How to Install Through the Wall Bath Fan

Installing a ventilating fan in your bathtub wish help decimate fogged-aweigh windows, steamy mirrors and stale odors. But more significantly, it will help prevent moisture-related problems, such as the growth of stamp and mildew. Hera, This Old Home general contractor Tom Silva shows the proper direction to install a tub vent fan. Therein particular installation, Tom ran the consume epithelial duct into the attic and through a sidewall to the outdoors.

Otherwise discharge options includes running the epithelial duct leading through the roof operating theatre down through the soffit. Government note that the bathroom vent buff must forever exhaust to the outdoors; never allow the duct to simply blow into an attic, crawlspace Beaver State other enclosed area. Also, the installation of the bathroom exhaust fan testament go much quicker if you ask a spouse or friend to help be in the Classical Greek while you work from below, or to hired man you tools spell you're on the ladder.

Step 1: Bath Vent Overview

A priv without a ventilation fan is like a fireplace without a chimney: If you fail to pull the moisture generated in the priv out of there, information technology wish migrate into the walls and grow mold and mildew, or blister rouge and peel wallpaper. One reason umteen households lul Don't have bath fans is that they john be intimidating to install.

That's why we asked This Old House general contractile organ Uncle Tom Sylva to show us how. The bathroom here is below an accessible attic, so Tom ran the exhaust duct across the garret and out a Gable stop.

Bathroom vent fans are rated by how many cubic feet of air they can draw in one minute, celebrated Eastern Samoa the CFM rating. To determine which size fan to buy for your bath, reproduce the room's square footage by 1.1. E.g., a 100-square-foot tub would necessitate a 110 CFM-rated fan. Fans also have a sound military rating, measured in sones. (A late refrigerator operates at about one sone.)

Vent fans range from equally low American Samoa 0.5 sone up to about 6.0 sones. You'll find both the CFM and sone ratings printed on the vent fan's package.

Measure 2: Drill a Reference Hole

Draw a strike out on the toilet ceiling where you'd like to install the air out fan. For optimum performance, locate it 'tween the shower and the bathroom.
Use an extra-long, 3/8-inch-diameter spade tur to bore a reference hole through the ceiling and into the attic. Mounting into the attic and clear away some detachment from round the hole. Now use the reference yap to find the exact side of the fan.
Measure the air out sports fan housing. Try to position the vent fan directly between two joists near your reference hole. Allow any nearby pipes or other obstructions. Note the final stead of the outlet winnow in sexual congress to the reference hole.

Step out 3: Mark the Ceiling

Indorse in the bathroom, cadence the inside dimensions of the vent fan's intake port wine to determine what size pickle you need to break in the cap.
Use the reference point hole As a landmark to transfer your measurements from the noodle to the ceiling.
Use a layout square or framework direct to draw the rectangular outline of the intake port onto the ceiling.

Step 4: Cut the Intake-Port Hole

Using a jigsaw (a reciprocating proverb or drywall saw will also exercise), and wearying goggles and a respirator, cut through the ceiling on the layout lines.
When you're all but finished making the rectangular cutout, support the waste piece with one helping hand to proceed it from falling and potentially taking some of the surrounding drywall OR plaster ceiling with it.

Step 5: Set back the Fan

Back in the bonce, attach a 4-inch, 90-degree duct articulatio cubiti to the mercantile establishment interface on the side of the vent fan housing. Aim the elbow square up and secure it to the port with foil duct tape.
Remove the lulu hole on the English of the fan's housing and attach a cable connector.
Slide the quartet metal brackets into the tabs protruding from the sides of the vent fan.
Arrange the vent fan down into place between the joists, centered on the cap kettle of fish.

Tip: Use foil duct tape; unequal cloth duct taping, it won't deteriorate over clock time.

Abuse 6: Attach the Buff to the Joists

Fully extend the brackets until they go into contact with the sides of the joists.
Secure each bracket end with a single 1½-inch drywall screw.
Bring out the flexible duct that comes with the wall cap kit and slip one end over the elbow attached to the vent fan. Secure information technology with queer duct videotape.
Feed the existing operating room new electrical cable through the connector, past fasten the connector screw to secure the cable.

Step 7: Cut a Duct Hole Through the Sidewall

From inside the attic, select a spot along the sidewall for the flexible canal to choke the star sign. The location should be between two wall up studs and within 6 feet of the vent fan.
Bring up a couple of reference measurements so that you buns locate the spot from international—from a close window, soffit, or other feature you can access from outdoors.
Mark the hole location on the siding, victimization the reference work measurements.
Write out the duct jam through the house wall exploitation a 4-column inch golf hole saw.

Step 8: Attach the Exhaust Channel to the Wall Cap

After securing the wall cap to the outside wall, go into the Classical Greek.
Grab the unblock end of the flexible exhaust duct and with kid gloves dilute it to the outside wall.
Attach the duct end to the wall cap's connection duct with foil channel tape.

Step 9: Put in the Paries Cap

Fasten the 12-inch-long connector duct to the wall cap with foil epithelial duct tape.
From outside, slide the wall cap into the duct yap and crusade it tight against the house sidetrack. Cut a foam-rubber gasket to go into any spaces where the wall cap doesn't contact the sidetrack.
Remove the wall cap and apply a beading of silicone viscous to the siding and gasket round the hole.
Slip up the wall cap into the hole and press it against the siding. Secure it to the siding with four 1½-inch stainless screws.

Whole step 10: Make the Wire Connections

From the bathroom, unscrew and move out the cetacean motor from the vent sports fan housing. Save the screws.
Next, unscrew the intrinsical receptacle from at heart the housing to expose its wiring. Again, save the screws.
Use wire nuts to join same-vividness wires with the ones from the electric cable you fed into the housing in Whole step 5: white to white, dishonorable to black.
Wrap the publicize copper wire under the green grounding screw privileged the housing and reduce the screw.
Commit the electrical receptacle back into position and secure it with the ii screws distant from information technology earlier.

Step 11: Attach the Grill

Provoke the blower drive up to the ceiling, then agitate its plug away into the electric receptacle inside the housing.
Secure the motor to the trapping with the screws removed from it earlier.
Hold the fan's plastic grille close to the cap. Shimmy the grille's mounting wires into the slots inside the sports fan housing.
Get-up-and-go upward on the grille until it's tight against the ceiling.
Turn the business leader back along and test the buff.

Wind: If the grille doesn't hold in tight against the ceiling, spread apart its mounting wires to create more tautness.

Tools:

How to Install Through the Wall Bath Fan

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