35
votes
Accepted
Bathroom exhaust fan without duct
Is this a big problem? I assume the fan has been like this for 15+ > years. If it is, I will look into getting a duct there, which is complicated by the inaccessible attic space.
Moisture in the ...
- 5,709
25
votes
Does a portable fan work for drying the bathroom?
You need a dehumidifier.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehumidifier
If there is no way to blow the humid air out, run it thru a dehumidifier. You can keep it in the bathroom running on a timer or ...
- 6,593
22
votes
Does a portable fan work for drying the bathroom?
When the things in a bathroom dry the water is not simply disappearing, rather it is converting from liquid you can see and feel on the surfaces and towels into vapor in the air. In other words, ...
- 27.9k
19
votes
Accepted
How can I offset 6" ducting by just a few inches?
30 inches of height? 3 inches of offset? You need to learn how to use multi-section rigid duct elbows, which can be rotated to be considerably less than the 90 degrees you buy them at. You have plenty ...
- 202k
18
votes
Will it cause problems to shower without the exhaust fan and only turn it on afterwards?
Condensing water is never good. The vapor will creep in places where it may not quickly evaporate once it has condensed. It will condense easily but dry slowly in cold places and badly ventilated ...
16
votes
Accepted
Trying to replace bathroom vent, but housing is stapled to the rafter
You've already pretty well mangled the housing and you're planning on replacing the whole thing anyway, so just go to town hacking at it. A pry bar, a hammer, a pair of tin snips, and some sturdy ...
- 43.1k
15
votes
Accepted
Can the exhaust duct of an ERV vent *into* the garage?
I am sure it would be against code.
If it isn't always running and your ERV doesn't have a damper on the exhaust then you've introduced a nice path for CO to enter from your garage into your house. I'...
- 13.5k
13
votes
Bathroom fan fluctuates in power when using countdown timer switch
There are actually two problems, and they are related:
Low Power Fan
First I found a customer review on the Lowes web site that said:
I gave this only three stars as no where on packaging or ...
12
votes
Trying to replace bathroom vent, but housing is stapled to the rafter
A small prybar, cold chisel, or a screwdiver you don't like much (this is screwdriver abuse) can be driven under the staple to get it moving. There appears to already be space there. Even a large nail ...
- 202k
12
votes
How do I screw through a metal bathroom fan box to affix it to the joist?
Almost any wood screw.
It takes only say 3/4" of penetration into a joist to secure such a housing. Thread type doesn't much matter. Diameter doesn't, either, though thinner screws will go in ...
- 130k
10
votes
Accepted
Bathroom fan fluctuates in power when using countdown timer switch
Take it back and get a different timer
The stock Lutron MA-T51 does not need neutral; however, it accomplishes this by trickling power through the load. This is fine for large loads, but for low ...
- 81.8k
9
votes
Why are my bathroom light and fan wired to the same switch?
Many apartment owners wire the fan and light to a single switch. The reason I have done it is to limit moisture build up. Not all renters are responsible enough to turn on the fan while using the ...
- 11.2k
9
votes
Bathroom fan and clothes dryer share an exhaust duct
The only good solution here is to run independent duct lines to the exterior, as should've been done initially. It's a violation of codes for good reason, as you've seen. Both ducts should be rigid or ...
- 130k
9
votes
Accepted
What tool/process do I need to remove this bathroom exhaust fan from motor?
The "small hole on the inner side" is a set screw. You will see that it lines up with the flat surface milled into the side of the shaft. You must unscrew it with a hex wrench, aka an Allen ...
- 14.2k
9
votes
How did this ceiling exhaust fan get stuck on (and why did disconnecting this wire fix it)?
The logical answer is the "mystery wire" is from a 3way switch somewhere in the room, ( or possibly in an adjacent room) that someone switched on. The fan timer probably replaced the other ...
- 25.1k
9
votes
Can the exhaust duct of an ERV vent *into* the garage?
Unless your ERV also exchanges humidity, you are putting relatively humid air into the cool space of the garage. Even in my dry climate (Alberta, 16" of precip/year) the aphorism "rust ...
- 3,654
8
votes
Accepted
How can I remove stripped screws in a bathroom exhaust fan motor bracket?
Once you have the assembly out of the ceiling and on your workbench, you'll probably find that there are hex nuts on the other end of those screws, possibly with thread sealant. If removing the motor ...
- 10.9k
7
votes
Will it cause problems to shower without the exhaust fan and only turn it on afterwards?
Not a big problem but moisture is almost never a good thing in a house unless you live in a very dry climate. Why not turn the fan on first thing? In addition to mildew, moisture isn't good for ...
- 8,752
7
votes
Bathroom exhaust fan without duct
Venting into an attic is terrible in North American climate zones (6,7,8 in linked map below); less so in arid southern zones (1,2). This will give you a sense of how bad this might be. Beyond that, ...
- 20.4k
7
votes
Bathroom exhaust fan without duct
Ack's answer is very good, so I won't repeat what they wrote.
I will add that molds can definitely create a significant health hazard.
I would get the attic inspected for the presence of hazardous ...
- 2,203
7
votes
Accepted
How should I connect misaligned round ducts inside a cabinet?
I see no reason you couldn't use a short length of 7" flexible duct. Obviously, a long flex is a bad idea because it restricts flow, but for that few-inch offset, flex will do you fine.
- 6,734
7
votes
How do I screw through a metal bathroom fan box to affix it to the joist?
There exist "self drilling" screws that have a hardened drill point for piloting their own holes through metal, but these tend to have threads that are too fine for grabbing onto wood ...
- 5,369
6
votes
Accepted
Can I place ventilation ducting on top of joists if there is space?
I'm confused/surprised by the existence of the void, but if you've got the space, then go for it.
The only bit of mathematics to be concerned with is matching the cross section of the various ...
- 20.4k
6
votes
Accepted
Bathroom exhaust vent into crawlspace
No, at least not under the international residential code (IRC):
M1501.1 Outdoor Discharge
The air removed by every mechanical exhaust system shall be discharged to
the outdoors in accordance with ...
- 843
6
votes
Why is my Panasonic Whisper series bath fan starting up so slowly?
To make these fans quieter, the fans are designed to not create as much turbulence, which means they "slip" more when the air is not moving already, i.e. when you first turn them on. In addition the ...
- 14.8k
6
votes
Why is my Panasonic Whisper series bath fan starting up so slowly?
Installation guide, page 10...."Attention: when the switch is at the "ON" position, wait 8-10 seconds for the Fan to start. This is a normal working condition."
- 61
6
votes
Accepted
Bathroom fan duct connection for maintainability
I'd think about stopping the rigid duct about two feet from the fan and connecting a piece of aluminum flex duct to the end of the rigid and on to the fan. You'd have some flexibility in removing the ...
- 78.8k
6
votes
Ventilating a cat box through the dryer exhaust duct
Sharing ducts in that way usually isn't allowed by code for health, comfort, energy efficiency, and fire reasons, among others. It's not a good idea, as you won't balance venting force without a ...
- 130k
6
votes
Accepted
Where can I find a replacement bathroom fan with this uncommon electrical plug?
You shouldn't be seeking out that connector.
The problem is, you have not removed the fan. You've removed only part of the fan assembly. The thing that plugs into is more parts of the fan assembly. ...
6
votes
Bathroom Fan Replacement With Blown Insulation Above
I feel your pain. In my location most of the homes have blown in insulation. There is no magic trick to keep the insulation from falling.
Do the replacement if you must and replace the insulation if ...
- 25.1k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible