If you are remodeling your bathroom, you may have made a good plan for the wall painting, the shower, and the toilet. But have you considered one important device? That is the bathroom exhaust fan. It is an important device in the bathroom that serves the same function as the windows to work for ventilation. Bathroom exhaust fans are mechanical ventilation devices that pull excess moisture and unwanted odors out of your bathroom. Not only does it help improve air quality, it can also prevent some bathroom accidents, such as fainting due to poor exhaust. Many building codes now also require people to install exhaust fans for safety reasons when building bathrooms. Therefore, you may have to consider something about assembling the exhaust fans. What type of exhaust fans would you like to install? Where to mount the exhaust fans? Who installs bathroom exhaust fans, DIY, or hire professionals? The post would focus on such issues.
Why Do You Need A Bathroom Fan?
If you have ever had to use a bathroom that has poor ventilation, you know exactly how unpleasant the experience can be. Lack of ventilation, the peculiar odors would linger and remain for longer. If you don’t have instant ventilation after using the toilet, your bathroom would explode like a stink bomb when you open the door again. And then you will know how important the exhaust fans in the bathroom would be. It can greatly improve the air quality in the bathroom.
Another important function of the exhaust fans is to exhaust warm, moist air while taking shower and using the bathtub. The moisture is the real enemy to your bathroom. Since the Drywall is porous and the paint is breathable, the moisture can easily leak into walls. As time passes, the paint and wallpaper would peel. Also, a humid bathroom provides the perfect growth environment for molds. The excessive humidity would encourage the growth of molds and mildew, which in themselves would be harmful to your health. What’s more, the molds and mildew would also do harm to your bathroom equipment. An extractor fan is a great line of defense against this. Therefore, good ventilation settings are necessary in order to have a safe and healthy bathroom.
Cost Of Bathroom Exhaust Fan Installation
According to some research, the average bathroom fan installation cost is between $240 and $543. But how much you can expect to pay depends on whether you’re upgrading an existing fan or if you need to install roof vents, run new wires and fit humidity sensors. Generally, the fan itself can cost as little as $15. But if you choose a feature-rich one, it would definitely cost up to $300 or more.
Also, choosing to install it yourself or hire someone to install it will cost you different amounts of money. If you have the budget to hire an electrician for help, here is the base price. Hiring an electrician costs $50 to $100 per hour. It may cost 2 to 4 hours to install the exhaust fan for the first time. If you just need to replace the fan, it would cost less time. The cost of an electrician’s installation also depends on other factors, such as the electrician’s experience and the extension of the whole project.
Read More: How To Add A Bathroom In Basement Without Breaking Concrete?
Choose The Right Fan For Your Bathroom
The bathroom exhaust fans vary in size, color, and style. When you are shopping for an exhaust fan for your bathroom, you may always be tempted by their beautiful appearance and ignore other factors like efficiency and noise. You’d better read the specifications carefully.
There are two main kinds of vent fans, axial vent fan, and centrifugal vent fan. The axial fan is always installed on the external wall to exhaust the air in a short distance. The centrifugal fan is often fit in ceilings to expel the air long distance through the ducting.
Who Installs Bathroom Exhaust Fans: DIY Or Hire The Professional
Your last consideration of the fan mounting would be who installs the bathroom exhaust fan. You would wonder whether you could assemble the exhaust fan yourself or hire an electrician to do it for you.
Hire The Professional Contractor
Generally speaking, you have to hire an electrician or plumber to help you if you are installing a brand new exhaust fan or system. The project would require ductwork, electric work, and something else so you need a professional to teach nearby. This means that what type of worker you hire depends on what you’re going to do for the fan installation. For instance, you need to have an experienced electrician fit the new wiring to guarantee the wiring is safe. And if you want the fan to exhaust the air through the ducts, you would need a roofer or plumber. In addition to lack of expertise, another reason to hire professionals is your lack of awareness of local regulations. The professionals should be aware of these regulations and codes to help you install a compliant bathroom exhaust system. However, if you just want to replace the fan itself, you could do it yourself without any problems.
DIY Exhaust fan Installation
If you have all the tools and an understanding of electrical safety, maybe you could mount the fan all by yourself under the guidance of an experienced. For such a purpose, let’s see how to finish the whole project successfully.
- Where to put the exhaust fan: To make the exhaust fan work at its best, you should fulfill the conditions below. First, you should mount it as high as possible. Besides, you need to set it as close to the source of steam and moisture as you can. We’ll know that exhaust fans always fit on the ceilings and walls. If it is impossible for you to install the fan on these two positions, maybe you could mount it on the window.
- Determine the fan size: If you are going to replace the existing vent fan, you can use the existing wiring, ducts, and switch. So the project would be easier and cost less time and less money. What you should pay attention to is the exhaust fan itself. Is there any standard for choosing a vent fan? A suitable fan depends on CFM and sones. The size of your bathroom can determine how much CFM the exhaust fan needs. As a general rule, small bathrooms require about 50 CFM, while large bathrooms require around 100 CFM. The sone is a standard for the sound of the fan: the higher the number, the louder the fan.
- Determine the exhaust route: There are two routes to vent the odors and moisture out, through the sidewall and ceiling. It is best to install the vent fan near the area where there is most moisture to get it out as soon as possible. Also, you need to have your exhaust fan vent outside. The essential purpose of installing the exhaust fan is to run moisture and odors outside. If you simply deposit the vent in another room, you’re just moving the problem into another room, not solving it. To install the ducts and vents, you may have to call a professional for help.
FAQ
How long does it take to install a bathroom exhaust fan?
Since the heat and steam would make damage to the wall and the ceiling of the bathroom, you’d better install an exhaust fan in your bathroom. If this is the first vent fan in your bathroom, you or the professional you hired will need to cut a hole for it and add new wiring. And this process will take an average of 2 to 4 hours. This can depend on your house structure and your proficiency.
What Do You Do If Your Bathroom Has No Exhaust Fan?
If you don’t have an exhaust fan in your bathroom, you need to open the door and the windows more often to let the steam out, especially during your shower. If the weather does not permit, it is best to open the window for 10 minutes after the shower before the next one goes in to take a shower.
Do Bathroom Exhaust Fans Need To Be Vented Outside?
The answer to this question is yes — the bathroom fan setup requires outside ventilation. The fan is often accessible via an attic or a sidewall of your house. When you let the fan exhaust into an open attic, the moisture can build up on the underside of your roof. just remember to avoid venting via a soffit vent or ridge vent.
