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 Because
moisture is a bathrooms biggest enemy, you
must vent the hot, moist air out of the
bathroom. Without doing this paint will
peel, doors will warp and you run the risk
of mold. While some codes allow for
a window that opens, the practicality of
the window as a humidity control is pretty
suspect. Just having to remember, combined
with always going through the act of
opening a window, especially in the winter
which lets cold air blow into a maybe not
warm enough already bathroom for a shower
can lead to some times when the window
method loses its effectiveness through
neglect.
Timers
 The
first thing we recommend you should
consider is a timer instead of a switch.
The success of your fan relies on a
two-fold approach. The Home Ventilating
Institute recommends that your fan be
capable of achieving 8 air changes per
hour, with the exhaust of air continuing
for 20 minutes after use of the bathroom.
Using a timer will help you achieve the
extra run time without having to remember
to come back and turn it off. Plus with
the new quiet fans available it isn’t
uncommon to forget to turn a bathroom fan
off now because we don’t have that load
roar to remind us it is on.
Based
on CFM
We
use an actual formula to help us determine
your bathroom exhaust fan requirements.
Exhaust fans are based on how many cubic
feet per minute of air they can exchange.
We find this all important CFM number with
a formula
based on the volume of the bathroom
itself.
Sones
Next,
once size has been determined you should
choose your fan based on how quiet you
want it. Personally I want the quietest
fan I can afford. Ideally you don’t even
want to know it is running. However, the
price goes up as the noise levels go down,
so you have to keep your budget in
consideration. The bigger the exhaust fan
the harder it is for manufacturers to
quiet them down.
Bathroom fans are measured by SONES.
4.0 Sones is the sound of normal
television (Ridiculously loud for a fan)
3.0 Sones is office noise (Still very loud
for a fan but probably quieter than most
people are used to for an exhaust fan) 1.0
Sone is the sound of a refrigerator and
0.5 Sone is the sound of rustling leaves.
A very quiet bathroom fan that will just
make a gentle whoosh is a fan at 1.0 Sone
or below.
Installation
So
after you spend the extra money on a fan
that is quiet and properly sized, the last
thing you want to do is make it louder by
a poor installation. We always use
screws in the installation, not nails.
Nails will vibrate lose eventually and
create noise. We like to use 4 inch
venting not 3 inch, the bigger the venting
the
quieter it will be. Also we make turns in
your venting gradual; avoid 90-degree
bends if possible to reduce air noise in
the venting.
The only other considerations are
features and looks. You can get a fan with
a light in it; you can even get a fan with
a heating element in it. Looks run from
just a white grill to just about anything
you can imagine. The limits are just your
budget and your tastes. But start with CFM
and Sones ratings first, then looks. Doing
this will ensure you have a bathroom fan
that not only looks good but is
doing its job, which is protecting your
bathroom from the perils of moisture.
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Remodeling Information and Advice |
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