Reviews:
 ·AT&T U-Verse
| Insufficient Bathroom Ventilation My master bathroom is about 15x10. It's in the internal portion of the house below the loft or attic space. My shower consists of one full glass door, a half-glass side with tile comprising the other half, and then two full tile sides. The problem I have is that ever since I've bought the house I've been instructed by the builder and others that I need to squeegie the glass and the floor of the shower after every use to prevent mold and mildew. I've done this ever since and nonetheless, still occassionally need to scrub the grout. I'm wondering if this constant squeeging is normal.
The bathroom has one exhaust-type fan in the middle of the ceiling. It looks like a square plastic vent with beveled slots (not the kind that air comes out of but more like a pyramid). I don't know if it's doing a whole lot and was wondering if there's any other options available to me. The exhaust has a separate switch for the bathroom that powers it on. |
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alkizmo
join:2007-06-25
Pierrefonds, QC | You can replace your exhaust fan with a more powerful model.
Also don't keep the bathroom door closed when you exit t. Leave it open to let dry air circulate inside. |
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| Do those vans really work? How much do they typically cost for a "better" model. I think I have access to it from the attic immediately above the bathroom. Ive seen the hook-ups. |
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 dandelionPremium,MVM
join:2003-04-29
Germantown, TN
kudos:4 | reply to SteelersFan
For a bathroom that size you might want to consider two exhaust fans. |
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 mityfowlPremium
join:2000-11-06
Dallas, TX | reply to SteelersFan
1 good Panasonic vent should work. |
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JTY
join:2004-05-29
Ellensburg, WA | reply to SteelersFan
Cost depends on quality of fan, and quantity it can move. I second the suggestion of a Panasonic, as they tend to be rather quiet, and a high volume unit will make more noise than a low volume one. |
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garys_2kPremium
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI | reply to SteelersFan
I've never owned, or lived in as a kid, a bathroom that didn't need the shower tile wiped down to prevent mold. Mold can grow quickly enough to beat a fan's ventilation-assisted drying. |
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 tschmidtPremium,MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
kudos:5
 ·Fairpoint Commun..
 ·Hollis Hosting
| reply to SteelersFan
Two issues are the capacity of the exhaust fan and how long it runs.
We live in a tight house and have had problems with bathroom moisture. I installed a combo fan time/light switch in each one. Whenever the light is on so is the fan and when the light is turned off the fan runs for a programmed period of time.
Sounds like you have a two gang box in the bathroom one switch for the light and one for the fan. That is what we have so when I installed the timer left the other switch be a manual override for the fan so if you want it can be turned on to run constantly.
To see if the fan is actually moving air turn it in and find the exhaust and see if air is coming out.
/tom |
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ivman
join:2010-08-15
Shortsville, NY | reply to SteelersFan
I had a similar problem in my house. A couple years after I bought the house, I decided to beef up the attic insulation and also replace the fan. When I got up into the attic, I found that the fan did not actually vent anywhere. There was insulation lying directly on top of it completely covering the exit and it was extremely nasty with mildew! I put in a new fan and a duct to vent it outside and have had few problems since then. |
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 jkj860The Final Frontier
join:2002-01-10
Valparaiso, IN
 ·Comcast Digital ..
 ·Comcast
| reply to SteelersFan
Make sure the fan is matched to the square footage of your bathroom and it is properly vented to the outside. You can also check the fan by holding a tissue next to the vent while it is on to see if it is indeed pulling air. Make sure the fan is able to run long enough to vent the moisture also. Maybe install a timer switch to allow it to run after you exit the room. The vents tend to collect dust sometimes too so keep it cleaned.
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 nunyaWho is John Galt?Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
kudos:5
·Charter
·voip.ms
| reply to SteelersFan
Your bathroom needs a 160 cfm fan due to it's large size. You'd be better off getting an "inline" fan or something like the Panasonic FV-20VQ3. For that size, I prefer inline.
Obviously, check the CFM of your existing fan first and see if it foots the bill. There could be a stuck damper, dirty blade, crushed pipe, etc... impeding it. Sometimes it's an easy fix that will save you hundreds.
As for the shower, the fan probably isn't going to help much. Showers are a mold paradise. I haven't lived anywhere where it didn't need to be scrubbed down at least once a week.
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...because I care. |
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Reviews:
·AT&T U-Verse
| reply to SteelersFan
I picked up a 210CFM fan from big orange box a couple years back for the same reasons. Even in the coldest of cold, the fog no longer touches the huge mirror (my wife's major complaint)
The mold/mildew was a slight problem on our shower curtain, not walls, but most of it was on the bottom. I raised the curtain rod up a bit and it has (nearly) eliminated those issues. Not sure if the fan had any effect ... but dang, got rid of the fogging issue, which might help on your shower's glass doors.
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Reviews:
·AT&T Southeast
| reply to nunya
I like inline fans, too. I installed one via a retrofit kit from Fantech in my bathroom. Left the existing fan box/grille in place, removed the old fan itself from the box, hooked up the flexible duct and done. No ceiling drywall work at all.
Another nice thing to consider with inline (besides the quiet) given the size of the OP's bathroom size is that he could use a "Y" (wye) flexible duct adapter to split the draw of one fan between two different ceiling grilles if desired. They have these on the Fantech site under "Residential >> Accessories >> Duct supplies".
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nohup rm -fr /& |
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Reviews:
·RoadRunner Cable
·AT&T Midwest
·voip.ms
·MyPhoneCompany
| reply to nunya
said by nunya:As for the shower, the fan probably isn't going to help much. Showers are a mold paradise. I haven't lived anywhere where it didn't need to be scrubbed down at least once a week.
With A/C, dehumidification and dry winters I'll have to admit that once a week is an ideal to be strived for here, and that's about it. 
Leave the shower door(s) open so air circulates any time the shower is not in use.
Soft water seems to reduce the s. marcescens (pink growth). That seemed odd to me because the soft water is dechlorinated, but I don't recall the explanation. Something about less for it to feed on in the softened water, maybe.
Anyway, I was told to clean more often and use hydrogen peroxide. So I have a H2O2 bottle with a squirt top and I squirt that on the grout between cleanings. I still don't clean it often enough.
EFI sells a switch that keeps the fan on for a settable time after the light is shut off. I run my bath fan 24x7, though.
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| reply to SteelersFan
You need a 2-300CFM exhaust fan for a bathroom that size.
Put a timer switch on it.
Leviton has a couple of timers - one that maxes out at 15 minutes, another that runs up to 30 minutes. |
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bkjohnsonPremium
join:2002-05-22
Birmingham, AL Reviews:
·Charter
| reply to SteelersFan
Until you get ventilation solutions in place, you might want to consider using one of the daily shower sprays after showering. I use Arm and Hammer "Clean Shower" daily shower cleaner and find that it greatly reduces mildew and soap scum buildup. I used to squeegee but the spray works better for me. |
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 tobyTroy Mcclure
join:2001-11-13
Seattle, WA | reply to SteelersFan
Leave the door open, works great. |
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 macsierraBaby NewfoundlandPremium
join:2003-11-30
Minden, NV | reply to SteelersFan
CFM is one thing, but our Panasonic FV-30VQ3 probably could suck start a Harley easily.
That darn thing sucks the bathroom door open if it isn't latched completely and that's all I need to know about bathroom fans.. |
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 jack bGone FishingPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-08
Cape Cod
kudos:1 | reply to SteelersFan
Squeegeeing won't prevent mold/mildew, all that does is help minimize white spots (soap scum) from forming by removing the droplets of water that "stick" on the surfaces after you're done in there. It does help keep it looking clean, though.
Clorox clean-up works wonders on keeping tile grout clean.
(among other things!)
The fan should run for at least a half hour (YMMV) after you're done to remove the humidity.
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nunyaWho is John Galt?Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
kudos:5 Reviews:
·Charter
·voip.ms
| reply to SteelersFan
You don't want to get a fan that's too big. You need to have "make up air". If you live in an older drafty house, this usually isn't a problem. If you live in a newer or well sealed house, the oversized fan will draw back into the house through the furnace and water heater flues, or chimneys. They can also kill "draft" while running. This means that the appliance dumps it's exhaust (CO) into the house instead of up the flue or chimney.
MUA is now a code requirement on new construction in many areas. The two most common methods I see are: 1) an active exchanger. 2) a passive inlet connected to the cold air return.
The smallest fan you'll probably find that meets the 160 CFM requirement of your bathroom would be a 200 CFM. You probably would be fine with a 150 CFM. There's no need to get carried away. 160 CFM will change the room air out 8 times per hour.
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...because I care. |
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