Introduction: How to Replace a Bathroom Exhaust Fan
They say nothing is certain but destruction and taxes, merely I'd like to add a third: repairs! In one week exclusively, ternion things bust down in the mouth on us that had to beryllium repaired. When you're a brawl-it-your-selfer and a blogger, you have to look on the scintillating broadside and call that a good workweek: repairs alone can give you a ton of things to write of!
For the Home Melioration contest, I'm sharing a DIY on how to replace a lavatory fan. 'Hidden' repairs are ones that go unnoticed, only they throne be the most important DIYs you'll do because they protect the investment in your home - and your health. A well running play (and installed) bath tucker out fan will help prevent mold growth which can trigger asthma and allergies. If you remark moisture stains on your walls or ceilings, tinny corrosion, visual mold, damaged paint or wall newspaper publisher, cloudy windows and high levels of humidity, it's prison term to shift that fan. Differently the tight and ungraceful quarters you have to work in, it's a fair unambiguous repair - and well worth the effort to know that it's cooked right.
We weren't lamentable to see our old buff go; It was so loud that my wife could barely get a line me singing rubber ducky to her just outside the bathroom doorway. We really should have replaced it long before it conked out though: as (dreadful) luck would have information technology, ours obstructed working when the hottest and most humid stretch of upwind hit us. Ironically, that was the same morning that our air conditioner broke down too, so by the good afternoon our house was as hot as you bed what and the territorial dominion was still hotter! Talk of sweat equity!!
Step 1: You Will Pauperization
- replacement fan
- ducting (diverse lengths and configurations)
- tyvek coverall
- safety mask
- gather record
- epithelial duct insulation (only when you can't reuse the old glut)
- gloves (to wear while moving insulation)
- drill
- bore bits
- shrou metal screws
- tin snips
- electrical bushing
- cardboard box to help transport supplies all of a sudden
- portable light (and annex corduroy to run to nearest electrical outlet)
- ravel
- plywood (to put between the joists to assist you walk about around the attic)
Step 2: Transfer the Old Fan
To start, I switch off the power to the bathroom so I could disconnect the wiring safely without risk of exposure of electrocution! I then remote the senile devotee and then I could find a replacement that would paroxysm without having to cut a bigger hole into the wallboard. I temporarily taped a plastic bag o'er the hole after removing the fan.
Since the fan is also connected to the light, and in that respect isn't a window in the bathroom, I set up a work clear outside the door.
I protected every the surfaces in the can by taping plastic to the walls and connected the floor to collar any insulating material/mess that might drop down when I was working in the Classical Greek after.
Step 3: Inspect What You Give birth Soh You Rear Purchase Consequently
I inspected the condition of the old ducting in the attic and determined that the original 4″ pipe attached to the vent was poorly installed and in that respect were very much of gaps. I also discovered that the constructor cut too big a hole into the roof – which further explained the gaps. The picture shows what the old channel (and fan) looked like.
I found a specialty fan store that sells to the edifice industry, but is open to the open. I took the old fan with me to get the same dimensions to fit the hole in the ceiling, but I upgraded to a whisper quiet fan (only if 1 sone). Any lover under 1.5 sones is considered to be quiet so keep out that in mind when shopping.
Another matter to keep in mind is the diameter of the duct connector on the new housing. To maximize carrying into action, try to pit your epithelial duct diameter to the New rooter. Our canal was originally 4″ open but because of the larger kettle of fish in the roof left by our builder, I opted to utilisation a 5″ gasket in order to bridge the gaps at the roof ventilate and replace the 4″ ductwork with 5″ fittings. However, the renewal fan was 4" sol I bought a duct reductant (installing the 4″ end onto the fan and the 5″ end onto the new ductwork). In that location's nothing ill-timed with crescendo the size of the ductwork, but don't ever do the opposite or you will restrict the exhaust from the fan!
All-in, it cost about $125 for the fan and supplies.
Ill-trea 4: Determine Your CFM Rating
With respect to performance, a devotee's power to relocation vent is measured in solid feet per bit (CFM), so calculate for a CFM rating that will meet your needs by moving enough air for the size of your bathroom. To determine your CFM rating, use the undermentioned formula:
Length x width x height of room x .13 = the minimum CFM rating
In summation to the fan, I purchased a mixture of early fittings. Get more than you recollect you need and rejoinder what you don't use; there's aught worsened than being perplexed in the attic and and so realizing that you take in to run out to buy something you didn't get!.
Step 5: The Real Work Begins
I fit up in a gabardine Tyvek coverall, like the one pictured, to protect against the scratchy insulation. I also wore a heavy duty cloak: if you've ever had mice in the attic, sweet-breathed in small particles from the mess they depart behind can make you sick. You call for to take the forethought of wearing a masquerade so you don't suspire in any toxins.
This is off topic, but if you do bump signs of mouse activity when you trick out in that respect, you can toss bags of warfarin pellets (if you can nevertheless purchase them) roughly the perimeter of the attic to get rid of them (that's all extermination companies do). If you don't use it all up cost sure to lock it away where kids and animals can't gain get at to it for obvious reasons.
Step 6: Gather Supplies
I located a ladder beneath our attic access code and removed the panel (ours is in the bedroom closet). I took completely my equipment up in a box to keep it all at once and do the trip only once. This included a practice, screws, screw driver, tin snips, duct fittings, fan, electrical bushing, silver tuck tape recording, etc. I also took a bright sandy connected an extension electric cord up with me to see (the light was unravel to another electric power supply that was lul working).
If you haven't previously done run in the attic, you should place some runner strips of plyboard across the joists so you can pass around without risk of falling through the drywall! I had already ripped down some plywood for this purpose a few geezerhood ago so I was good to go. Once in the attic, I pushed aside all the blown in insulation so I could locate the electrical wiring and fix in the ceiling of our bathroom (this is where covering the hole with a brightly splashed bag came in handy; it was impressible to daub). Don some gloves when handling the insulation - it can be fretful.
Step 7: Installation
I far the elastic bag, positioned the newfangled rooter body over the hole in the ceiling and then screwed it into the joists. A auriferous pillage (shown in the basic picture) was betrothed to the binding to help secure information technology further to the joist (IT can reduce side to side vibration). Depending on where your hole is positioned between the joists, you may have to establis anyplace from incomparable to 4 of these strips to secure it.
Our fan was positioned right beside the joist so I only needed one new strip at the backbone.
Next, I installed the electrical bushing onto the fan (it protects the wire) and then fed the wire through and connected it. I in use tuck tape to seal every along the edges of the lover.
Step 8: Connect Gasket and Dry Fit
At the roof rail line, I used a 5" gasket with a seal some it for the association to the roof vent-hole. This is a much better solution than the straight function with release cuts the builder previously installed because information technology seals any gaps. I used put u snips to cut away one side of the gasket to fit IT flush against the joist in order to line it leading with the roof vent. Once fit, I peeled the mag tape remove the gasket and ironed IT ahead onto the underside of the roof. I pre-trained and inserted screws all around the gasket.
I dry fit the bronze ducting, starting with the reducer at the fan, until I eventually got it totally to queue up with the roof release.
As you can take in in the last see, one of the pieces of ducting is articulate so it can be perverted into hardly about any position to line the duct work up with the roof air out.
Step 9: Connect to the Roof and Seal
With all the rainless fitting complete, I pre-drilled a hole out into each channel joint and installed a couple of 8 x 1/2"screws to hold the sections into position. Then I attentive each marijuana cigarette with bright tuck tape to seal it.
Step 10: Test Physical phenomenon Connection and Insulate
Before finishing the insularism, I upturned the power back on to make sure everything was squirting swimmingly. And so I turned the power back off once more as a precaution and went back into the attic to twine the pipe with insulation and tie it on with corduroy (I reused the old insulation that was originally there).
The last step is to tax return all the blown-in insulation to its original position between the joists.
Step 11: You'atomic number 75 Done
I brought all my tools back down and closed the noodle approach panel.
The end step is to install the plastic ceiling cover complete the fan to finish information technology off; it attaches with metallic clips. Now the fan purrs like a kitty; bring on the rubber dearie!
Step 12: Please Voter turnout
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Source: https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Replace-a-Bathroom-Exhaust-Fan/
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