Exhaust fan for the bathroom: how to choose the right one + installation rules

Ensuring a comfortable microclimate in the bathroom and shower room can be problematic.High levels of humidity have a detrimental effect on cabinets, mirrors and cabinets, facilitating the growth of mold.

If natural ventilation cannot cope, then you can install an exhaust fan in the bathroom - the unit forcibly removes exhaust humid air from the room.

We will tell you how to choose the appropriate model, and also describe the step-by-step process of installing the equipment. The installation technology is quite simple, the main thing is to take into account some connection nuances and follow the instructions below.

Do you need a fan in the bathroom?

The opinion that bathroom fans were invented by manufacturers to profit from consumers is not true. After all, living conditions in different houses are radically different. A operation of the bathroom ventilation system does not always satisfy needs.

The requests of the residents of the house/apartment vary - some wash clothes in the bathroom, like to steam for 1-1.5 hours, while others just take a 5-minute contrast shower.

All this in conditions of non-functional ventilation is fraught with the appearance of mustiness and other unpleasant surprises in the abode of cleanliness, for example, the appearance black mold.

The formation of mold and its active reproduction will lead to an unpleasant odor. Moreover, black spots will appear on the mirrors in the bathroom, and wooden furniture will gradually begin to rot (+)

Installing a fan will be a salvation for many bathrooms in high-rise buildings and private houses of modern construction with sealed windows and insulated walls.

It would be a good decision to install a fan if the toilet and bathtub are in the same room. The hood will add comfort to the lives of all apartment residents who are forced to use a shared bathroom.

Fans are especially relevant for 2-3 bathrooms of a brand new wooden cottage - they will help avoid the appearance of mold and gradual rotting of the wood

If the general house ventilation works well and there is excellent draft in the bathroom, and the walls of the room quickly dry out after bathing procedures, then you can safely forget about the fan.

If there is a need to install a fan, you need to correctly position the device and inlet openings or valves to ensure good air circulation in the bathroom

The natural inflow and removal of exhaust air is able to fully satisfy the needs of consumers.

How not to make a mistake with the choice?

If you need to buy a fan, an inexperienced home/apartment owner can easily get lost among the variety of these devices.

They all differ visually and in their cost. The biggest mistake is to choose equipment based on the price that seems most acceptable.

Types of fans and their features

The question of whether a fan is needed is always decided individually. If a device is needed, then you have to choose the optimal model that can perform its functions of removing exhaust air from the bathroom/shower.

All fans differ in appearance, mounting method, operating principle and location

According to the method of fastening there are:

• invoices, mounted at the entrance to the ventilation duct;
• channelinstalled inside air ducts.

Invoices are used for private use - they are easy to install and are quite capable of satisfying the needs of all residents of a country house/cottage. If the house has an extensive network of air ducts, then installing duct fans.

In rooms with high ceilings and industrial premises, duct fan models are installed

Depending on the location, the following devices are distinguished:

• Wall mounted. They are mounted horizontally on the wall;
• Ceiling, installed in a vertical plane.

In private houses, mainly ceiling ventilation devices are installed, which exhaust exhaust air first into an uninhabited attic, then into the street.

Also, there are bladed and bladeless fans, axial and centrifugal models. The former are most often purchased for organizing forced ventilation of bathrooms and shower rooms.

These devices differ not only in appearance, but also in their capabilities. Depending on the fan’s skills, the price varies significantly.

The range includes fans from European and domestic manufacturers - Spanish SILENT, Italian Elicent, Bulgarian Mmotors J.S.C., Russian "Era", Ukrainian Vents.

The most popular SILENT models allow you to choose an option with a lot of additional functions and an incredibly low noise level created during equipment operation

Among the capabilities of bathroom fans, the most popular models are those that have a temperature and humidity sensor, a timer, a separate power button, protective curtains and a check valve.

Another find is an additional decorative panel, which allows you to create a unique look for the device, emphasizing the sophisticated design of the room.

Decorative covers for fans can be made of glass, chrome-plated material, have colored lighting and other features that allow you to choose the device for any interior.

Rules for choosing a good hood

In order for the device to cope with its responsibilities for removing exhaust air and delight its users, you need to choose the right model. To do this, it is important to take into account the important parameters of the future fan, which are decisive for the choice of the final option.

Fan power. The indicator is selected based on the volume of the bathroom/shower room and the diameter of the hole on which the fan will be installed. These are 100, 125 mm and others.

To determine the power, you can use regulatory requirements, according to which in rooms of this type it is necessary to ensure air renewal at the level of 3-8 times per hour.

In practice, it turns out that you need the length of the room * by the width * by the height of the ceilings * by the multiplicity (from 3 to 8). You need to add 20% to the resulting number - this is a small margin that ensures free operation of the device.

If the fan constantly works at the limit, at full power, its service life will be significantly reduced. It is better to provide a small power reserve of 15-20% before purchasing

Equipment safety. This is an important criterion, because it will be installed in a room with a high level of humidity. And accidental splashes cannot be ruled out. Pay attention to moisture protection level.

Therefore, it is important to choose a model that has the appropriate moisture protection class

Fan noise. The most acceptable option is up to 35 dB. The lower this indicator, the more comfortable all family members will feel when using a bathtub or shower with an installed ventilation device.

If the fan noise is 40 dB or higher, this can disturb the restful sleep of particularly sensitive household members and cause headaches when staying in a ventilated room for a long time.

Noise has a negative impact on the health and nervous system of an adult. Before purchasing, you need to check the noise level specified in the instructions.

Easy to install and maintain the device. It’s good if you can install a suitable option yourself without calling experienced professionals. Yes, and ease of maintenance matters - the simpler and less frequent, the preferable.

Additional functionality. It is convenient if the fan is equipped with a timer, decorative lighting, protective curtains or a humidity sensor. High-tech models can be controlled via SMS.

For bathrooms and showers, most often they choose models that are either extremely simple or with a lot of additional bells and whistles, so as not to feel discomfort

Price. No matter how much you want to buy the best model, the price always stops you. The final choice of the consumer depends on this parameter - some will choose Spanish SILENT, while others will prefer more affordable domestically produced devices.

Appearance. It is the design of the equipment that is valued by many consumers who carefully design the interior of their home. The device should fit organically or add zest to the created style solution for a particular room.

Additional selection recommendations and an overview of the best exhaust fan models are given in this article.

Controversial issues in choosing equipment

When choosing a fan for a bathroom/shower, you can see a lot of controversy about additional functions between the owners of the device.

Check valve. You can hear categorically opposing opinions about the need/unnecessity of this element. It is needed to prevent air from coming back in.

The role of the check valve is difficult to overestimate. The only trouble is that it needs to be serviced periodically

For example, if neighbors are frying fish/potatoes, then when the fan is turned off, the valve closes and prevents air with the aromas of the neighbor's dinner from entering the apartment. If the door to the bathroom is sealed, then you can refuse to purchase models with check valve.

This is very individual, because many craftsmen, when installing bathroom doors, take into account regulatory requirements and leave a gap of 1-2 cm from the bottom edge to the floor.

Another unpleasant phenomenon is that these valves become clogged and can stick to the fan. They require cleaning and care. Every 6 months you need to take out the fan and clean the check valve petals with a brush.

Blinds/protective grilles. You can often hear the opinion that it is advisable to take a model without them. Blinds are needed to close the opening if necessary with one easy movement. This is justified when used by people who like to steam and are prone to colds.

When there is no special need for such a function, then a constantly closed grille will lead to the appearance of stale air in the room, when fresh air cannot get in, and it is difficult for waste air to escape.

Safety net. It is needed to prevent cockroaches, butterflies and other unwanted guests from entering from the ventilation duct.

On the other hand, the mesh becomes electrified, dust settles on it and cobwebs accumulate. Therefore, it needs to be cleaned often - every week or two. Whether to install a protective mesh or not depends entirely on the specific conditions of the bathroom location.

If there are no insects observed in a private house and there are already gratings at the outlets of the ventilation ducts, such a mesh can be abandoned

Decorative panel, completely blocking direct air entry to the fan. It really affects the performance of the equipment. This point should be taken into account when choosing a model for your bathroom.

When you like 2 options that differ in power, noise and price, you may hear advice that you need to take the more powerful one.This is wrong - the power must clearly correspond to the room’s needs for air renewal.

A very powerful device will make a lot of noise in a small room and will cause a lot of other troubles for its user in the form of a rapid drop in temperature, when, after steaming, you can catch a cold

Features of exhaust fan installation

You can improve the microclimate of the bathroom using an exhaust fan on your own or with the help of professionals. The installation option for the ventilation device depends on the complexity of the purchased model and the skills of the apartment/house owner.

If the fan is easy to install and you want to do everything yourself, then all the work will take about 2 hours including drilling the walls.

The process of installing and connecting a fan to the exhaust vent in the bathroom includes a number of traditional steps:

Where to start the installation?

It is advisable to install the exhaust device in a hole prepared in advance for it. This is done during the construction/renovation stage.

The conditions and technical characteristics of the ventilation duct for a specific bathroom/shower depend on the type of house, the year it was built and the project. If we are talking about an apartment building, then there are ventilation ducts that are in working or completely inoperative condition.

To ventilate the bathroom of a country cottage, the owner himself determines the size of the ventilation channels, their location and other nuances. Or this is done by specialists hired by the homeowner

You need to start the installation with proper preparation of the channel. To do this, work is carried out that is necessary in each specific case - this could be making a hole in the tile to access the ventilation duct or, conversely, adjusting the square section of the entrance to the diameter of the exhaust fan socket.

The ventilation duct can be much larger than the fan.But this is not a problem - the device often comes with a special pipe for installation, or you can use a more rigid sewer pipe. It is placed in the ventilation duct, and the hole around it is filled with foam.

The option of gluing the fan is impractical - if you need to remove the device for cleaning or repair, it will be extremely difficult to do because of the glue

If the craftsmen laid the tiles, then they will have to mark the diameter of the hole for the fan. You can look in the documentation or simply lean the back of the device and trace the outline of its bell with a pencil. Now you have to make a hole in the tile.

Also, the power cable must be brought out to connect the fan. Ideally, it lies under the tile in the place where the device was originally planned to be installed. If this has not been done in advance, then you will have to lay it separately on top of the tiles, using a special box to protect it from splashes.

Features and nuances of installation

Depending on the shape of the fan, the initial parameters of the ventilation duct and the type of fresh air entering the room, there may be some installation nuances.

So, when the hole for the fan is small and there is reverse draft when the device is not working, you can make legs for the fan - 1-2 cm

The air will flow smoothly around the fan and a good air flow will result. The legs for the fan can be cut out of foam plastic, which can simultaneously perform the function of shock absorption.

If the size of the entrance to the ventilation duct was adjusted to the fan socket, then when the mounting foam dries, you can put a pair of very ordinary rubber bands on the fan socket, as they use in cash registers for money.

Some models are equipped with elastic bands on the socket, allowing you to securely fix the device in the prepared ventilation duct

This fastening method will allow you to remove the fan if necessary and remove it without effort to clean everything. The rubber band itself acts as a gasket and is capable of dampening vibrations during operation of the device. Another plus is that you don’t have to drill holes in the wall for mounting.

For large diameter ventilation openings, a double ventilation grille can be used. This is true when exhaust air leaves the ventilation duct through the upper part when the fan is running, and there is a free inflow through the lower part.

Double ventilation grilles are only possible in some old high-rise buildings

Direct installation of equipment

When preparations for installing an exhaust fan in the bathroom/shower room have been completed and a place for the fan has been provided and marked, installation can begin. First you need to remove the top part of the fan - the decorative panel or grille.

Depending on the chosen mounting option, you will need to securely fix the fan.

The most common options:

• drill holes in the wall;
• place the fan on liquid nails/glue;
• use 2 elastic bands.

The most correct option is to drill holes for mounting, trying on the fan. Here, before drilling, you need to carefully level the device. First, drill the tiles using a special feather with a drill or a hammer drill with a drill. Then use a hammer drill to make a corresponding hole for the dowel.

You need to make a groove or a special hole for the wire. The fan itself has a hole for the wires.You need to install the fan in place and pull the wire to the surface.

In the prepared hole for installing the fan, the wire should be on the surface

All that remains is to secure it with self-tapping screws or other screws. To do this, it is convenient to use a screwdriver or screwdriver.

Now you need to connect the power cable to the fan contacts. The manufacturer's instructions will be useful for this. Now you need to install the mesh and protective grille in place.

It is advisable to insulate the terminals and wires to avoid excess moisture coming into contact with the contacts.

All that remains is to turn on the fan and check operation. Moreover, it is most convenient to provide for the location of the switch in the bathroom/shower, and not outside it. And it is not advisable to connect the exhaust fan to the light switch - if you have to wash your face and brush your teeth, then turning on the device is not required.

It would be practical to choose a switching option that is convenient for the user - for example, by programming work on a timer

The method for connecting a hood to a switch or model with a timer is described Here.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Video about organizing bathroom ventilation and the intricacies of installing a fan:

The video explains in detail how to properly install an exhaust fan in the bathroom if you have to drill newly laid tiles on the walls:

There is a simpler way to install the fan. How to do this is shown step by step in the video:

How to choose a bathroom fan if the bathroom has a sealed door is described in detail in the video:

After familiarizing yourself with the features of choosing a bathroom fan, you can choose the most suitable option, suitable in terms of characteristics and cost.

You can install the device yourself. To do this, you need to become more familiar with the installation and connection process of the device. If such work raises doubts about one’s own abilities, then it is better to invite a professional.

If you have experience installing and using a bathroom exhaust fan, please share the information with our readers. Leave comments and ask questions in the form below.