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Due to covid, my workplace has permanently closed its HQ. As a function of such, we now all work from home. Only catch is I don't have an office and I have kids!

To remedy this, I turned a "Laundry room" turned storage room, into an office ( approx. 5' x 6.3').

Everything is fine, except the air quality. It gets really really stuffy in there. I can't keep the door open, otherwise it's open game for the kiddos. The noise can also be quite distracting!

  1. There is a supply vent but no return vent.
  2. While doing some electrical work, I found a washroom exhaust vent pipe.

Any suggestions? Would connecting a washroom exhaust fan to the existing ductwork do the trick? I'm worried about Negative air pressure etc.

I'm willing to get creative! thoughts?

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  • If you can access existing ductwork, why not install proper supply and return vents?
    – isherwood
    Jan 7 at 22:14
  • That would be ideal. My washroom vents are connect to an HRV system. I'd love to get a proper return vent in place, however I'm on the top floor and don't have access to that duct in the room in question .
    – Flujee
    Jan 9 at 20:06

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Yes.
If the washroom exhaust vent pipe is accessible you can hook up a bathroom exhaust fan. However, they tend to be noisy and could be irritating to listen to for 8 hours.
Since you already have an air supply vent that should provide air circulation as long as you have an egress vent to provide flow. The door for the room may not have sufficient space between the bottom of the door and the floor to provide that flow. It shouldn't be sealed.
Even if it's a hollow core door you might solve your problem by taking an inch off at the bottom. The other option is to install a circulation vent into the door itself. It would also help if during working hours you turned on the circulating fan on your furnace to 'Always On'.

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I rented a cabin in the woods that had an internal fuel tank. The smell was noticeable on the ground floor.

Found a 4" vent pipe in the back room where the fuel tank was. Fitted a 4" computer type fan and it shifted just enough air to draw the smell out instead of it permeating the downstairs.

Ran it of a little 12v power wart, but very quiet.

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