will go a long way to alleviate this problem. Ceiling exhaust fans also get rid of the moisture and keep the paint from peeling.
Humidity Reduction
Keep in mind that reducing the humidity level in your bathroom is important for its upkeep. You may know that excess moisture can wreak havoc on your bathroom walls as it causes paint to peel.
This is why it is vital to have a bathroom exhaust fan, such as a ceiling exhaust fan, to keep this from happening.
Reduce Mildew and Mold
You will likely know that shower enclosures and bathtubs breed mildew and mold because of the hot and wet environment that they create in the bathroom.
And this may lead to unsightly mold-infested grout lines as well as mildew in your shower. These can spread throughout your house. You can use ceiling exhaust fans to minimize this risk.
How to Remove an Old Bathroom Exhaust Fan
Here is a simple step-by-step guide to removing a bathroom exhaust fan that will work for a majority of exhaust fan models.
Step 1
You should turn off the breaker that controls your exhaust fan. Use a circuit tester in order to ensure that the electrical power to the fan is off.
Step 2
Now locate the electrical motor in the housing and carefully remove it. You can use a small screwdriver to remove all the screws securing it in place. After that, disconnect the fan motor from any electrical wiring attaching it to the housing.
Step 3
Now it is time to remove the exhaust fan housing from your ceiling. You can do it by loosening all the screws attached to your ceiling joist. And if you cannot see any screws, you might have to remove the metal brackets holding your bathroom fan in place.
In most cases, these are located in the attic. Do not have access to your attic? You might have to cut these brackets away from a safe and secure ladder position.
Step 4
You should disconnect any electrical wiring in place and then move the fan housing. This will allow you to access the duct as well as electrical connections.
Now disconnect your exhaust duct and remove your fan. It is essential to keep the fan house wiring handy so you are ready for your new exhaust fan installation.
Hire a Vancouver Electrician
The venting and electrical wiring required for effective exhaust fan installation are important to get right and can be difficult for many DIYers. An experienced and professional Vancouver electrician is the best person for this job.
These professionals take the time to adequately perform the ceiling exhaust fan installation project to make sure that you face no issues down the line. A licensed Vancouver electrician can also guide you to the best product for your specific needs and preferences and perform your bathroom exhaust fan installation right, the very first time.