How To Install Bathroom Exhaust Fan – Step By Step Guide

When you are going to work or study in the morning, you probably want your home to have a comfortable, cozy, and warm atmosphere.

This is especially important during the colder months. Instead of turning on the entire central heating system in your house, you can install a bathroom exhaust fan with light and a heater.

This device will set a comfortable temperature in one of the essential rooms in the house and avoid wasteful heating of the rest of your house. You will notice that your electricity bills will decrease significantly and your morning will be more enjoyable.

If mirrors and walls are fogged continuously up in the bathroom, the air is stale, and mold appears in the corners now and then, which means that natural ventilation can’t cope with its task. To solve this problem is simple – you need to install a bathroom exhaust fan with light.

The choice of modern exhaust devices is extensive – from the simplest to silent models with timers and sensors.

To ensure the most efficient air exchange in the room, you need to know by what criteria it is worth choosing fans and how to install them correctly.

How To Install a Bathroom Exhaust Fan With Light And Heater

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Calculate the power and circuit

Determine which current path as well as short circuit control for the existing bathroom fan. After that, put the circuit breaker on and off again to know all electrical and electrical loads connected to the exhaust fan circuit.

You should calculate the capacity of the circuit in watts. This is done by multiplying the voltage of the circuit by the current of the breaker. Then lower the product to 70%.

Review Design

Reduce your watts by subtracting the connected watts with reduced bandwidth. The main difference is the maximum fan power of the heater in the bathroom that you may install.

Make sure that the heater you purchase matches the voltage of an existing circuit. Also, make sure that you purchase a large heater to cover that hole left by an old fan.

This will save you from any repairs to the sheet stone ceiling. Finally, bathroom exhaust fans with light and heat may vary depending on the noise they produce. You should keep this in mind before making the final choice.

Turn off the power to the circuit

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To avoid electric shock, turn off the power. Confirm properly if it is turned off. Try this by using the circuit tester.

Removal of the Old Fan

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You should remove the cladding, bulbs, and if there is any wiring from your old fan. The disconnect that wiring and also the cable clamp. Also, get rid of fasteners found in the fan housing.

Check the Attic

Check the attic of your bathroom fan get rid of the electric cable and secure it from that old fan. After that, you should remove the flexible duct, and also any hardware that secures that old fan to the ceiling bass. Leave the electric cable to be used on your new heater.

Install a new heater fan

Installing a new heater fan

It is advisable to install a new bathroom exhaust fan with light following the manufacturer’s guide. If necessary, change the foam hole in the sheet. After installation is complete, turn on the circuit breaker again and check the new heater fan.

After this, the installation of the bathroom fan with light and heater is considered complete. During use, you will have to clean the ventilation grill and blades from accumulated dust from time to time. If, after cleaning, the hood works poorly, this indicates that the exhaust duct is clogged.

In apartment buildings, such a problem cannot be eliminated independently, and it is required to call a specialist. But in a private home, it’s much easier to clean the ventilation system, so many homeowners do it on their own.

If you doubt the feasibility of installing such fans in the bathroom, it will be useful to get acquainted with the advantages of exhaust devices:

condensation will cease to accumulate on walls and other surfaces, dampness will leave the room;

installation does not require much effort and time, a novice will be able to cope with this; modern fan models are very compact, so they are suitable even for the smallest bathrooms;

thanks to modern design and discreet design, exhaust fans harmoniously fit into any interior style; most models are equipped with a protective net, which eliminates the ingress of insects and small objects into the case, which means that it will be less necessary to clean the device;

  • the front panel is easily removable for fan maintenance – cleaning the blades and lubricating the engine.
  • As for the shortcomings, there are very few of them:
  • the fans cannot work silently, and some consumers may be annoyed by their buzz
  • increased energy consumption, although slightly

Varieties of exhaust fans

The design of the exhaust fan is quite simple: housing, motor, and impeller with blades. There are vital models that are equipped with a non-return valve.

They do not allow odors from other places to enter the room. This is, in turn, very important for high-rise buildings.

The air duct of the exhaust device is connected to a common ventilation system or is discharged separately through the wall to the outside. All exhaust fans are divided into ceiling and wall, as well as built-in and overhead.

They are characterized by high performance and simple installation. Such a fan can provide an active circulation of a large volume of air, which is why it is great for spacious bathrooms.

But most consumers still choose wall-mounted models, both built-in and overhead types. They are easy to install, convenient to operate, and easy to clean and replace.

Thanks to the compact size and modern design of the case, they look quite aesthetically pleasing, perfectly fitting into any interior.

Depending on the internal device, the bathroom exhaust fan with light

are divided into

  • Electric
  • Automatic

Electric – This is a simple model with a built-in or external switch. That is, the people staying in an apartment must turn on and off the device.

A very common scenario is when such a fan is connected to a common switch in the bathroom, and then the hood turns on simultaneously with the lights.

In this case, moisture does not always have time to enter the ventilation completely, but the energy consumption is reduced.

Automatic exhaust devices that are equipped with special sensors. Models with humidity sensors turn on themselves as soon as the moisture level is in excess and turn off when the condensed air has completely evaporated.

Models with motion sensors turn on when a person appears and turns off when the room is empty. There are also automatic fans with timers that only work for a given time interval.

Exhaust fans are also classified by design type. In the domestic sphere, the most popular are axial and duct devices, which are suitable for multi-story and private houses.

Axial fans

In axial fans, air movement occurs when the blades rotate along the axis. The design is very simple: a body (usually cylindrical), an impeller with blades, and an electric motor. Many models have a front-mounted collector that improves aerodynamic properties.

The structure of the blades reduces the resistance to airflow so that the fan has high efficiency. By type of installation, such devices can be both wall and ceiling.

Most modern axial fans consume less power and are not noisy, unlike the traditional models. They can work for a long time without stopping.

They are easy to clean and have an attractive design. For these devices to be effective, the length of the duct should not exceed 4 m. The same applies to the area of the bathroom – the smaller the room, the more efficient the hood.

Duct fan

For large bathrooms, ducted, or centrifugal, fans are optimally suited. Their design differs noticeably from axial devices.

Inside the cylindrical body, there is a drum with many narrow curved blades. Using the centrifugal force generated by the blades during rotation, the air is drawn inward and sent to the ventilation duct.

Such fans work effectively with air ducts from 4 meters long, installed both on the ceiling and on the wall (depending on the version). The hood can be carried out continuously, but usually, the device is connected to a switch in the bathroom or a hygrostat.

This allows for more economical energy consumption and extends the life of the fan. Many models are designed for flush mounting and are relatively quiet, so in the bathroom, they are almost invisible.

Most people have a limited budget, so it’s essential to know how expensive each type of fan will cost you. Both fans can be used in both small bathrooms and large bathrooms.

Many bathrooms in our homes appear cold because they lack heart. This heat can only be brought by a heater.

You can enhance your cold bathroom only by replacing your existing fan with a bathroom exhaust fan. Many stores have a wide variety of fans with lights and heaters.

Fan heaters for the bath, including infrared heat lamps. They are one of the most effective devices because the source of radiant heat does not need time to warm up.

It is crucial for the bathrooms. Besides, the humidity in the bathroom will still be high without taking in the heat from the exhaust fan.

The installation process of the bathroom exhaust fan itself takes a short time. Still, before that, you need to prepare everything properly, think about the connection method, and, if necessary, lay the power cable.

All wiring should be located in the gates and hidden under the cladding to eliminate the slightest risk of contact with water.

If the fan is on the ceiling, and the ceiling itself is suspended, then there is no need for gates: the wiring is fixed directly to the ceiling, fixed with special clamps.

Before installation, you should unpack the fan, and check its integrity and completeness. Usually, fasteners are included, but if they are missing, you should buy screws and plastic dowels in advance.

The device requires regular cleaning and lubrication for normal operation.

Safety Tips:

  • When you install bathroom exhaust fans, it is essential to consider where you are going to install them carefully. If the flow of warm air is blocked, you will not get any benefit from the heat, and can even make the fan dangerous to use.
  • Before you install a bathroom exhaust fan with a heater, you need to determine how well the natural hood works. This is done easily: take a sheet of tissue paper or unfold a napkin; open the window in any room; attach the paper to the exhaust hole.

If the napkin is immediately pulled to the hole – this means that the natural hood is working correctly. If the napkin is not attractive, then you should think about installing a fan in the bathroom.

  • You must make sure that you install the exhaust fan in the place where you get the most benefit from it and avoid blocking the air circulation. Also, it is important to keep the device away from any objects or dead zones, for example, behind a door.
  • When installing a bathroom exhaust fan with light, you should remember that it is necessary to have proper ventilation in the place where you install the appliance, as well as an exhaust hood. You can often place the fan on a wall or ceiling.
  • When you are trying to decide which appliance is best for your bathroom, you should also think about where you can install it. Not all options are suitable for any bathroom, so you should evaluate your room before you make such an important decision.
  • For an exhaust heater type, you should carefully evaluate your ceiling and ventilation parameters. You will need a pipeline to remove moisture from your home, so you must be sure that this is possible before purchasing one of these devices.

Conclusion:

A lot depends on the correct installation: if the fan is not located correctly, the air circulation is disturbed. Therefore, ensure that your bathroom exhaust fan with light and heater is installed accordingly by following the above steps.

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