How Long Do Bath Exhaust Fans Terminal? Know When It’S Time To Modify

Your bath exhaust fan is an unsung hero. These fans run silently to take away all excess moisture from our bathrooms too aid eliminate odors too pathogens.

While they demand periodic cleaning, bathroom exhaust fans tin go on working for years, merely but how long they last volition live the subject field of this article.

A bathroom exhaust fan tin can last upwards to 10 years alongside proper maintenance together with attention. To ensure their bath fans last every bit long as possible, homeowners should routinely make clean their exhaust fan as well as avoid using it when not necessary.

In this article, nosotros volition evaluate some of these factors, too every bit the signs that bespeak you necessitate to replace your bath exhaust fan.

What Affects a Bathroom Exhaust Fan’s Longevity?

A properly maintained bathroom exhaust fan tin can final ten years afterward its master copy install, in addition to there are ways that you lot tin help extend its longevity.

These include keeping it make clean, limiting operate time, making certain you lot take the proper size fan, as well as making certain you lot accept efficient ductwork.

Exhaust Fan as well as Vent Cleaning

As a responsible homeowner, you should include regular exhaust fan cleanings inwards your schedule. Exhaust fans in addition to vents should live thoroughly cleaned once a yr at a minimum.

Still, a lot of grime tin build upward in less than a twelvemonth, and so regard cleaning it twice a twelvemonth or even more. Mark it in your calendar on the biannual daylight savings times if that assist, that is what I do.

It isn’t just nigh keeping it tidy, though; you lot take to live aware of merely how hard that fan is working as well. Once a fan is sufficiently clogged, the motor has to operate much harder and will not function nearly every bit efficiently.

Also, a clogged bath exhaust fan tin can live a fire hazard. When the fan’sec motor gets as well warm, it can ignite all the lint together with dust it has been gathering. 

Steps to Cleaning Your Exhaust Fan in addition to Vent

Here I will get over how it should live done shortly, only If y'all desire to read my detailed guide read my other article that discusses cleaning the bath fan inward more than particular.

The potential for such a gamble is why your bath fan should have regular, thorough cleanings instead of just swiping a dusting wand across the vent embrace. Invest the time for a thorough cleaning using the next steps.

Before doing anything, yous necessitate to close off all electric ability to the exhaust fan.

To commence, you will require to withdraw the vent encompass, which is typically just a affair of removing a duad of screws. If your embrace is secured with clips or mounting wires, crush them to lower the cover in addition to and then remove it.

Place the vent comprehend on the floor or a counter. Using the vacuum wand attachment, suction upwards the dry out dust on the vent embrace.

Vent covers are made from metallic or plastic, together with the easiest fashion to deep make clean them is with multi-surface cleaner in addition to water. Using a sponge or rag, scrub to take away all grime.

Once the comprehend is squeaky make clean, home it on a towel or a drying rack away from the bath. You will desire the encompass to be completely dry out before putting it back upwards.

Before returning to the bathroom, double-bank check to make sure you lot have the right breaker turned off then that the exhaust fan is non receiving electricity. Doing this is critical since you’re nigh to stick vacuum attachments and your manus inward the fan’s housing.

Carefully vacuum the dry out dust on the fan using vacuum wand attachments or the brush vacuum attachment.

When y'all’ve sucked upward all the dry dust, wipe downwardly whatever remaining grime with a microfiber fabric. For a deep clean, you tin remove the motor from its housing and make clean every scissure with the microfiber cloth.

Once every function is clean too completely dry out, you lot can reassemble the exhaust fan, including the wiring connections. After reassembling, flip the switch to check the fan is connected and working. 

If yous chose to have the fan motor out, brand certain to notice whatever rust or discoloration. Depending on the country of the exhaust fan, yous may involve to supervene upon the fan instead of merely cleaning it.

We volition talk over how you will know when to replace the fan too as how to install a new ane presently.

Exhaust Fan Run Time

Homeowners also require to go along an heart on that exhaust fan when it runs. If it takes too long to power up or it sounds unusual, y'all could have a job on your hands.

Likewise, don’t work the exhaust fan for longer than necessary — xx-hour is unremarkably all that’s required. (Check out my other article where I talk over this inwards more than detail)

You should never exit an exhaust fan running longer than necessary as well as specially non overnight. During together with afterwards a bath or shower, the fan should work no longer than 60 minutes, which is more than enough time to dry upwards the average-sized bathroom.

If left on also long, the motor tin overheat in addition to tin can fifty-fifty fix burn to your domicile.

Many firefighters who have seen this type of matter firsthand recommend that homeowners supervene upon older exhaust fans alongside newer and safer models. Many of these novel exhaust fans take thermal oestrus protection.

You can even install a unit that includes a timer that cuts the fan off automatically.  These are a keen choice because they non alone continue the motor from overheating, but they as well aid y'all salvage free energy. 

If y'all are looking for a timer switch head out to my listing of tiptop ix timer switches.

Exhaust Fan CFM

Having an exhaust fan amongst enough power to vent the expanse of your bathroom correctly is essential besides. Fans are classified past CFM or cubic feet per infinitesimal, which designates the infinite the fan tin can clear or act inward a minute. Check out my article nearly how bath fans are rated if y'all desire to acquire more than.

As bathroom size increases, and so does the exhaust fan’s CFM requirements. If you lot installed a fan a dyad of years agone, and yous feel like it has never done a proper job of ventilating, you lot may take chosen a fan amongst also depression of a CFM rating.

Small spaces that are nether 100 square feet may necessitate a CFM of exclusively fifty or 100. Meanwhile, that same space with multiple fixtures, each requiring about fifty CFM, may require 150 to 250 CFM (origin).

Ductwork as well as Damper Issues

Even if you lot follow all of the preceding advice, you tin even so accept issues. Before rushing to supervene upon your fan before its fourth dimension, make sure yous cheque your ductwork as well as damper.

It’second non unheard of for homeowners to notice out their exhaust fan isn’t working at all during a bath renovation or a duct check. 

The job often lies in the duct organization’s damper. A damper allows air to ventilate out but doesn’t allow outside air move inward. When the fan cuts on, the damper opens to let the air out.

Your damper could live stuck inwards the unopen position, and so air is never actually ventilated out. 

While y'all’re inward inspecting mode, bank check the duct system connected to the fan. 

One quick test to ensure you’re getting proper suction from your bathroom ventilation arrangement is to hold a slice of toilet newspaper upward the exhaust. 

A properly working fan will suck upwards the bathroom paper. If your fan isn’t holding on tightly to the newspaper, remove the unit from the ceiling in addition to bank check its duct connectedness. You’ll probably discover that it’second clogged, and you tin clean those clogs amongst a soft brush. 

Ensuring that your ductwork too damper are working properly volition greatly increase your fan’sec longevity. Let your fan go smarter, not harder.

Indicators that it’sec Time to Change

If you lot’ve moved into your home inside the last decade, there’second a strong risk you didn’t install the current exhaust fan inwards your electric current domicile, as well as y'all may non accept whatsoever idea of the terminal fourth dimension it was replaced, if always. 

It’second best to discover whatsoever upshot earlier the fan has completely failed, so here are roughly ways to order if your exhaust fan is nearing its stop.

Noises

Don’t just can whatever rattling or squeaking noises because they could be a sign that the motor is virtually to hand out. A properly functioning fan should solely brand a depression hum noise when in role. Check out my article well-nigh why bathroom fans get noisy if yous desire to larn more. Alternatively, if your fan is specifically making a buzzing or loud humming audio, you lot tin become through my listing of possible causes too solutions.

Slow Startup

Observe how long the fan takes to kick inward fully. It should beginning up right away, at the flick of a switch. If there’second a pause inward between, so something is incorrect.

Moisture Buildup

If your unremarkably dry out bathroom is all of a sudden moist all the fourth dimension and fifty-fifty has a bit of an scent, your fan is likely nearing the terminate of its lifetime.

Strong Plastic Smell

Be peculiarly alert to the odor of burnt plastic, which could signal a failing fan or an electric job that could blossom into a total-fledged fire take a chance. It’second time to supersede it straight off (origin). 

If any of the to a higher place sounds like your bath exhaust fan, it’sec time to start shopping for a novel ane. Unfortunately, exhaust fans don’t take printed expiration dates.

To know when to modify an exhaust fan with an unknown install appointment, y'all’ll necessitate to go along a note of just how your fan is operating every fourth dimension you lot become to your bathroom then yous tin take hold of a problem before it starts.

Things to Consider Before Installing an Exhaust Fan

Before you go any farther become too cheque my article where I discuss how to modify exclusively the motor. Since this is ofttimes the best solution.

You’ve figured out y'all have a noisy too outdated exhaust fan, together with it’sec time for a novel i. Now you lot’re wondering if an exhaust fan installation is a make-it-yourself project.

While it is possible, it will depend on what the existing exhaust fan is like, what kind of fan you lot desire to position inward, in addition to your personal feel amongst electric operate.

Electrical work should ever be done by an experienced, licensed professional person to ensure the wiring is done per local codes. Since electricity tin be hazardous to operate with, calling a professional would for certain be inward your best interest.

On the other mitt, if you lot know your style around about wiring, yous tin pass replacing your exhaust fan a shot.

If you lot are looking for a more than detailed assessment together with comparing on who should supervene upon your bathroom fan, yous tin notice all the data y'all ask to know inwards my article on who to hire for bathroom fan replacements.

Bathroom Fan Housing Size

The about important matter is the actual physical size of the fan. By replacing it alongside a fan that is like to the ane you have now yous save yourself a lot problem.

It is best to measure the opening as well as detect a fan amongst a like size housing. Bathroom fans are not touchstone size equally I talk over inward my previous article.

Replacing an Existing Exhaust Fan

Upgrading Your Exhaust Fan

If this is your outset fourth dimension purchasing an exhaust fan, in that location are a few things y'all should know kickoff. You should view the CFM rating, equally nosotros discussed earlier, only you lot should too bank check into the sones rating on fans. 

A sones rating is the mensuration of how loud the fan is. In sones, i is considered tranquility, spell ii is the touchstone level. You can acquire more than virtually sone ratings hither.

You tin observe a Sone to Decibel reckoner hither

As yous shop for a new exhaust fan, also look into about handy features included inward some mod versions. If you have to supervene upon the fan anyway, y'all power besides upgrade. Some exhaust fans accept:

• An attached calorie-free
• A nightlight
• A timer
• A humidity sensor
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Adjustable fan speeds
• A speaker to play music
• Thermal heat protection

Here I accept a listing of 8 super serenity bathroom fans. They are genuinely the quietest on the market today in addition to I volition proceed this listing updated.

An upgraded exhaust fan is a nice improvement to the dwelling, simply delight live aware that about of these features may require extra electrical go. For case, a calorie-free too exhaust combination may require an additional low-cal switch installed.

Replacing the Old Fan

To install a new fan, y'all will beginning ask to take away your existing exhaust fan. For a quick how-to, follow these steps. (I take an article dedicated to how to remove the bath fan if you desire a more than inwards-depth lead)

As when cleaning the exhaust fan, make certain the appropriate breaker is switch off before you lot effort to take away anything. Take off the cover like earlier, whether attached past screws or clasps.

After the comprehend is off, take away the motor from the housing inwards your ceiling or wall. Once you lot’re in the housing, accomplish in and disconnect the wiring that gives power to the motor.

You volition involve to take the housing adjacent, which is unremarkably screw-mounted in together with tin simply be unscrewed too removed. Some fans are held inwards place with brackets that make it more than difficult to take out the housing.

As y'all slow force the housing out, likewise disconnect any wiring connected to it. Now take away the housing from its connection to the duct in addition to take away the housing entirely.

All exhaust fans are different, but all come up with their own ready of instructions. It’sec best to review your selected fan’second directions carefully earlier attempting anything.

If your new exhaust fan is the same size as the older 1, and so installing the new fan is only a matter of reversing these steps.

Potential Problems

When installing a new exhaust fan, you may take to expand the existing hole inward your ceiling for a larger exhaust fan or even add together filling to suit a smaller ane. You volition likewise necessitate to reconnect to the house’sec duct together with electrical systems.

You may run into more or less tricky issues if your habitation is an older build. The owners prior to you may not accept properly installed the unit, as well as you realize immediately that it isn’t fifty-fifty ventilating to the exterior but, instead, into the attic.

Suddenly, this install is a much more than complicated chore. If your fan isn’t vented, you lot’ll demand to install a vent through the roof or the wall of your menage. If you have an attic, never vent direct into the attic itself.

The bath fan should never live vented to the attic!

When yous run ductwork anywhere, connect the duct or hose to your fan unit with HVAC record. You will want to properly insulate the ductwork to preclude the buildup of condensation as this volition result inwards H2O dripping from the bath fan as well as ruining the drywall.

Minimizing the length of the ductwork too the issue of bends will cut down condensation risks as well as cut down how difficult your exhaust fan has to run to ticker air out.

If you don’t experience comfortable cut holes inwards your wall or roof for your vent, only phone call a professional. An improperly cut vent hole too poorly sealed vents will involve further maintenance at more or less betoken and could effort serious harm to your domicile.

Cutting through masonry for a wall vent tin be peculiarly challenging, and y'all desire to make certain yous don’t cut through whatsoever electric or plumbing lines.

Final Thoughts

Bathroom exhaust fans tin can terminal a surprising x years if properly maintained. In that decade, they will go on your bath dry in addition to continue the mold too insects at bay.

After that ten-twelvemonth score, yous’re more than likely to detect about signs of failure, similar clanking sounds, a foggy bathroom, or fifty-fifty a burning odour — a sign that it’sec go a fire chance.

You should make clean exhaust fans one time a yr at a minimum, only twice a yr is even improve. Also, it shouldn’t be left running for long periods to avoid overheating and a potential burn down. 

As long as yous have the proper exhaust fan installed for your bath’s size as well equally character ductwork, there’s no argue your bathroom fan shouldn’t concluding for the total x years.