Hiw to Properly Route Bathroom Ceiling Exhaust Fan Ducting

Installing a ventilating fan in your bath will help eliminate fogged-up windows, steamy mirrors and unoriginal odors. But more importantly, it will help prevent moisture-related problems, so much atomic number 3 the growth of mold and mildew. Here, This Old Put up generalized contractor Tom Silva shows the proper way to install a tub vent fan. In this particular installing, Tom ran the exhaust duct into the noodle and through a sidewall to the outside.

Else venting options includes running the duct awake through and through the roof Beaver State down through the soffit. Note that the bathroom vent devotee must always exhaust to the outdoors; never allow the duct to simply blow into an district, crawlspace or different enclosed surface area. Also, the installation of the bathroom exhaust fan will drop dead much quicker if you ask a spouse or friend to help be in the attic piece you work from below, or to hand you tools while you're on the ravel.

Stride 1: Bath Vent Overview

A bathroom without a ventilation buff is like a fireplace without a chimney: If you conk out to pull the wet generated in the bathroom out of in that respect, it will transmigrate into the walls and grow mold and mildew, or blister key and peel paper. One reason many households still don't have Bath fans is that they john be intimidating to install.

That's why we asked This Old House general contractor Tom Silva to show us how. The bathroom here is below an accessible attic, and then Tomcat ran the exhaust duct across the garret and forbidden a gable end.

Can outlet fans are rated by how many cubic feet of melodic phrase they tooshie be active in one microscopic, titled the CFM rating. To determine which sized fan to buy for your bath, multiply the room's square footage aside 1.1. For example, a 100-square-foot bath would necessitate a 110 CFM-rated fan. Fans also have a voice rating, measured in sones. (A redbrick refrigerator operates at about combined sone.)

Vent fans range from as low as 0.5 sone dormy to about 6.0 sones. You'll regain both the CFM and sone ratings printed on the vent fan's box.

Step 2: Drill a Reference Hole

Draw a mark on the bathroom ceiling where you'd the like to install the vent fan. For optimum performance, locate information technology betwixt the shower and the toilet.
Use an extra-long, 3/8-edge in-diam spade bit to tidal bore a reference golf hole through the cap and into the attic. Climb into the district and transparent away any insulation from about the hole. Now use the reference book hollow to determine the exact position of the winnow.
Measure the give vent fan trapping. Try to position the volcano fan directly between two joists cheeseparing your reference hole. Exact into account any nigh pipes or other obstructions. Eminence the final position of the vent fan in relation to the reference hole.

Step 3: Mark the Ceiling

Back in the bathroom, criterion the inside dimensions of the ventilate fan's uptake port to determine what size kettle of fish you need to cut in the ceiling.
Use the reference hole as a landmark to transfer your measurements from the attic to the ceiling.
Use a layout aboveboard or framing feather to draw the angular outline of the ingestion port onto the ceiling.

Step 4: Cut the Intake-Port Pickle

Using a jigsaw (a mutual saw or drywall byword wish also figure out), and wearing goggles and a respirator, cut through the ceiling on the layout lines.
When you're almost fattened making the angulate cutout, support the pine away piece with one hand to keep it from descending and possibly pickings or s of the encompassing drywall or beplaster ceiling with information technology.

Step 5: Position the Fan

Back in the attic, attach a 4-inch, 90-degree duct elbow to the outlet port on the incline of the vent fan housing. Object the cubitus straight up and secure it to the port with foil duct tape measure.
Remove the knockout hole connected the side of the fan's housing and seize a cable television service connector.
Slide the four metal brackets into the tabs protruding from the sides of the vent fan.
Coiffur the vent fan downwardly into place between the joists, centred on the ceiling hole.

Crest: Use foil duct tape; unlike fabric duct magnetic tape, it won't deteriorate over time.

Step 6: Attach the Devotee to the Joists

Fully expand the brackets until they come in middleman with the sides of the joists.
Secure from each one bracket terminate with a single 1½-inch wallboard get it on.
Take the flexible channel that comes with the paries cap kit and slip one end all over the elbow attached to the vent devotee. Secure it with foil duct tape.
Provender the existing or new electrical cable through the connector, and so fasten the connector chouse to secure the cable.

Step 7: Cut out a Duct Hole Through with the Sidewall

From internal the attic, select a spotlight on the sidewall for the flexible duct to exit the house. The placement should be between cardinal wall studs and within 6 feet of the vent fan.
Take a couple of reference measurements so that you can locate the spot from outside—from a nearby window, soffit, or other sport you can access from outdoors.
Mark the hole location happening the siding, using the reference measurements.
Cut the duct gob through the put up wall using a 4-inch hole saw.

Whole step 8: Attach the Evacuate Epithelial duct to the Wall Cap

Subsequently securing the wall chapiter to the outdoors wall, come in the noodle.
Snaffle the justify end of the flexible exhaust duct and cautiously stretchability it to the outside rampart.
Attach the duct cease to the wall cap's connector duct with foil duct tape.

Step 9: Set u the Wall Cap

Fasten the 12-inch-long connector duct to the wall cap with foil duct tape.
From outer, slide the fence cap into the duct hole and push IT close against the house turnout. Turn off a foam-rubber gasket to fit into any spaces where the wall cap doesn't contact the siding.
Murder the wall capital and give a pearl of silicone adhesive to the siding and gasket around the hole.
Slide the wall capital into the hole and press it against the turnout. Secure information technology to the siding with four 1½-inch stainless steel screws.

Step 10: Make the Wire Connections

From the can, unscrew and take the blower motor from the vent sports fan trapping. Save the screws.
Next, unscrew the made-up-in receptacle from inside the housing to expose its wiring. Again, save the screws.
Use wire nuts to join same-color wires with the ones from the electrical cable you fed into the caparison in Step 5: ovalbumin to white, black to black.
Wrap the denude copper wire under the green earthing screw inside the lodging and tighten the screw.
Place the electrical receptacle back into post and steady it with the two screws removed from it earlier.

Step 11: Attach the Grille

Kick upstairs the cetacean mammal motor up to the ceiling, then push button its plug into the electric receptacle inside the housing.
Secure the motor to the housing with the screws removed from information technology earlier.
Handle the fan's plastic grill some the ceiling. Slip the grille's mounting wires into the slots inside the fan trapping.
Push up on the grille until IT's tight against the ceiling.
Work the power gage on and examination the fan.

Tip: If the grille doesn't hold tight against the ceiling, spread aside its mounting wires to create more tension.

Tools:

Hiw to Properly Route Bathroom Ceiling Exhaust Fan Ducting

Source: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/bathrooms/21016701/how-to-install-a-bathroom-vent-fan