You just woke up to the distressing sight of your bathroom fan leaking water, or a damp around the installation area. You are probably confused as to what the cause may be and in search of any reliable solution. In this article, I will enlighten you about some of the causes of the leakage: as well as a guide on how to fix and prevent such occurrences.
A bathroom fan is an equipment designed to eliminate odors, moisture, contaminants and to vent out steam of the bathroom which promotes mold development. It can also be used to regulate temperature by pushing out warm air outside the house and bringing in cool air in hot weather conditions, vice versa. A leakage therefore, signifies loss of integrity of what a bathroom fan is designed to do.
Causes Of Bathroom Fan Water Leakage
There are a lot of reasons why your bathroom fan is experiencing water leakage. I will focus on just 3, which are most frequently encountered.
1. Vapor Condensation: this happens when the duct is poorly or totally uninsulated, causing the vapor to condense. The condensed vapor moves towards the fan and exits when there is a fallback. This exit is what is clearly seen as a water leakage.
Quick Fix
• Your first line of action would be to check the connection of the vent tile and see if it fits perfectly. Repair the under tile, once you notice it is cut. The duct itself should be inspected for any puncture and then replaced if that is the case. Reposition the duct below the insulation so that it is well within the warm zone, this makes it less likely for condensation to occur. If the problem persists after these attempts, then contact a professional building surveyor for further assistance.
• Run the fan for 10-15 minutes after taking a bath, to make sure all the moisture is pulled out and efficiently evacuated. This would prevent the build-up of condensed vapor in the vent pipes.
• Replace the fan if the size of your bathroom or frequency of baths, is too much for the fan to handle. You would need to purchase a more powerful fan to effectively handle the evacuation of moisture in your bathroom.
2. Damper Problem: the damper is designed to run concurrently with the fan. If for some reason it gets stuck in an open position, this will eventually lead to condensation.
Quick Fix
• Simply repair or replace the damper if irreparable.
. Ice on the roof: during Winter, ice accumulates on the roof and hot air from the bathroom may cause the ice to melt. If the insulation for the vapor barrier installed on the roof is poor, the barrier will experience condensation and water pooling occurs.
Quick Fix
• Clear up the ice buildup on the rooftop.
• Install a proper insulation system for the vapor barrier on the roof.
Other General Solutions To Try
• Reposition The Fan
Often time we make the mistake of positioning the fan directly on top of the shower. If this is done, the fan catches the air at its warmest point and ultimately results in condensation in the vent pipes. If possible, reposition the fan far away from the shower: this gives the air time to cool down.
• Install A Dehumidifier
At this point, you have learned why your fan is leaking water. It is time for you to lend a helping hand to the bathroom exhaust fan, and this can be done by installing dehumidifiers.
Dehumidifiers are important not just in your bathroom but in other rooms of the house as well. Especially during humid weather conditions, so it is important to install as many as possible. Right now you might be worried about space, don't : because they come in very portable sizes and don't take up much space.
Preventive Measures
Just like any other appliance at home, bathroom fans develop faults if not properly taken care of or maintained. So the best preventive measures that can be taken, is care and maintenance. To test the efficiency of your fan — hold up a piece of toilet paper and if it is sucked up means it is still working.
The following steps will guide you in cleaning your fan to ensure it is clean and efficient.
1. Turn off the fan.
2. Disconnect it from the electrical source.
3. Remove the cover, wash with soap and water in a sink.
4. Remove screws and nuts for deep cleaning.
5. Use a damp rag to clean the fan blades.
6. Clean the vent and other accessible surrounding areas.
7. Allow all the cleaned parts to dry.
8. Recouple the bathroom exhaust fan parts.
9. Reconnect to electrical source.
10. Turn on the bathroom exhaust fan.
Factors To Consider When Buying A Bathroom Exhaust Fan
Buying a bathroom exhaust fan can be a tough choice to make, because of the variety of obtainable options. However, it is advisable to go for an Energy Star Rated fan, in order to get value for your money. The following are important factors to consider when purchasing a bathroom exhaust fan.
1. Size Of Duct.
Duct size is very pivotal when choosing the kind of bathroom exhaust fan to purchase. The size just has to be right to fit the duct connector on the fan. If you want an efficient bathroom exhaust fan then, consider checking the size of the duct before buying.
2. Noise Level.
Otherwise, known as sones. A high sones level indicates a noisy fan, vice versa. Sones level of 1.0 or below is indicative of a quiet fan. If you are the type of person who enjoys a quiet environment then, these are the ones you should look out for.
3. Humidity Sensor.
This feature, if contained in a fan makes it very valuable. The automatic feature, allows the fan to turn on once moisture is detected.
4. Cubic Foot Per Minute (CFM)
This is important in selecting the appropriate fan size for your bathroom. This factor tells you the amount of cubic foot of air pushed out per minute. What this implies is that, the bigger your bathroom the higher the CMF rating you will require." [Source]
How To Install A Bathroom Exhaust Fan
I would not say installing a bathroom exhaust fan is easy as pie, but it is definitely something you can do on your own. If the steps are followed accordingly then, it should take an estimated 6-8 hours to finish the installation.
Instruments And Tools — The following tools should be available before installation.
• An extension ladder
• Safety goggles
• Tape measure
• Jigsaw
• Hole saw
• Spade bit — 3/8 inch (ca. 20 cm) extended
• A drill
• layout square
• caulk gun
• safety gloves
After ensuring you have all the tools needed, the following steps will guide you in making a proper installation
Step 1
Drill A Hole
This hole should be drilled on the bathroom ceiling and should serve as a reference of where you would like to install the bathroom exhaust fan. Use the 3/8 inch (ca. 20 cm) spade to bore a hole through the ceiling into the attic.
Position the vent fan directly in between the two joists near the drilled hole.
Step 2
Mark The Ceiling
Use the layout square to mark out (rectangular shape) the exact dimension of what size of hole you need to cut in the ceiling. Remember to use the reference hole drilled earlier as a landmark for the marking.
Step 3
Cut A Hole
Use the jigsaw to cut out the marked rectangular dimension lines on the ceiling. Remember to put on your safety goggles, to prevent dirt from entering your eyes.
Step 4
Position The Fan
You will find a knockout hole on the side of the fan's housing. Remove the knockout hole and attach a cable connector. Ensure to slide the metal brackets into the taps bulging out of the sides of the fan. Place the bathroom exhaust fan into the hole made on the ceiling, just in-between the joists.
Step 5
Cut A Duct Hole
After positioning the fan, the next step would be to find an exit point for the duct. This exit point should lead directly to the outside of the house. Locate a favorable position on the sidewall and then bore a duct hole using a 4inch (ca. 10 cm) hole saw.
Step 6
Install The Flexible Duct
Carefully insert the duct into the hole, leading to the outside of the wall.
Step 7
Install The Wall Cap
Apply a strong adhesive to the sides of the cap and the sides of the hole on the wall. Slide the wall cap into the hole and press it against the wall sidings. You can also secure it with four stainless steel screws, for stronger adhesion.
Step 8
Wire Connections
Expose the wiring from the bathroom exhaust fan vent housing. Join the same color of wire with the one from the electrical cable in your house.
Step 9
Turn On Your Fan
After recoupling your fan. Turn the power on and test.
Check this out for a more detailed explanation on how to install a bathroom fan.
One Final Thing To Note Is : bathroom fans should always be vented outside the house. Venting it into the attic is simply asking for trouble, the excessive moisture will condense. This condensation will ultimately result in the development of mold.
Great article!
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