Is Your Bathroom Exhaust Fan Vented Properly? Asking An Electrician

At KB Electric LLC, we install a lot of bathroom exhaust fans for our customers. We replace old bathroom exhaust fans with new ones as well when the old one stops working. Many times we get phone calls from customers asking us to vent their existing bathroom exhaust fan properly. Yes, a bathroom exhaust fan can be vented incorrectly, causing moisture damage, among other things. So if you have an exhaust fan in your bathroom, ask yourself this: is my bathroom exhaust fan vented properly?

Bathroom Exhaust Fan Install And Ventilation : KB Electric LLC

Proper Ventilation For A Bathroom Exhaust Fan

Let’s start with the basics. A bathroom exhaust fan should always be ventilated to the outside of your home. Many people will say that’s a no-brainer. You don’t want moisture in the air of the bathroom being sucked into any other part of your home. But you’d be surprised how many homes have exhaust fans installed without venting to the outside.

Now that you know an exhaust fan needs ventilation to the outside of your home, it’s time to take a look and see if this is how your exhaust fan is set up. 

How To Tell If My Bathroom Exhaust Fan Is Vented Properly

First, check your attic. If you can clearly see that your bathroom exhaust fan has been vented through your attic without an escape route to the outside, it’s time to correct this. Even if your attic itself is vented, this won’t do the trick. A bathroom exhaust fan must be vented outside on it’s own, either vented through the bathroom wall or through the roof. If you can’t tell if your bathroom exhaust fan is vented in either of these two places, it’s time to call a professional. 

Licensed electricians can determine quickly how your bathroom exhaust fan is vented. If the ventilation stops in the attic and all of the moisture is being sucked in there from the bathroom, the exhaust fan isn’t properly vented.

Why Venting A Bathroom Exhaust Fan Through The Attic Is A No-No

Your attic is already hot enough with the sun beating down on your roof, and with the rising warm air in your home. It does not need the added moisture from your bathroom after your hot showers. This can cause mold growth, not to mention damage to the roof sheathing and framing of your home. 

The point of a bathroom exhaust fan is to get that moisture out of your bathroom to prevent mold and mildew from growing so you don’t have to shell out hundreds on water damage to your bathroom ceiling and walls, bathroom tiles…etc. 

What you don’t want is that moisture getting into the attic with no way to get out. This will cause damage in your attic, and you may need to spend money on having to fix things in there.

Ensuring Your Bathroom Exhaust Fan Has The Correct Venting Materials

When googling, “is my bathroom exhaust fan vented properly”, there are two things to consider. The first thing is if the exhaust fan is indeed vented to the outside of your house. The second thing to look for is if the insulation and venting materials are correct.

So, is your bathroom exhaust fan vented properly to the outside of your home? If yes, then it’s time to move onto number two: ensuring that your exhaust fan has the proper insulation and venting material. If you can clearly see water marks on your ceiling near the bathroom exhaust fan, it is probably because the venting wasn’t done correctly.

The water stains near the bathroom exhaust fan could be from condensation. It could be other things, but condensation would be the most likely scenario. Condensation can form when the piping/ductwork isn’t insulated properly, meaning the wrong type of insulation is used, or nonexistent. It’s not mandatory to insulate, but if it is a problem with water stains around the exhaust fan, then it is wise to insulate to prevent this.

Calling An Electrician For Proper Bathroom Exhaust Fan Venting And Installation

Remember this: a professional can properly install your bathroom exhaust fan with venting to the outside of your home, and with the proper ductwork and insulation. 

If you don’t know if your existing exhaust fans are vented properly, give a licensed electrician a call. They will inspect and walkthrough everything with you to ensure that moisture stays out of your home.